It was in mid 17th-century England the only native purgative. It was also known pre- Linnaeus as "Spina Cervina". The berries of "Spina Cervina" are black and contain a greenish juice, along with four seeds apiece; this serves to distinguish them from those of the black alder and dogberry, which contain only one or two apiece. Its syrup is said to be churlish. Its toxicity makes this a very risky herbal medicine and it is no longer in use. "R. prinoides" is known as "gesho" in Ethiopia, where it is used to make a mead called "tej". The species "Rhamnus alaternus" shows some promise for medicinal use as well. National Security Guard  The National Security Guard (NSG) is an elite counter-terrorism unit under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It was founded on 15 October 1984, following Operation Blue Star, Golden Temple attack and the assassination of Indira Gandhi, "for combating terrorist activities and protect states against internal disturbances". NSG is under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is categorised under the uniform nomenclature of Central Armed Police Forces. It has a special forces mandate, and its core operational capability is provided by the Special Action Group (SAG) which is drawn from the Indian Army. The Special Rangers Group (SRG), the police component of NSG, is composed of personnel on deputation from other Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces. National Security Guard personnel are sometimes referred to as The Black Cats. The National Security Guard states its mission as:  "Train, equip and keep in readiness a special force capable of swiftly and effectively combating terrorism to live up to its motto "Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha""  The NSG is a 'Federal Contingency Deployment Force' to tackle all facets of terrorism in the country. As a specialised counter-terrorism force, it is intended to be used "only in exceptional situations" and is not meant to take over the "functions of the State Police Forces or other Para Military Forces". Yet, over the years its role was expanded to provide personal security to influential politicians quite independent of the real threat that they face. However, in January 2020, the NSG was withdrawn from this task of VIP security to ensure its focus on its original roles as an elite counter-terrorism and anti-hijacking force.