630 FUNGI. 



History, Uses, &C. — The only notice of this fungus, 



which we have met with, occurs in Rumphius {Hort. Ami., i., 

 25), where he says:— '^ In Mahibara ac Zejdana ex eodem 

 quoque succo circa radices colligitur et concrescit in terra 

 massa, seu tuber Portugallis Isca de Jaca (tinder of the 

 Jack-tree) dictum, quod molle est et intus flavescit, quod natio 

 ista pro experto habet medicamento contra diarrhccam, ad paucas 

 vero tantum colligitur arbores, atque inde venale in alias 

 quoque transfertur regiones." It appears to be probable that 

 the medicinal use of this fungus was introduced into the East 

 by the Portuguese, who adopted it as a substitute for the 

 Boletus Jomentarim of Linneus, the Agaricus Chirurgorurn or 

 " surgeon^s agaric " of the old European Pharmacopoeias, which 

 the Portuguese call Isca de ferir "wound tinder," and the 

 French Agaric de chene or Polypore ongule. It is the Spunk 

 or Touchwood of the English. 



In Western India the fungus is ground to a paste with 

 water and applied to the gums in cases of excessive salivation. 

 It is also applied to the mouths of children suffering from 

 aphthae, and is given internally in diarrhoea and dysentery. 



Description.- — In form this fungus closely resembles 

 the European Boletus above referred to, and resembles the hoof 

 of a horse. Internally it is of a rich orange-brown colour 

 when fresh, and has a sweetish, styptic taste, but when long 

 kept it turns to a dull brown colour. The fungus consists of a 

 number of laminae upon the under surface of which the 

 hymenium is situated. 



Chemical composition,— -A proximate analysis yielded : 



Ether extract -78 



Alcoholic extract 1-60 



Aqueous extract 4-10 



Alkaline extract 21*34 



Crude fibre 53-98 



^sb 



4-30 



Moisture ; 13-90 



100-00 



