556 LEGUMINOS 2. 
ACACIA ARABICA, Willd. 
Fig.—Roxb. Cor. Pl., t. 149; Bedd, Fl. Sylv., t. 47. 
Babool tree (Hng.), Acacia d’Arabie (F’r.). 
Hab.—India, Arabia, Africa. The bark. 
Vernacular.—Bébul, Kikar (Hind.), Kuruveylam (Tam.), 
Babhal (Mar.), Babul (Beng.), Baval (Guz.), Karijali (Can.). 
Description, Uses, &c.—This tree is the Vabbula of 
Sanskrit writers, who mention the use of the young leaves and 
pods as an astringent in diarrhoea, and of a decoction of the bark 
as au astringent lotion. The bark is powerfully astringent, and 
as a substitute for Oak bark it is used in the Government hos- 
pitals and dispensaries in India. Externally a strong decoc- 
tion of it is a useful astringent application to ulcers. The @ 
gum has already been noticed in the article upon substitutes 
for gum arabic. Babul bark is hard and woody, of a rusty 
brown colour, having a tendency to divide into several layers. 
The external surface is rugged and fissured longitudinally, the 
internal smooth and fibrous ; taste astringent and mucilaginous. 
The astringent bark of this and several other species of 
Acacia* is used in India to assist in the preparation of spirit 
from sugar and palm juice by precipitating the albuminous— 
substances in the liquor and facilitating fermentation. Spirit 
thus prepared is noticed by Ainslie as the Puttay chdrdgum 
- or bark spirit of the Tamils, 
Chemical composition.—Kay and Baston (Journ. Soc. Dyers 
and Col. ili., 132) by employing Proctor’s modification of 
Lowenthal’s process for estimation of tannin, found 22°44 per 
cent. in the pods, expressed in terms of oxalic acid. (Allen.) 
The wood contains chlorides which act upon copper when burnt, 
and is therefore not adapted for fuel for engines on railways. 
2 A, leucophiea, A. ferruginea, A. Jacquemontii. 
