452 ASCLEPIADEAL 
less, 16 does not aftect’pungent saline things, astringents and 
acids, It is limited to apparently two diverse’ substances—, 
sweets and bitters. It has been noted that sugar taken after 
the leaf tastes like sand, so I have found. that sulphate of 
quinine taken after a good dose of the leaf tastes like so much 
chalk. I am not going to propose its use in the administra- 
tion of nauseous drugs, until the medical properties of the 
Gymnema have been more ‘studied, otherwise the quantity of 
the vehicle taken may prove:to counteract the. effect of the 
medicines. The experience of several. friends as well as. my 
own is that the effect does not last for twenty-four hours as 
stated, but for only one or two hours, after that time the tongue 
-resumes its appreciation of all that is sweet or bitter.” Inthe 
Concan the dried and powdered leaf is used as an errhine, and 
the fresh leaves crushed and mixed. with water, as a cocling 
bath for children in the hot weather. . 
Description.—4@, sylvestre is a. shrubby climbing | plant. 
The leaves are from 4 to 5 inches long, from ovate-lanceolate to 
obovate ; upper surface dark green, shining, under surface pale 
green, shortly pubescent; venation transverse and. reticulate 
witha marginal vein; taste saltish and acrid.. The root is about 
the size of the little finger. or less, not unlike Hemidesmus; it 
has a tough wood, and when fresh a soft spongy bark, which is 
_ reddish brown and fissured longitudinally, but loses much bulk : 
3 ae drying, and becomes loose and transversely fissured; the taste 
ie pees and pate the whole plant abounds in milky juice. 
pie astructure.—The woody portion of the root has 
os radiate Seriiabeines and is traversed by large vessels; the 
extension of the medullary rays into the bark is diatinal ; the 
‘latter is made up of a thin-walled parenchyma, the. galle of 
which contain mach starch and tolerably numerous crystalline 
‘concretions, There are many - laticiferous vessels, especially 
towards the i inner part. The epidermis -consists of several — 
layers of flattened cells of a deep reddish brown colour. ~~ 
Chemical 0M} ition —The powdered leaves. were su mit: 
ted t@ the action oof various solvents, and by this means’ it w 
= — he av property of Gys 
