Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/773

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N. 0. COMPOSITÆ.
693


with difficult eruption. In these cases, it probably acts as a stimulant sudorific, as do most aromatic herbs (U. S. Dispensatory, Ed. 15th, 1560.) It is Carminative.

" It was formerly much esteemed as a vulnerary, and its old names of ' soldiers wound-wort ' and ' knight's milfoil' bear witness to this. The High-landers still make an ointment from it, which they apply to wounds, and Professor Bromel states that milfoil-tea is held in much repute in the Orkney Islands for dispelling melancholy !

" One of its common names among country people is ' nose-bleed" ; for the leaf being rolled up and applied to the nostrils causes a bleeding at the nose more or less copious. It is also called ' old man's pepper,' on account of the pungency of its foliage."— Sowerby's Eng. Bot. v. pp. 57-58.

From the whole plant, are obtained : —

(A) A glucoside named Achillein, C20H38O15 . It is amorphous, reddish brown, bitter, alkaline ; soluble in water easily (giving yellow solution), in alcohol with difficulty. Insoluble in ether. With boiling dilute acids, is converted into sugar and Achilletin, C11H17N04, which is an amorphous, dark brown powder, not bitter, insoluble in water, and with difficulty in alcohol.

(B) A bitter principle named Ivain, C8H14O or C24H42 O3. It is yellow in color, amorphous, soft resinous (' Terebinthinate'), bitter, soluble in alcohol, not in water.

(C) An alkaloid, Moschatine, C21H27N07 . It is bitter in taste. reddish-brown in color, and amorphous in appearance, melts under water (on water bath). Soluble with difficulty in alcohol, scarcely in water.

Sohnsays : —

Aehillein gives no precipitate with caustic alkalies, lead acetic, tannic acid or ferrous sulphate.


657. Chrysanthemum indicum, Linn, h.f.k.i., iii. 314 ; Roxb.

Vern. :— Gul-daoodi (H.) ; this name applied to all the varieties (Roxburgh). Chamimti (Tel.); Tjettipu (Mal.); Gendi, bâgaur (Pb.) ; Chandra-mallika (B.) ; Kalzang (Ladak).

It would appear that this and C. Coronarium, L. are not distinguished from each other by the natives of India, and the native names apply to both. (Watt.)

Habitat : — Cultivated in Indian gardens.

There are several varieties, with flowers of various colours, such as yellow, golden, orange, purple, lilac ; buds crimson, white, changeable into rose-colour. Spanish brown.

A procumbent diffuse annual. Stems rigid, 4-angular, grooved, glabrous or scabrid. Leaves long petioled, 1-3 in.