ASCLEPIADEX: 427 
ASCLEPIAS CURASSAVICA, Linn. 
: Fig. -— Bot. ‘Reg. oh 8b Bastard Ipecacuanha (Hng.) : 
Asclepiade de Curagao (F’r.). 
“Hab.—West Indies. Introduced into ‘tadis, 
f Vernacular —Karkj (Mar. ); Kakatundi (Hind.). 
» History, Uses; &c.—This perennial herb is indiges 
nous to South America and the West Indies, where, in common 
with several other species of Asclepias, it is known as Milk- 
weed, Silkweed or Wild Cotton. All of these plants have 
properties: ‘similar to Calotropis. The root of A. curassavica 
is employed in the West Indies as an emetic, and the milky 
jaice which, when dry, forms a tough adhesive pellicle, is: 
used to close wounds and excoriations of the skin. In Mar- 
tinique the plant’is called Ipecacuanha blanc, and in Guada- 
loupe: Herbe & Madame Boivin, and the root is used in the 
same doses as Ipecacuanha. Introduced into India as a 
garden plant it has now run wild in many places, but, as gl 
as we know, is not used medicinally by the natives. 
Dr. Guimaraés (Times and Gazette, 1831, p. 661,) found it 
to act directly upon the organic muscular system, and espe~ 
cially upon the heart and blood vessels, causing great cons 
Striction of the latter and distension of the larger arteries. 
Secondarily it Segre great dyspnea, peered aon 
latrhoea. 
Description. Sic, ete short, abruptly Sieidind fobs 
numerous thin, pale yellowish-brown, and internally whitish 
rootlets. The bark is thin, and when fresh exudes a milky 
_ Juice; taste bitter and somewhat acrid. _ A section of the root, 
bark placed under the microscope shows from without in- 
wards—tst, a suberous layer ; 2nd, several rows of large cells 
containing conglomerate raphides, with starch and gravular 
matter ; 3rd, a vascular zone, two or three large dotted vessels be 
being | sitnated at the cambiam end of each ere 7 Aa. 
where it projects into the, bark. alae 
