(from the article `ephedrine`) alkaloid used as a decongestant drug. It is obtainable from plants of the genus Ephedra, particularly the Chinese species E. sinica, and it has been ... ...(Indian hemp). Chaulmoogra oil was used by the Chinese for leprosy from at least the 14th century, and about a century ago it began to be used for ...... Found on http://www.britannica.com/eb/a-z/m/14