RBENACEA. 367 
Tinduka called Visha-tinduka, “ poisonous tinduka,” is said to 
have similar properties; as well asa plant called Kanki or 
Kinkini. Mir Muhammad Husain, speaking of Ebony, men- 
tions Gab as a kind of Indian ebony, but is silent as to its 
medicinal uses. Rheede (Hort. Mal iii., p. 46), speaking of 
D. Embryopteris, says—“ Arboris cortex in pulverem redactus 
ac cum oryze infuso, et expresso e matura nuce Indica lacteo 
succo mixtus, atque febricitantibus exhibitus estum potenter 
extinquit; ex seminibus oleum exprimitur.”’ The circum- 
stance that the unripe fruit abounds in an astringent viscid 
juice, which is used by the natives of India for daubing the 
bottoms of boats, was communicated by Sir William Jones 
to Roxburgh in 1791. | The introduction of the fruit into Euro- 
‘pean medical practice in India is due to O’Shaughnessy. In 
1868 it was made official in the Pharmacopeia of India. The 
fruit is eaten by the poorer classes. The seeds are preserved 
by the country people and given as an astringent in diarrhea. 
The testa is the astringent part, the albumen being almost 
ne tasteless. Although the ripe fruit is very sweet, insects will 
fuine touch it. 
- Description. —Fruit dati @lomeae: 1 to 2 inches in dia- 
meter, sometimes larger; glandular or rusty, yellow when ripe, 
and covered with a rast-coloured farina consisting of clubbed 
hairs. Seeds 8in the perfect fruit, often less by abortion, 
arranged vertically round the central core, reniform, immersed 
in ee pulp. Fruiting calyx much accrescent, lobes } 
Inch, ovate, auriculate, base cordate, nearly glabrous. 
* 
- Diospyros fruit is very astringent until quite ripe, when it — 
becomes mawkish and sweet. This is noticed in the Pharma- 
cographia, but not in the Indian Pharmacopeia, where unripe 
aut should have been ordered, 
| lL composition.—The tannic acid of these fruits has 
ng reactions. A blue-black colour with ferric 
violet-black colour and precipitate with ferrous sul- 
ate; pinkish precipitate with gelatine ; curdy precipitate 
; ome | in se iodide ; j orange sediment with k bron line 
