pressing down the piston with his right hand. The syringe should now be withdrawn, but the orifice of the urethra should still be compressed, and the fluid be retained for two or three minutes. On removing the finger and thumb, the injection will be thrown out by the elasticity of the urethra. (MOODEEN SHERIFF).
449. A. Senegal, Willd. h.f.b.i. ii. 295.
Vern. : — Khor (Sind.) ; Kûmta (Rajputana.)
Habitat : — Sind and Ajmere.
A small, thorny tree. Bark smooth thin, pale, greenish-grey, yellowish under the broad dark flakes which peel off. Wood hard; sapwood yellowish-white heartwood nearly black, irregular. Infra-stipular spines 3, stout, conical, very sharp, dark-brown, shining, the two lateral straight, the third recurved. Branches flexuose, glaucous-grey. Leaf rachises not above an inch long, with a gland at the base, one between the upper pair of pinnae. Pinnæ 3-5 pair. Leaflets 8-10 pair, grey, ciliate, rigidly subcoriaceous, ⅛in. long. Spikes pendulous, 2-3in. long, not very dense. Flowers fragrant, white. Anthers lemon-yellow. Calyx 1/24in, campanulate, glabrous, deeply toothed. Pod 3 by ¾in., thin, grey, indehiscent, 5-6-seeded, narrowed suddenly into a short stalk.
Part used : — The gum.
Use : — The gum is used as a demulcent and emollient. It is used externally to cover inflamed surfaces, such as burns, sore nipples, &c, and it blunts the acridity of irritating matters by being blended with them. The powdered gum has also been found useful in checking hæmorrhage from leech bites, and when blown up the nostrils it checks severe epistaxis.
Internally, it has been found useful in inflammations of the gastric and intestinal mucous membrane. If held in the month in the form of a special preparation, the gum is found serviceable in allaying cough, thus affording relief. Its influence as a demulcent is supposed to extend even to the urinary organs. The gum has also been recommended as a substitute for amylaceous food in diabetes, since it is not converted into sugar, it does but not appear to have been attended with any appreciable benefit (WATT).
