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In botany, the contrayerva, or contrajerva, is the root and scaly rhizome of various tropical American species of Dorstenia in the family Moraceae (D. contrayerva and D. braziliensis^[1]), a South American plant, the aromatic root of which is sometimes used in medicine as a gentle stimulant and tonic^[2]. It was previously used as an antidote to snake bites.^[3]

The name is used in Jamaica to refer to a species of Birthwort (Aristolochia odoratissima) still believed to have antidotal properties.^[1]

The root is smaller than that of the iris, reddish outside and white inside, knotty, and fibrous. To be of use, it must be new, heavy, and of a dusky red color. Its odor resembles that of fig leaves. Its taste is aromatic, accompanied with some acrimony.^[3]

The contrayerva root was formerly considered by many writers to be one of the best anti-epidemics known. Dr. Nathaniel Hodges (1629–1688), in his treatise of the Great Plague of London (Loimologia; published in 1672), had a recipe which he said was very successful, and of which this root was one of the chief ingredients.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Contrayerva". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989.
2. ^ This article incorporates text from the public domain 1913 Webster's Dictionary.
3. ^ ^{a b c} This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain.