210 LEGUMINOSJi:. 



In 1876 the import was 64,215 tons, valued at £415,857. The 

 largest quantity is supplied by the British West India Islands. Ham- 

 burg also imports annually about 20,000 tons of logwood. 



Uses — Logwood in the form of decoction is occasionally administered 

 in chronic diarrhoea, and especially in the diarrhoea of children. Cases 

 have occurred in which its use has been followed by phlebitis. Its 

 employment in the art of dyeing is far more important 



Adulteration — The woods of several species of Gcesaljjinia imported 

 under the name of Brazil Wood and used for dyeing red, bear an 

 external resemblance to logwood, with which it is said they are some- 

 times mixed in the form of chips. They contain a crystalHzable colour- 

 ing principle called Brasilin, C^^H'^O^, or, according to Liebermann and 

 Burg (1876), C^^H^O^ which affords with alkalis red and not bluish 

 or purplish solutions, and yields trinitrophenol, C''H'(NO-)'OH (picnc 

 ■ acid), when boiled with nitric acid, while hfematoxylin yields oxahc 

 acid only. The best source for brasilin is the wood of Cmsalpiim 

 Sappan L., a tree of the East Indies, well known as BaJcam, Brazil 

 Wood, Lignum Brasile, Verzino of the Italians, an important object of 

 commerce during the middle ages.* 



FOLIA SENNiE. 



Senna Leaves ; F. Feuilles de Sen4 ; 0. Sennesbldtter. 



Botanical Origin— The Senna Leaves of commerce are afforded 

 by two species of Cassia"" belonging to that section of the genus which 

 IS distinguished by having leaves without glands, axillary racemp 

 elongating as inflorescence advances, membranaceous bracts which m 

 the young raceme conceal the flower buds but drop off during flower- 

 ing, and a short, broad, flat legume. , . y. 



The senna plants are low perennial bushy shrubs, 2 to 4 feet hign. 

 having pari-pinnate leaves with leaflets unequal at the base, and yelio^ 

 flowers. The pods contain G or more seeds in each, suspended on ai 



T^ O T" A ^^ j^ I V* ^ «*. I_ 1 ■ ^ ^ .. « — ..^^-^ . f ^ , i l^ /^ T^fi t I 



alter- 

 ted 



nate valves by long capillary funicles. These run towards the poinW 

 end of tne seed, but are curved at their attachment to the hil"°l f 

 below. The seeds are compressed and of an obovate-cuneate or ouo^h 

 torm, beaked at the narrower end.^ 



The species in question are the following :— . ,, „„ie 



1. Cassia acutifolia Delile'— a shrub about 2 feet high, witn v 



subterate or obtusely angled, erect or ascending branches, occf]on^j 



slightly zigzag above, glabrous at least below. Leaves usually 4-^-J"s , j ' 



leaflets oval or lanceolate, acute, mucronate, usually more or less distun- ; 



'. tt^''\ ^^T" ^^^''' "■ (1874). 369. of the recent RcvWion of the Geim C^^^_ 



from rl"^ f ' ^*^' rt^moved these plants by Bentham (Linn. Trans. , xjvi . ^^^ 



iZa w" *? ^^^P^'-^te genus named 503) and of the labours of 0^^' ^^l 



W the nrl'"'\' r^'l^^'^^"" i« '•'^P^'li^t'^t^ same subject m his .^tom <-if 'r y 



8VnonvC.'/?f^ l^otanists. The intricate Africa, ii. (1871) 268-282. j^^tka, 



woTeK.t i^' T^"" P^''^"t« ^*« been ^ell -^^ On the structure of the seed, see 



rntitled M^ ^- ?■• ^^*^^ ''' 1"^ "1^™°^^ Pharm. Journ. ix. (1850) 30. _ ;,,, 

 rwtprf riTr?^^ '^l^: Gassien-Grappe * Synonyms-0. Senna P. I|^S.>«« 



freTuse fv-l , ^'' ""^-^Y^ we have made ceoJata Nectoux ; C. lemtiva Biscft.. 



use. \\ e ha^'e also had the advantage acutifoUn Batka. 



