14 MEDICINAL PLANTS OF QUEENSLAND, 



page 97, says : — " Two little plants of the Grentian Family common 

 enough in spring, the one with pink, the other with yellow flowers. 

 fJEJrythrcsa Aiistralisy'R. "Br., SiTid Sehcea ovata, R.Br.) are great 

 favourites with those persons who know the value of them, and 

 they have proved highly efficacious in certain stages of dysentery. 

 The pink one is generally called Centaury, and is the more 

 powerful and like the allied European species possesses all the 

 essential properties of the gentian of the shops, and although not 

 used professionally is a very valuable native medicine ; in places 

 where it grows it is carefully collected for use in rustic pharmacy." 

 A learned physician not a hundred miles from Parramatta was 

 so impressed with the efficacy of this little herb from noticing 

 the use of it amongst certain old women in his neighbourhood, 

 that he was not too proud to adopt their remedy and recommended 

 it to his patients. The first of these is very plentiful throughout 

 Queensland, but the latter has only been found in one locality, 

 (near Warwick) by Dr. Prentice. 



Syd/rolea %eylanica, Yahl. A creeping herb of HydrophyllacecB ; 

 found about the Gulf of Carpentaria also in the East Indies and 

 America. According to Wight, the leaves beaten into pulp and 

 applied as a poultice, are in India considered eflB.cacious in 

 cleansing and healing ill conditional ulcers, particularly those 

 in which maggots have begun to breed. Leaves short, lanceolate 

 two inches long, smooth ; flowers dark blue in a terminal panicle. 



Cordia myxa, Linn. A handsome tree of Northern Queensland 

 belonging to the tribe Cordiccd of BoragmecB. The species is also 

 dispersed over tropical Asia, from Ceylon to the Philippines. 

 The large fruited C. latifolia, Roxb., is a form of this species 

 with larger leaves and fruit. The Sebestens of the European 

 Matera Medica is the fruit of this tree. The bark is a mild 

 tonic, and used in India for astringent gargles ; and in Java as 

 the chief remedy in fevers ; the roots are thought laxative. The 

 Egyptian mummy cases were made of this timber, which is soft, 

 and supposed the best for kindling fire by friction. 



