Senega is the dried root of the Polygala senega, In 1911, it was official in the British and United States pharmacopoeias. Senega contains an active principle, saponin. Senega is used chiefly as a stimulating expectorant in chronic bronchitis. It is occasionally used as a diuretic in renal dropsy. It is a cardiac depressant, and is contra-indicated in diseased conditions of the heart. It has a tendency to upset the digestion, and is therefore only used in combination with other drugs in what are termed expectorant mixtures. It was formerly used as an antidote for snake bites.