352 _ RHAMNELZ. 
RHAMNUS WIGHTII, w. 5 4. 
Fig,— Wight Ic., t. 159. 
Hab.—Western Peninsula, Concan to Nilgiris, The bark. 
Vernacular.—Raktarohida, Ragatrora (Mar.). 
History, Uses, &c.—We have not been able to identify 
this drug with any of those mentioned in native works on 
Materia Medica. The name Raktarohida or Raktrora, “red 
Rohita,” appears properly to belong to Amoora Rohituka, but it _ 
is applied popularly to several astringent drugs. BR. Wightii is 
a common shrub upon the highest hills of the Western ghauts, 
and extends to tlie Nilgiris and Ceylon; the leaves are glabrous, 
sub-opposite, elliptic, shortly acuminate, sharply. serrate, and. 
sub-coriaceots. Pedicels axillary, fascicled, much shorter than 
the petiole ; calyx 5-cleft ; petals cunsate-obovate ; flowers green- 
ish-yellow ; styles 8—4, diverging ; ovary 3—4, celled. Gibson 
‘states that the bark is in much repute on account of its tonic, 
astringent and deobstruent properties. (Bombay Flora.) A 
liquid extract of this bark has been given by Dr. J. North 
in half dram to two dram doses to a number of natives without 
experiencing either any astringent or aperient effect ; the larger 
dose produced no nausea, and it appeared to have only some — 
slight tonic action. It is brought to Bombay by herbalists and 
sold to the shopkeepers. 
_ Description.—The dried-bark occurs as single quills or 
in curved pieces from 2 to 3 millimetres in thickness. The _ 
outer surface is dull brown in colour, beset with numerous 
| corky protuberances or lenticels opening longitudinally, and 
sometimes closely covered with whitish or greenish licheo. 
The younger bark is ashy-grey with fewer lenticels; the older 
bark presents a more rugged surface, due to the growth of cork 
and the occurrence of deep transverse cracks, and is much 
thicker. The outersurface of the middle layer is reddish-brow”, 
_ and exhibits indentations and transverse markings corre- 
sponding with the warts and cracks of the exterior layer. The _ 
