Jaundice berry or `Maider berry` is an upright, prickly shrub with dark brown bark and yellow wood. It has stalked, thin and egg-shaped leaves in clusters of 10, with yellow flowers and red, quadrilateral berries.

The bark contains many dynamic alkaloids, like berberine, oxyacanthine, and columbamine, which are all antibacterial. Berberine also has antiviral attributes. Tannin, resin, fat and starch are the other components of the herb.

Methods of usage
Jaundice berry comes to indispensable use in instances of liver malfunction, high blood pressure, scurvy, painful menstruation, fever, boosting secretion of urine.

Healing Power and Medicinal Properties of Jaundice berry The bark of its stem and root act as a revitaliser. They encourage active movement of bowels, increasing secretion and emission of urine and diminishing fever due to anti-bilious and antiseptic attributes.

Liver Disorders cured by Jaundice berry
Jaundice berry is predominantly useful as an acrid revitaliser in jaundice and other liver malfunctions. The powderised bark is administered many times a day in dosages of quarter teaspoon. Alternatively, the fluid infusion can also be dispensed in 2 or 4 gram dosages.

High Blood Pressure cured by Jaundice berry
The herb is exceedingly valuable in the treatment of high blood pressure. Research has proved that it distends the arteries, in the process lowering blood pressure.

Scurvy healed by Jaundice berry
The leaves of jaundice berry are anti-scorbutic or anti-scurvy. An extraction of the leaves as well as the juice of the berry can be dispensed with useful results in scurvy.

Fevers healed by Jaundice berry
The berries comprise citric and malic acids, useful in checking discharge or bleeding and in boosting the flow of bile. Their juice can be given in inflammatory and malignant fevers, particularly typhus and typhoid, in dosages of 2 to 4 grams.

Menstrual Disorders healed by Jaundice berry
The herb is beneficial in menstrual disorders, like agonising periods and undue loss of blood. It has also been discovered advantageous during labour.

Precaution
This herb should however not be used during pregnancy, because the alkaloid berberine excites the uterus, and may induce miscarriage.

Other Uses of Jaundice berry
A Purgative - Jaundice berry acts as an efficacious purgative, when had in large dosages of more than one fourth of a teaspoon of powderised bark or 4 gram dosages of the fluid extract.