778 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.
bitter infusion, and that its sensible properties indicate consider- able activity. According to the same authority, it is employed by the Javanese as an anthelmintic. Dr. Pulney Andy reports that a decoction of the root is employed in labours to increase uterine contractions (Ph. Ind.). " But we have no evidence of its efficacy in such cases." (Dymock).
According to Rumphius, the juice of the leaves is instilled into the eyes by the natives of India and Java, as a remedy for the removal of opacities of the cornea.
In Bombay, most of the labourers who come from the Southern Concan keep a small supply of the root, which they value as a remedy in painful affections of the bowels. In the Concan, the root with Aristolochia indica is given in cholera, in colic, 1 part of the root with 2 parts of Holarrhena root and 3 parts of Jatropha curcas root is given in milk. In fever the root with Andrographis, ginger and black salt is used. The dose of the combined drugs in each case is from 3 to four tolas (Dymock;.
The authors of the Pharmacographia India write : —
The roots examined by us reduced to fine powder lost 7*18 per cent., when dried at 100° C. The ash amounted to 7'89 per cent, and was of a light chocolate colour containing a marked amount of iron and a trace of manganese. On analysis the following results were obtained.
Petroleum ether extract ... ,.. '64 per cent.
Ether „ ... ... *346
Alcoholic „ ... ... 3-936
Aqueous „ ... ... 11*38 „
The petroleum ether extract was oily, yellow, and possessed an odour like that of a mixture of cedar and musk. On standing arborescent crystals separated ; in alcohol the extract was partly soluble with acid reaction the insoluble residue was oily and contained a trace of a wax. The extract afforded marked indication of the presence of an alkaloidal principle.
The ether extract was hard and had the same odour as the petroleum ether extract, but in a less marked degree. Treated with water a slightly bitter solution was obtained, which gave no reaction with ferric salts ; by the action of dilute sulphuric acid an intensely bitter solution was obtained which contained an alkaloid. A yellow resin was also present.
The alcoholic extract was brittle, yellowish brown and intensely bitter. A solution in alcohol exhibited a very marked greenish fluorescence. In cold water the extract was partly soluble with slight fluorescence, and very bitter : forric salts gave no colour reaction. The alcoholic extract was treated with dilute sulphuric acid and the turbid acid solution agitated with chloroform
