3 ; aes | MELIACEL, . 841 
Chemical composition. _The bark cotitains a resin anhydride 
‘in the alcoholic solution of the ether extract. It is light brown 
in colour, melting at about 80° C.; insoluble in water and in 
_ diluted acids and alkalies i in thecold.: Boiled with strong soda 
' itis slowly dissolved. It is partly soluble in dilute sulphuric 
acid when boiled, and separates in lustrous scales on cooling. 
_ With strong sulphuric acid it dissolves ‘with adeep red colour; 
this solution precipitates on the addition of water. It reduces 
. Fehling’s test, and its alcoholic solution is not affected by ferric 
chloride. Saponin is contained in the aqueous extract of the 
_ bark, and a large quantity of tannin, giving a greenish-black 
_ Colour with ferric salts, is aac in the extract obtained by 
8 i‘ spirit. o 
AMOORA ROHITUKA, Wi and As 
_ Fig. —Bedd: Fl. Sy yl. t. 182; Grif’. Ico iw., t. 589, i. 5. 
4H ab.—Assam, Sylhet, ‘Oudh, W..Peninsula. The park. 
Vernacular. —Harin-harra, Harin-khana, Sohaga (Hind.), 
Rohituk, Raktarohida (Mar.; Tam:, Tel), Tikta-raj, Pitraj 
(Beng. ), Amora-amart (Assam.), Mullamnttala-gida (Can.).. 
History, Uses, &c.—Hindu medical writers describe 
_ the properties of this tree, under the Sanskrit names of 
_ Rohituka, Rohini and Rohera, as aperient, and a remedy for 
: enlarged glands, liver disease, spleen, and corpulence. It is 
. considered to be of peculiar efficacy in enlargement of. the 
Spleen, hence it bears the synonyms of Pliha-ghna, “spleen 
2 destroyer,” and Pliha-shatru, “enemy to spleen. ? A, Rohituka 
a is an evergreen tree with large pinnate leaves and dull yellow - 
_ or reddish fruit about 13 inch in diameter, which are 3-celled 
and 8-valved, and usually contain three chestnat-coloured 
3 _ oblong seeds, enclosed in thick, fleshy, scarlet arils, Gra 
F 
a 
; 
describes the tree under the name of Andersonia, Rohituka, i 
3 extracted for economical purposes. The bet pe to fr ? 2 
“i to-be a useful astringent. Bo: 2. 
a. 
* 
re 
= 
Piikens the fruit to a ball of Windsor soap. Roxburgh ‘fully ae 
and states that where it is plentiful, the oil of the seeds is 
