CORTEX MUDAH. 



425 



History— The ancient name of the plant, which occurs abcady in 

 the Vedic literature, was Arha (wedge), alluding to the form of the leaves 

 which were used in sacrificial rites. From one of the Sanskrit names of 

 this plant, namely Mandara, Mudar is a corruption;' the latter is 

 frequently mentioned in the writings of Susruta. 



The plant was likewise well known to the Arabian physicians. 



G. ijrocera was observed in Egypt by Prosper Alpinus (1580-84), 

 and upon his return to Italy was figured, and some account given oi its 



"■ " " " It is also the "Apocynum syriacum" figured by 



1670, and in our own 



8 



medicinal properties. 



Clusius.* 



G. gigantea was figured by Rheede 



byWight.' , . ,, 



The medicinal virtues of mudar, though so long esteemed by tlie 

 natives of India, were not investigated experimentally by Europeans 

 until the present century, when Playfair recommended the drug in 

 elephantiasis, and its good effects were afterwards noticed by Vos (18-0), 

 Cumin (1827), and Duncan (1829). The last-named physician also 

 performed a chemical examination of the root-bark, the activity ot 

 Avhich he referred to an extractive matter which he termed 31uda- 



Description— The root-bark of G. procera, as we have received it, 

 consists of short, arched, bent, or nearly flat fragments, i to -g ot an 

 inch thick. They have outwardly a thickish, yellowish-grey spongy 

 cork, more or less fissured lengthwise, frequently separating trom tne 

 middle cortical layer ; the latter consists of a white mealy tissue^ 

 traversed by narrow brown liber-rays. The bark is brittle and easily 

 powdered ; it has a mucilaginous, bitter, acrid taste but no distinctn c 

 odour. The light-yellow, fibrous wood is still attached to many ot tne 



pieces. ,1-1 „ 4-^ 



The roots of C. gigantea are clothed with a bark .y^jch seems to 



be undistinguishable from that of G. procera just described. V'^'j^ 



of the root consists of a porous, pale-yellow tissue, exhibiting large 



vascular bundles, and very numerous small medullary rays 

 of 1 to 3 rows of the usual cclls.^ 



Micro 



microscopic Structure-In the root-bark of (^-P^f^'f^''^^^^^^ 

 coat is made up of large, thin-walled, polyhedral, or almost cubic cem , 

 the middle cortical layer, of a uniform parenchyme, l<f .^f ™ '1% 

 starch granules, or here and there contaimng soiue thlck-^. «-^^d cens 

 (sclerenchjmie) and tufts of oxalate of calcium. The laige ^^^du^^^^^ 

 rays are built up of the usual cells, having porous y.^^^^^^^ .^ of^^^ 

 starch and oxaUte. In a longitudinal section, the ^i^^^^' [ "j'^^^^^^,^^^ 

 niiddle cortical layer, is found to be traversed by numerous laticittrous 



^ Information for which we are indebted 

 to Br. Rice. 



„ Mbn Bay tar, translated by Sontheimcr, 

 "• (1842) 193. 

 ^ ^e Plantls jEfjy2)ti, Venet. 1592. cap. 



* Rarior. plantar, hist. ii. (IGOl) Ixxxvii. 



^^/ortus Malaharicns, ii. tab. 31. 

 .. JlhiMrations of Indian Botany, Madras, 

 "■ (ISoO) tab. 155.— C. proctrai^ figured by 



the same author in his Icones Plantarum 

 ^imTflcd. and 8urg. Journ. xx^xu. 



^^^ We^L indebted for au authentic speci- 



J^\rs T)r E Burton Brown of Lahore. 

 nU'ot?of a ,K,a,.ea k.ndly supplied to 

 us bv Dr. Bidie of Madras consist of hght, 

 ^Wy truncheons, \ to 2i inches in dta- 



meter. 



