I JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



the root. After some show of reluctance the Brahman was induced to point out 

 the shrub from which it was obtained. The shrub turned out to be a very common 

 one, locally called " Pangla," and some years afterwards I procured specimens 

 which established its identity with Pogostemon purpuricaulis. 



A supply of the root was obtained by Mr. Elphinston, and sent to the Ratnagiri 

 Civil Hospital, where its value was practically tested by Dr. Christopher Joynt, 

 then Civil Surgeon. Dr. Joynt himself treated several cases of echis bite with it 

 with good results, post hoc or propter hoc, as the case may have been. Subse- 

 quently — about 1880, I think—- he contributed a paper, giving the results of his 

 experiments, to the Bombay Medical and Physical Society. Most unfortunately, 

 this Society had temporarily stopped the publication of its journals just about the 

 time when Dr. Joynt's paper was received, and as I ascertained afterwards from 

 Dr. Joynt, the original paper had either been lost or mislaid, while he himself had 

 kept no copy of it, and had moreover destroyed, or lost the notes from which he 

 wrote it. I understood from him, however, that he was pretty confidently of 

 opinion that the root really possessed valuable properties as a styptic. 



I am not aware if any further trials of the root have since been made at 

 Ratnagiri, or elsewhere. Some years ago I remember sending pieces of the root 

 to Mr. A. Bettington (late Bombay C S.), who was interested in the matter, and 

 wished to have the root chemically analysed. But the analysis, if any was made, 

 revealed nothing useful. 



The plant is not included in the Indian Pharmacopoeia. If, as there is some 

 reason to believe, it has the property ascribed to it, it would be a very useful 

 addition. This, however, is a question for doctors rather than naturalists, to 

 take up. 



The shrub is called " Pangla " I believe, only in the Konkan. Above the 

 Ghats, in Poona, Nasik, &c., it is known as " Fangal." It grows very abundantly 

 on both sides of the Sahyadri watershed, where the rainfall is sufficiently heavy ; 

 and as " F. R." observes, its strong black currant smell is a distinctive feature. 

 I may add that it is largely consumed about Egtupura for rob, that is for burning 

 on the seed beds prepared for rice and other cultivation. 



Lastly, to refer to another point noted by " F. R.," ammonia has been declared 

 by a former medical officer at Ratnagiri, who had a large experience of cases of 

 echis bites to aggravate rather than otherwise all the worst symptoms. The bite 

 of this viper is apparently fatal in about 20 per cent, of cases, and the action of 

 the poison is slow. In collecting materials for an account of the snakes of 

 Ratnagiri for the Bombay Gazetteer, I found (in 1878) records of 62 fatal cases 

 treated at the civil hospital. These cases showed that death occurred on an 

 average in four and a half days, though in some instances patients had lingered 

 up to twenty days. — Yours, &c., 



G. VIDAL. 

 Camp Gokhantar, Northern Frontier Line, January 30. 



[The above letters appeared in the Bombay Gazette. — Ed.] 



