38 LYTHRACE®. 
removed from all after half an hour. The pain occasioned was 
absolutely agonizing until the blister rose; they caused more 
pain than cantharides, and were far inferior to the Plumbago 
rosea in celerity and certainty of action.” According to Fleming, 
the leaves are applied to cure herpetic eruptions. The authors 
of the Pharmacopeia of India merely notice the unfavourable 
opinion of the drug expressedin the Bengal Dispensatory. We 
have made some experiments with an ethereal tincture of the | 
leaves, which lead us to form a much more favourable opinion of 
them; in several instances it blistered rapidly, effectually, and 
without causing more pain than the liquor epispasticus of the 
Pharmacopeia, which it resembles in colour. Upon evapora- 
tion of the ether a dark green resinous extract is left. 
spirituous tincture was. also tried, but it was not nearly 80 
efficient. Dr. Bholanath Bhose describes a mode of treatment — 
of obstinate spleen disease by the juice of the leaves administered 
internally, but its administration in this manner has been 
objected to as causing pain and yielding uncertain results. I 
the Concan the juice is given with water to animals when i 
heat to extinguish sexual appetite ; the plant fresh or dried i 
administered in decoction with ginger and Cyperus root for 
intermittent fevers, and its ashes are mixed with oil and applie ‘j 
to herpetic eruptions. Ammannia is common in low mois 
ground in India, and flowersin November and December. 
> 
Description.—An herbaceous, erect, much-branched — 
plant, having foliage something like that of rosemary ; stems 4 
sided ; leaves sessile, opposite, lanceolate, attenuated, about an 
inch long and 4 inch broad, much smaller on the upper parts 
the plant ; calyx 4-cleft to the middle ; lobes acute ; accessory 
teeth very small; flowers very minute, aggregated in the axils 
of the leaves, almost sessile; tube of the calyx at first narro 7 
and tightened round the ovary, in fruit cup-shaped ; petals 
wanting; capsule longer than the calyx, 1-celled; flowers red. 
The whole plant has an aromatic and rather agreeable odour. 
Chemical composition.—An alcoholic extract prepared 
80 per cent. alcohol was made from the air-dried and pow 
