November i, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



369 



THE CHEMISTRY AND BOTANY OF THE 



STKYCHNOS NI'X- VOMICA INDIGENOUS 



TO CEYLON. 



BY WVNDHAM E. DUNSTAN, 



Assistant Lecturer in Chemistry and Physics to the Pharm- 

 aceutical Society and Demonstrator of Practical 

 Chemistry at the School of Pharmacy; 



AND F. W. SHORT, 



Assistant Demonstrator of Practical Chemistry in the 



School of Pharmacy. 



In a previous paper {Pharm. Jovrn., [3], xiii., 1053) we 

 have described the results of a chemical and botanical 

 examination of the seeds of Strychnos N'ux-vomica which 

 come into England under the names of "Bombay," 

 I'Ooehin," and " Madras." The results of this investigation 

 indicated that the "Bombay" seeds, which were at once 

 the largest [8=20 — 22 mm.) and finest in appearance, con- 

 tain the greatest quantity of alkaloid. In one case, a 

 specimen of the "Bombay" seeds yielded the highest 

 amount (3'9 percent) of total alkaloid that had yet been 

 recorded as occurring in the seeds of Strychnos Xi'.r-vomica. 

 The " Cochin " seeds were next in order of size (£'=19— 28 

 mm.), and were also found to occupy a corresponding 

 position in reference to alkaloidal content. Lastly, the 

 "Madras" seeds were the smallest in size (£'=12— 21 mm.), 

 as well as in alkaloidal content. In addition to the size 

 it was noticed that the exterior of the seeds containing 

 the most alkaloid had a very silky texture, due to the 

 presence of hairs adpressed to the surface of the seed ; 

 this was particularly the case with the " Bombay " seeds, 

 and on the other hand the silky texture was quite absent 

 from the seeds containing the smallest amount of alkaloid, 

 namely, "Madras." Acuteness of edge also appeared in 

 certain cases to be associated with a large alkaloidal 

 content. 



This co-existence of certain well-defined botanical charac- 

 ters in the seeds with the presence of a large quantity of 

 alkaloid was observerd alike in two entirely distinct sets 

 of specimens, the one collected in the year 1877, the other 

 in the year 1S83. 



This being the case we commenced a botanical examin- 

 ation of such dried specimens of the plant as were avail- 

 able in this country, with the object of ascertaining 

 whether these differences in botanical characters, corre- 

 sponding to a variation in alkaloidal content, were due 

 merely to a more or less advanced stage of development 

 of the seeds, or whether the differences arose from the 

 seeds originating from more than one species of the 

 plant. This endeavour proved to be futile, for the reason 

 stated iii the paper referred to, the absence in this couutry 

 of authentic specimens of the entire plant, including the 

 fruit and seeds. 



Soon -dter the publication of our results, Dr. "W. C. 

 ( Indaatje, F. L. S., of i lalle, ( leylon, well known as an ardent 

 botanical worker, most kindly offered to collect specimens 

 Of the plant which is indigenous to Ceylon, to carefully 

 select fruit and assort the seeds for a chemical analysis. 

 We at once availed ourselves of this very generous offer, 

 and the present paper is the outcome of a chemical and 

 botanical investigation of the specimens forwarded to us 

 with descriptive notes and drawings by Dr. Ondaatje. 



V/e Plant. — The Strychnos Nux-vomica grows in the 

 better parts of the island of Ceylon, and coincides in general 

 features with the description of the tree trom other loc- 

 alities, which is given by Roxburgh and others. The ap- 

 pearance Of a branch of the tree with leaves and fruit is 

 seen from the wood-cuts, which are taken from a drawing,* 

 by Dr. Ondaatje, of a tree growing in the Hambantota 

 district, south of Ceylon, an arid and barren country, 

 only important on account of the natural salt formations 

 which occur there and yield a large revenue. 



The Leaves.— These are ovate, acuminate, and triuerved. 

 The largest leaves from the tree sketched measured 8ri-S mm. 

 in length, from stalk to apex, and 4<35 mm. in breadth; 

 the smallest leaves measured 2o mm. in length and 1 1-4 mm. 

 in breadth. The leaves, however, appear to vary much iu 

 size, although tin drawing and above measurements repre- 

 sent typical specimens. Larger leaves from other trees 



* The original drawing, which is coloured, has been pre- 

 sented to the Museum of the Pharmaceutical Society. 



were found to measure from 98'8 mm. to IIS mm. in length 

 and from 57'5 mm. to 75 mm. iu breadth. 



The Fruit.— The fruit, the appearance of which is well 

 represented in the drawing, contains the seeds imbedded 

 in a white gelatinous pulp. It varies in size, the same 

 tree often exhibiting both large and small fruits on tin- 

 same branch. The unripe fruit is green and hard ; the ripe 

 fruit has a deep orange colour, and the pericarp cracks 

 when pressed. The largest fruits are about the size of a 

 small orange, and the biggest one examined had a diameter 

 of 565 mm. The following are the diametrical measure- 

 ments of typical fruits and the numbers under which they 

 are subsequently designated : — 



No. 1 (fig 1) ... 52 millimetres. 



No. 2 35 „ (usual size). 



No. 3 (fig 3) ... 29-5 „ 



No. 4 25 



The' larger fruits weighed, when freshly gathered, from 

 7* to 142 grams, and the smaller fruits from 4 to 12 grams. 

 Within the fruit is a pulp iu which the seeds are vertic- 

 ally arranged. This pulp has a very bitter taste, and 

 when fresh is white, but on drying becomes dark brown ; 

 the tiesh pulp when immersed in alcohol yields an indigo- 

 iblue solution. 



The quantity of pulp contained in the typical fruits 

 was as follows : — 



No. 1 fruit. Average amount of pulp, 40 grams. 



No - 2 » » » » » 33 



N°- 3 » » » „ „ 10-5 „ 



No - 4 .. » » „ „ 2 „ 



It is stated by the highest authoritites that the pulp has 

 no toxic action, and in fact constitutes the food of many 

 birds. Thus Roxburgh,* "the pulp of the fruit seems 

 perfectly innocent, as it is eat greedily by many sorts of 

 birds." Beddomef says the fruit is quite harmless, and 

 the favourite food of many birds. Again. Drury,} " the 

 pulp of the fruit is harmless. Birds eat it greedily." 

 According to Cleghorn,§ the pulp is eaten by the horubill 

 (Buceros malabaricus). Bentley^j" quotes Roxburgh to the 

 effect that the pulp is harmless. Fliickiger and HauburyS 

 rendered these statements unintelligible by showing that 

 both the fresh and inspissated pulp contained strychnine. 

 In view of these confliciiug statements we considered it 

 desirable to ascertain exactly the physiological action of 

 pulp. The following physiological experiments were made 

 by Dr. Ondaatje at the Hambanlota Hospital, Oeylon. 



Experiment I. — The pulp of a large fruit mixed with 

 about half an ounce of water was given to a large cat. 

 In five minutes tetanic convulsions set in, the body was 

 flaccid, the extremities flexed and rigid. The animal passed 

 an involuntary motion after the first attack, and after 

 successive attacks died within ten minutes of the adminis- 

 tration of the pulp. A post-mortem examination was made 

 shortly after death. The lungs were congested, the left 

 ventricle of the heart contained fluid blood, but the right 

 ventricle contained clots ; the liver was rather congested, 

 the stomach distended with gas, the intestines corrugated. 

 The tongue protruded from between the firmly clenched 

 jaws. 



Experiment*!!. — 5*6 grams of the fresh pulp mixed with 

 half an ounce of water was given to a dog about two months 

 old. After eight minutes the posterior extremities became 

 stiff; tetanic convulsions supervened. The dog then fell 

 on the ground, the extremities became extended anil stiff, 

 and the body ceased to move. The jaws opened and 

 closed as if the animal were gasping for air, trembling of 

 the whole body occurred, an involuntary motion was passed 

 and the animal died — eighteen minutes after the adminis- 

 tration of the pulp. A post-mortem examination showed 

 that the right and left ventricles of the heart contained 

 coagulated blood, and that the lungs and liver were con- 

 gested. 



In both these cases the toxic action of the pulp was proved, 

 the animals exhibiting the usual symptoms of poisoning by 

 strychnine. As, however, the pulp was stated to have no 

 poisonous action upon birds, further experiments were made 



* ' Plants of Coromandel,' 9. 

 f ' Flora Sylvatica,' 243. 



j • Useful Plants of India,' 407. 

 ^ • l'harmacographia,' 384. 



• • Manual of Botany.' 



