* Hutan Simpan Bukit Cherakah (1909-Kini)

Sejenis pokok renek berbunga putih atau merah, biasa ditemui pada tahun 1890-an: “There are, however, certain omissions of words in more or less common use in British territory to which we venture to draw the authors' attention. Such are … 'Cheraka,' the name of a common shrub with white or red flowers; …” (The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 13 March 1897, Page 2: |"THE MALAY DICTIONARY (Clifford and Swettenham.) PART III").

Akar pokok cheraka merah atau “plumbago rosea” sering digunakan oleh pengamal perubatan tradisional melayu, antaranya untuk menggugurkan bayi dalam kandungan.

“PLUMBAGO ROSEA.
(N.O. - PLUMBAGINEAE.)
Sans. - Raktachitraka. Eng. - Rose-coloured Leadwort. Hind. - Lal-chitarak, Lal-chitra. Ben. - Rakto-chitra, Lal chita. Punj. - Chitra. Kash. - Shitranj. Duk. - Lal-Chiturmul. Mah. - Lal-Chitraka, Tel. - Yerra-chitramulam. Tam. - Kodimuli Shivappu Chittramulam. Can. - Kempu Chitramula. Mal. - Chekkikotuveri. Cing. - Ratnitul. Burm. - Kin-khenni. Malay. - Chiraka-merah.” (K.M. Nadkarni, 1910: |"INDIAN PLANTS and DRUGS with their Medical Properties and Uses", m.s. 310).

“OTHER NAMES
Tamil: Shivappu Chittramulam
English: Rose-coloured Lead-wort
Telugu: Yerra-chitramulam
Malayalam: Chekkikotuveri
Kannada: Kempu chitramula
Marathi: Lal-chitarakak
Hindi: Lal-chitarah ; Chitra
Sanskrit:Raktachitraka ; Chitraka”

(Sumber: Bharathi Aravindh Foundation: |"PLUMBAGO ROSEA").

Antara lain, untuk menggugurkan kandungan: “Properties and Uses. - The root, which contains a crystalline principle called Plubagin, has vesicant properties, and enters into the composition of caustic pastes and rubefacient applications. The bruised root mixed with oil is used as a rubefacient application in rheumatism. Taken internally it is a powerful acro-narcotic poison; it is employed to procure criminal abortion as it will expel the foetus from the womb whether dead or alive. Externally it has been sometimes used as a substitute for cantharides for raising a blister. The fresh bark of the root is rubbed into a paste with water and a little rice flour; it is then spread on a piece of rag and applied to the surface. In about 5 minutes a pain is felt, which increases in severity for about half an hour, when it may be removed; a rice poultice may then be applied over the part, and within 12 or 18 hours a large uniform blister will be found to have formed. The fluid having been let out, it may be dressed with plantain leaf in the usual way. The chief objection to the use of plumbago blister is the great pain it causes, hence it should only be used when other blistering agents are not at hand and a blister is an immediate necessity.” (K.M. Nadkarni, 1910: |"INDIAN PLANTS and DRUGS with their Medical Properties and Uses", m.s. 311).

Seorang doktor di Singapura mendakwa berbahaya kerana di sana terdapat beberapa kes pengamalnya dijangkiti tetanus dan meninggal dunia:-

• “Use of plant root to induce abortion, a frequent practice of professional Malay abortionists, was very dangerous, Dr. K. Shanmugaretnam, the Singapore Government Pathologist, told the Singapore Coroner at an inquest yesterday. He was giving evidence on the death from tetanus last month of a 34-year-old woman, Chan Wai Leng. The Coroner returned a finding of 'criminal abortion against an unknown person' who, he said, had been responsible for Chan's death. Dr. Shanmugaretnam, who performed an autopsy on Chan, said that he found in her body a piece of root from a plant called “cheraka merah”. It was identical to those found in other cases of abortion in Singapore. 'This method of abortion, often practised by professional Malay abortionists, carries a very great risk of tetanus,” he added. Lee See, Chan's mother, said that her daughter's husband had left for America seven years ago and she had been living with another man. On May 8, Chan visited her and complained of a pain in the head. Three days later, her daughter sent for her. Chan was in bed and could not speak although she was conscious. She died in the General Hospital on May 14.“ (The Straits Times, 13 June 1952, Page 10: |"Doctor warns of risky practice").

• “Three cases in which illegal abortions were performed in Singapore by the use of 'abortion sticks' are reported in the latest issue of the journal published by the Alumni Association of the King Edward VII College of Medicine. All three patients died in the General Hospital after developing tetanus. After one of the deaths, information was obtained that a woman had performed the abortion. A trap was set by the Police and an arrest was made. The journal says that the 'abortion sticks' used in such cases have been traced to the plant cheraka merah (plumbago rosea). The cases show the dangerous association of tetanus infection by the use of such sticks in abortion. In one case, a 29-year-old Filipino woman, who was pregnant, was admitted into hospital and gave the history of having had the assistance of a Malay woman in producing abortion. She developed tetanus and died in hospital. No police investigation concerning the abortionist was made in this case because of lack of evidence says the journal. In another case, a 25-year-old Chinese woman had an abortion carried out by a Malay woman. She developed tetanus and died in hospital. Information led to an arrest. In a third case, a Chinese housemaid was admitted into hospital with clinical symptoms of tetanus. An autopsy performed after her death gave conclusive evidence that an abortion had been carried out.” (The Singapore Free Press, 9 August 1952, Page 1: |"3 abortion deaths in Singapore").

Kemungkinan ciri-ciri “abortion sticks” yang dinyatakan dalam laporan akhbar di atas: “Plumbago rosea Linn. (Plumbaginaceae); VN: Lal-cheeta (B/S); *A candle of about 9cm long is prepared from the root paste of this plant, which is kept inside overnight to induce abortion for the pregnancy up to 3 months by the Santal.” (S Mitra and Sobhan Kr Mukherjee, 2009. Natural Product Radiance, Vol 8(2) March-April 2009: |"Some abortifacient plants used by the tribal people of West Bengal", m.s. 169).

Suatu kajian kesan cheraka merah tempatan terhadap janin kandungan: “This study sets out to evaluate the traditionally claimed antifertility activity of local variety of Plumbago rosea L. root. In the ancient Sanskrit medicinal literature, the abortifacient activity of this plant has been recorded (Burkhil, 1966). In Malaysia it is known as Cheraka merah and has several folk medicinal uses in the Southeast Asian countries. Locally it is used as an abortifacient by chewing the roots for sometimes. Beside its antifertility activity, other folk medicinal uses of this plant include uses in rheumatism, leprosy, stimulation of digestion and as emmenagogue (Burkil, 1966; Padua et al., 1999). Scientific research of antifertility activity along with other activities of this plant as single preparation or as part of composite preparation has also been done in some parts of the world (Sharma and Mahanta, 2000; Devi et al., 1998; Solomon et al., 1993; Lal et al., 1983). However, to the best of our knowledge and based on literature survey in Medline and other scientific resource database, no scientific research has yet been done on the uterotrophic, fetotoxicity and abortifacient activity of the local Malaysian variety of Plumbago rosea L. To this end, in this study an attempt has been made to evaluate the traditionally claimed antifertility activity of this plant using animal model through in vitro and in vivo approaches.” (Munavvar Abdul Sattar, Nor Azizan Abdullah, Md. Abdul Hye Khan, Aidiahmad Dewa and D. Samshia, 2007. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 10: 763-767: |"Uterotrophic, Fetotoxic and Abortifacient Effect of a Malaysian Variety of Plumbago rosea L. on Isolated Rat Uterus and Pregnant Mice.").