as hard as a stick. The second or flat variety is extremely rare and occurs in flat and circular pipes, varying in diameter from two to three inches, and in thickness from ¼ to ½ inch. The pieces are more or less soft like the first variety in all other characters.
" The third or hard variety (No. 159), which is by far. the most common, occurs in small balls generally about the size of a small orange. The balls are very hard, smooth, dark-brown in color, both externally and internally, and possess the same kind of smell and taste, but in a much slighter degree. It contains a great deal of impurities (about 80 per cent.) as earth, sand, fragments of wood, &c, upon which its hardness chiefly depends.
" With regard to the therapeutic use of the resin of A. malabarica, its first variety, if fresh, has a very remarkable control over dysentery and diarrhœa, as though it possesses some specific action over the mucous coat of the large and small intestines, and therefore deserves some special attention of the profession. In some ordinary cases of acute dysentery and diarrhoea, two or three doses of the resin, in the form of emulsion, with the mucilage of gum acacia, and with from 5 to 10 minims of Tinctura opii in each dose, were sufficient to nip the diseases in the bud. There were no more motions, tormina or tenesmus after the second or third dose for 10 or 12 hours, and when the bowels did begin to move again after this period, the evacuations were always healthier and soon became natural without further treatment. In more severe cases, however, the medicine had to be repeated three or four times in the 24 hours and continued for two or three days before the cure was effected. In still more severe or serious and complicated cases, it was necessary to resort to some other medicines, including astringent enemata, &c, to assist the resin according to the condition and symptoms of each individual case. Matti-pal is also useful in gonorrhœa and gleet, and to the same extent as the Copaiba and Gurjun-balsam" (Moodeen Sheriff.)
246. — Samadera indica, Gœrtn. h.f.b.i, i 519.
Vern :— Karinghota (Mal.) ; Niepa (Tam.); Samadara (Sin.).
