572 EUPHORBIACE.^, 



KAMALA. 



J 



Kamela, Glandidce Eottlerw. 



Botanical Origin — Mallotus 2>hilip2nnensis^ Miiller Arg. {Croton 

 'philipiiensis Lam., Rottlera tinctoria Roxb., Ecliiniis philijypmensh 

 Baillon), a large shrub, or small tree, attaining 20 or 45 feet in height, 

 of very wide distribution. It grows in Abj^ssinia and Southern Arabia, 

 throughout the Indian peninsulas, ascending the mountains to 5000 

 feet above the sea-level, in Ceylon, the Malay Archipelago, the Philip- 

 pines, the Loo-choo islands, Formosa, Eastern China and in North 

 Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. 



The tricoccous fruits of many of the Euphorhiaceco are clothed with 

 prickles, stellate hairs, or easily removed glands. This is especially 

 the case in the several species of MaUotuSy most of which have the 

 capsules covered with stellate hairs, together with small glands. In 

 that under notice, the capsule is closely beset with ruby-like glands 

 which, when removed by brushing and rubbing, constitute the powder 

 known by the Bengali name of Kamala. These glands are not con- 

 fined to the capsule, but are scattered over other parts of the plant, 

 especially among the dense tomentum with which the under side of the 

 leaf is covered. 



r 



History — In India the glands of Mallotus have been long known, 

 for they have several ancient Sanskrit names : one of these is Kapila, 

 which as well as the Telugu Kapila-X)odi, is sometimes used by 

 Europeans, though not so frequently as the word Kdmald or 

 Kamela, which belongs to the Hindustani, Bengali and Guzratti 



languages. The Sanskrit word Kapila signifies tawny or dusky 

 red, the Tamil Podi means the pollen of a flower or dust m 

 general.. 



It does not appear that as a drug the glandular powder of Mallotiis, 

 or as it is more conveniently called, Kamala, attracted any particular 

 notice in Europe until a very recent period, though it is named by 

 Ainslie, Roxburgh, Royle and Buchanan, the last of whom gives an 

 mteresting account of its collection and uses.' In 1852, specimens ot it 

 as found in the bazaar of Aden, under the old Arabic name of \Vtt^'^> 

 were sent to one of us by Port-Surgeon Vaughan, with information as 

 to its properties as a dye for a silk and as a remedy in cutaneous 

 diseases.^ But the real introduction of the drug as a useful medicine is 



Mackinnon, surofeon in the BenL^al Med 



'macopai 



Pll,f^\ ^^?}tl ""''^ Trimen's Med. (Lond. 1807) i. 168. 204. 211, "• ff^^ssS) 



LhX/ ?f^n ^no>"5f "-^ ''"^ '^''^"^^ cf ^o'o- 386. 589 ; or Science Papers, iS. 



mandel, ii. (1,98) tab. 168. * Jbid. xvii. (1858) 408 ; Science 1 «i^c 



'Journey through Mysore, Canara, etc., 75. 



