262 EUPEORBIACEJEJ. 



History, Uses, &C. — The fruit of this tree is the 

 Dliatripliala, Amritaphala, Amalaka or Sriphala of the 

 Nighantas, and is described as having all the properties of the 

 chebulic myrobalan. It is used both fresh and dried ; in the 

 former condition it is considered to be refrigerant, diuretic aud 

 laxative ; in the latter, astringent. It is pickled by the natives 



I 



and, on account of a peculiar flavour which it imparts, some of 

 the forest tribes eat it before drinking water. A sherbet of 

 the fruit, s^veetened with sugar or honey, is a favourite coohng 

 drink for sick people ; it is said to be diuretic. A country-side 

 prescription for biliousness in the Concan is Avala, 4 massas, 

 to be soaked all night in water, and in the morning to 

 be pounded and mixed with a quarter seer of milk and 

 flavoured with sugar and cumin. Emblic myrobalans are an 

 ingredient in many compound preparations described m 

 Sanskrit works. A selection of these prescriptions will he 

 found in Dutt's Hindu Materia Medica; the following, translated 

 from. Chakradatta, may be taken as an example : 



<( 



Dhatri lauha. —Take of powdered Emblic myrobalans 64 

 tolas, prepared irou 32 tolas, liquorice powder 16 tolas, mix 

 tbem together, and soak in tbe juice of Tinospova cordi/oha 

 seven times successively. This preparation is given in jaundice 

 antemia and dyspepsia, in. doses of from 20 to 40 grains 



Mahometan physicians esteem this myrobalan equally ^*»^ 



the Hindus ; they describe it as astringent, refrigerant, cardxa- 



cal, and a purifier of the humors of the body. It is mucn 



prescribed by them in fluxes, and is also applied externally on 



account of its cooling and astringent properties. The Arabic 



name is Amlaj, and the Persian Amala. Ainslie states that 



the flowers, which have an odour resembling that of lemon peel, 



are supposed by the Yytians to have virtues of a cooling and 



aperient nature, and are prescribed in conjunction with other 



articles in the form of an electuary, {jfat Lid, ii., p. 244-) 



In the PhnnnacopcBUi of India it is stated, upon'the 'authority 



of Dr. M. Ross, that the root by decoction and evaporation 



yields an astnugcut extract equal to Catechu, both for medicinal 



