ASCLEPIADEA. 449 
_ doubt the substance obtained by Garden in 1837, and called 
_smilasperie. acid, and subsequently by Scott. in 1843, who 
described it as a crystalline stearopten. 
_ Commerce.—In. Southern India and ee the root is sa 
Be with i in commerce, but is often so old as to be quite worthless. 
In Bombay rite Meehan have to be made for its collection, 
” + per lb., owing to the difficulty of digging the 
roots in stony eget 
COSMOSTIGMA RACEMOSUM, Wigit. 
Big. Wight Ic., #. 593, 1270; Rheede: Hort. Mal. . viz. 
~ Hab.—Sylhet, Chittagong, W. India, Ceylon. The root 
‘and leaves. | 
Vernacular.—Ghirahuvvu (Can.), Shendvel, Shendori, Mar- 
Marvivel (Mar.), Vattu-valli (Mal.), Gharpbil (Goa.). 
istory; Uses, &c.—This large woody climber run- 
over high trees, has a medicinal reputation on the West- : 
nm Coast, hess its leaves are used to cure ulcerous BORER... 
hara ( a= ) and the root bark is administered internally a 
ka ( 424% ), a disease in which white lumps of undigested 
are passed. Rheede is the only European writer who 
ces its medicinai properties; he states it is called Torique . 
i Portuguese and Pensbout by the Dutch ; after men= 
ng the use of the leaves, he remarks: “‘Cortexcum Sandalo 
;muliebri lacte in formam noduli adhibitus, prsestantissimum [ 
remedium est.” The disease he alludes tois thecavoos 
Greek physicians, and is described by Paracelsus as 
terised by pungent heat internally, great heat of breath, 
3 of cold air, dryness of the tongue, lips, and skin, cold- 
of the extremities, the urine loaded with bile, watchful- 
» quick, small] and weak pulse. In modern medicine 
describe it as dyspepsia accompanied by a febrile — 
absence of bile in the stools, We have tried the _ 
plant in.sich cases, given in five grain 
Sa fad. have. fonad, it ta, be a most eflic 
