340 VRTIGACEJE. 



special favorite of the Buddha, and Arrian speaks of the Indian 

 sages as sitting under it. There is one famous tree mentioned 

 in the Ramaj/cma^ the Uttara Rama'Charitra, the Kunna-jmrana^ 

 and elsewhere, which still grows on an island in the Nerbudda ; 

 it is said to have been planted by the sage Kabira some two 



b 



thousand years ago^ and is popularly known as the Kabir Bar. 

 Owing to the peculiar growth of these trees, there is no reason 

 why they should not last for an indefinite period. 



r ' 



The figs of the Udumbara (jP» gloynerata) are considered to 

 be astringent^ stomachic and carminative, and are given in 

 menorrhagia and hsemoptysis, in doses of one tola of the dried 

 fruit with sugar and honey. The fresh juice of the ripe fruit 

 is used as a vehicle {Vern. ar^fTI^)- for metallic preparations. 

 The juice of the root is used as a tonic, is applied to glandular 

 swellings,* and is given in doses of four tolas with cumin and 

 sugar in gonorrhoea. The small blister-like galls, which are 

 common on the leaves, are soaked in milk and mixed with honey 

 as a remedy for pitting in small -pox. This tree bears the 

 synonyms of Yajniya "sacrificial," Pavitraka '^ purifier," &c.y 

 and is much used in Hindu ceremonial. According to the 

 Grihya Sutray a married woman in the fourth month of preg- 

 nancy should be rubbed with the fruit to fortify the germ. 



' F. Tjahela^ in Sanskrit Parkati or Parkatin, Suparsva and 

 Plaksha, is the waved-leaved fig-tree, a sacred tree, but of 

 minor importance. It is the Tsjakala of Pwheede. 



Mahometan and European writers do not add much to our 

 knowledge of the medicinal properties of these trees. Ainslie, 

 speaking of F, glomerata, says :— '' riX)m the root of the tree, 

 which in Tamil is called attievay}\ there exudes, on its being 

 cut, a fluid, wtich is caught in eartlien pots, and which the 

 Yytians consider as a Cdlpdm {Tarn.), that is, a powerful tonic, 

 when drank for several days together. This Ciilp^m is termed 

 altie-vaijr ta nn ier {Mat. Inc L, ii., p. 30.) 



* It is interesting to not thut the juice of the F. Sucomorus, Linn., the 

 avKo^iopos of Dioscorides, and the V;*^ (Junuz) of the Arabs, ivas used by 



lll^K*"^ ' ''^ f ^^'^^ "*^'^ ^^ ^'t'JP^ fo''« similar purpose, and that both 

 tree, have mud, the .ame habit. {dU, i , 118, and Prolper Alpims, p. 20). 

 Ihe Indian Maliometans use F. glomerata as a substitute for F Svcomorus. 



