BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 297 
has been used as a stimulant and protective, 
also as a pigment in the arts. From the Greek 
sandarake, a pigment or paint. 
Catechu, Catechu.—Natural order Lugu- 
minosz Mimosez. Native of India and found 
growing in the tropical parts of eastern Africa. 
This tree, with its straggling, thorny branches, 
is adorned with bi-pinnate leaves; the leaflets 
smooth and auricular in shape; the petiole on 
which they are arranged is often armed with a 
row of prickles. Flowers white, with a mono- 
petalous corolla; calyx 5-parted and pubescent; 
fruit, a legume, with several kidney-shaped, 
black, hard seeds. The catechu of commerce 
occurs in irregular masses, incorporated with 
fragments of leaves. It has a dark, glossy, 
brown color; breaks with a shell-like fracture, 
Odor, little or none, but has a decided astrin- 
gent and sweetish taste; soluble in alcohol, but 
only slightly so in water. The catechu is an 
aqueous extract of the heart-wood of the tree, 
and is obtained by boiling it with water. Cate- 
chu contains nearly equal parts of catechin and 
catechuo-tannic acid. ‘The catechin or catechuic 
acid occurs in insoluble acicular crystals; there 
is also a coloring matter called catechu red, and 
a substance termed quercetin. 
The variety known as Catechu Nigrum, 
Black Catechu, Cutch, etc., is exported from 
Pern. 
The catechu and its preparations are tonic 
and astringent, and are given in form of powder, 
pills, troches and tincture, the dose of the pow- 
der being from 8 to 30 grains, of the tincture 
1 or 2 fluid drachms. The Pale Catechu, or 
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