ABRUS PRECATORIUS, Linn. 

 Wild Liquorice, Crab's Eyes. 



Native of India. Naturalised in West Indies. 



A twining plant, belonging to the Pea Family (Leguminosce), with 

 rose-coloured flowers and scarlet seed with black eye. 



Root has been used as a substitute for liquorice. 



Leaves. Fresh leaves, steeped in warm castor oil, (relieves local 

 pain. 



Seeds. " Used internally in affections of the nervous system and 

 externally in skin diseases, ulcers, affections of the hair/' (butt.) One 

 to 3 grains boiled with milk is a tonic; unboiled, purgative and emetic. 

 Decorticated and finely ground, cause purulent ophthalmia, due to a 

 substance abrin which is poisonous to the blood, but not in the 

 stomach. 



Used by goldsmiths in India as weights ; the Arab name girat is 

 said to be the origin of the weight carat. 



Used ornamentally for necklaces, etc. The specific word precato- 

 rim points to their use for rosaries. 



ACACIA CATECHU, Willd. 

 Catechu, Cutch. 



Native of India and Burma. 



A tree; leaves compound; flowers small, clustered in spikes, white 

 or pale yellow ; pod flat, 5 or 6 inches long. (Leguminosce.) 



This tree yields a gum, which is a good substitute for gum arabic. 



" Catechu" is the resinous extract, obtained by boiling down a de- 

 coction of chips of the heartwood. 



A solution of Catechu is, by the action of lime or alum, changed 

 into a dull red colour, which constitutes a fairly good dye. 



It is not a good tan, as it colours the skin. 



Medicinally, Catechu is a powerful astringent. " It may be em- 

 ployed to restrain immoderate discharges in all cases unattended with 

 inflammatory action. 



It is given in diarrhoea and leucorrhcea, and combined with the bal- 

 sam of copaiba, in the chronic stage of gonorrhoea. It forms an ex- 

 cellent tooth-powder." (Macfadyen.) 



Cutch consists of the crystals deposited on twigs placed iu a boiling 

 decoction from the chopped wood. It is chewed by the Hindoos in 

 combination with betel-nut, betel leaf, and lime. 



Wood : a sapwood yellowish white ; heartwood, dark or light red, 

 extremely hard. The wood seasons well, takes a fine polish, and is 

 extremely durable. It is not attacked by white ants or toredo. It 



