b asa poison upon worms and the larve of insects which 
ouble the cultivator, whence the Marathi name Kirtdéna, 
or “ worm-creeper.” 
‘The natives of Tanjore use it medicinally. Dr. P. S. Mootoo- 
amy (Indian Med. Gaz., 1888,) mentions a ‘medicinal oil, 
which it is an ‘ingredient, as used internally and applied 
xternally in paralysis, rheumatism, dysmenorrhoea, &c, ; but as 
this ghrita (oil) contains such active ingredients as Plumbago 
ot, Asafcetida, and Garlic, it is difficult to tell how much of its 
fficacy in due to the Derris: eo 3 
innate leaves and pink flowers. The stem bark is dark brown 
d scabrous from the presence of numerous little round white 
ky lenticels, the bark of the root is of a lighter colour; 
-scurfy and thickly studded with large transverse corky warts, 
ng matter soluble in water, which is of an acid nature and 
strikes a deep reddish brown with ferric chloride, and a reddish 
ium hydrate with colouring matter, and the latter is left 
an insoluble condition on dissolving the barium compound 
LEGUMINOSZ. .. 471 
Description.—The plant is a woody climbing shrub with ~ 
s substance is of a greenish colour ; taste acrid and astringent. - 
powder of the bark excites sneezing. Z 
our with oxidizing agents ; it is associated with the colour- — 
k with ferrous sulphate. The glucoside is precipitated with - 
hydrochloric acid; on boiling this solution the decomposi- ee 
ion was readily effected with the formation of glucose and an 
insoluble body differing from sapogenin in its appearance — 
more soluble in rectified — 
ble in alkali; 
pie 
oe 
Br 
ha 
