258 COMPOSIT A. 
rubbing it up with clarified butter,-flour and sugar; a portion 
of this taken daily is said to be a good tonic, and to prevent — 
the hair turning white or falling off. Several other somewhat 
similar preparations of different parts of the plant are men- — 
tioned by him, and are described as preservatives of the animal — 
powers. An oil prepared from the root, by steeping it in water, 
and then boiling in oil of Sesamum until all the wateris expelled, 
taken fasting every morning for 41 days in doses of 2 dirhems, 
~ is said to be a powerful aphrodisiac pS ade? cast sh CyB) 
990) wl ¢>%). Experiments with the distilled water show that ; 
it is not diuretic; in ‘the case of a cachectic native suffering 
from frequent. micturition caused by chronic prostatitis ib 
afforded much relief. A European suffering from boils derived 
decided benefit from taking a wineglassful three times a-day. © 
_ Description.—Plant generally about 8 inches high, 
‘winged ; leaves thick, sessile, decurrent, obovate, bristle-ser- 
rate, covered with down, consisting of long white hairs ; flower™ 
heads solitary, mostly terminal, sub-globular, the size of a 
_ small marble, purple when fresh, but lose their colour when — : 
dried ; roots fibrous. The drug generally consists of the whole _ 
plant, but the capitula are sometimes sold separately. The 
taste is somewhat bitter, the odour of the capitula terebin- 
_ thinate. , | is 
- Chemical composition.—150 Ibs. of the fresh herb distilled 
with water in the usual manner yielded a very deep sherry- 
coloured, viseid essential oil, very soluble in water, and 
clinging to the side of the vessel, so that only half an ounce = 
could be collected. The oil does not appoar to have any 
Seen eT Orne ge ee 
Pert. 
