4ii ACANTBACE^. 



jealous Eadha pictures to herself tlie absent Hari binding ihem 

 in the floating locks of the Gopis. Other Sanskrit names are 

 Amlana, Pitajhinta, Mahasaha, and Kuruntaka. Though not 

 mentioned in the Nighantas, its medicinal properties appear to 

 be very generally known; it is the Coletta Fee^k of Rheede,. 

 and the Hysirix fmtex of Eumphius. 



The natives apply the juice of the leaves to their feet in the 

 rainy season to harden them, and thus prevent the maceracioi> 

 and cracking of the sale which would otherwise occur. Ainshe 

 says that the juice of the leaves, which is slightly bitter ana 

 acid, is a favourite medicine of the Hindus of Lower India m 

 those catarrhal affections of children which are accompanied 

 with fever and much phlegm ; it is generally administered ma 

 little honey or sugar and water in the quantity of two table- 

 spoonfuls twice daily. {Materia ladica, II., p. 376.) 



In the Concan the dried bark i.^ given in whooping cougfe, 

 and 2 tolas of the juice of the fresh bark with milk in anasarca- 

 Dr. Bidie observes that it aetsas a diaphoretic and expect- 

 orant - 



A paste is made of the root which is applied to disperse boils 

 and glandular swellings, and a medicated oil, made by boiling 

 the leaves and stems with sweet oil until all the water has been 

 driven off, is used as a cleansing application to wounds. 



Description. — stem sbort, erect; branches numerous, 

 opposite, erect, round, smooth ; the whole plant two or three 

 leet high. Thorns axillary, generally about four, straight, 

 slender, sharp. Leaves opposite, decussate, short-petioled, 

 oblong, somewhat waved, mucronate, smooth. Flowers axillary, 

 generally solitary, sessile, large, yellow. Capsule conical, 

 2-seeded, one seed in each cell. Root woody, perennial, with 

 numerous lateral rigid rootlets. 



Chmirnl composithu. —y^iih the exception of the large amount 

 of a neutral and acid resin soluble in light petroleimi ether, 

 nothing of special interest was detected : there was no trace of 

 any aikaloidal principle. 



