125 
S. colubrina from §. India has been in repute from early 
times, under the name “‘Tignum colubrinum,”’ as a specific for 
snake bite, and it is also used as a tonic in dyspepsia and malaria 
by the Hindus, no doubt on account of the strychnine contained 
in the wood of the root. This alkaloid also occurs in the wood 
and bark of S. Nus-vomica (see Fluckiger & Hanbury, Pharma- 
cographia, p. 430), and possibly of other S. Indian species, and 
it is probable that the products of more than one species of 
Strychnos pass under the name “‘lignum colubrinum.”? Rum- 
phius’s Arbor ligni colubrini is S. ligustrina, a species quite dis- 
tinct from the Indian plant, The bark of the root of S. Tieuté 
also contains strychnine, and yields the poison known in Java 
as Radja or Tieuté. 
The bark of the roots of S. quadrangularis, A. W. Hill, from 
Perak, is used as an arrow poison by the Sakais, and strychnine 
no doubt also occurs in the root bark of S. ovalifoli 
The pulp of the fruits of S. Nua-vomica is readily eaten by 
birds and also by monkeys in India (Fluckiger & Hanbury 
l.c. p. 428) though it contains some strychnine, and the Shans are 
said by Burkill to eat the pulp of the fruit of S. Nuz-blanda, 
A. W. Hill, which is probably—like the seeds—almost free from 
alkaloid. 
The seeds of S. potatorum are well known for 
of clearing muddy water, and the fruit pulp is edi 
The trees yield good timber which is heavy and close-grained, 
and characteristically’ marked with white spots in transverse 
their property 
le.* 
fancy cabinet. work.’? This, however, as wi shown later, 
must refer to S. Nua-blanda since S. Nua-vomica does not occu 
in Burma 
Among the results of the present investigation perhaps the 
most interesting is the recognition of this Burmese tree—pre- 
viously referred to S. Nua-vomica—as a distinct and very definite 
species. Not only can it be recognised by certain well-marked 
floral and foliage characters, but the fruits and seeds differ in 
orm from those of S. Nus-vomica, and the seeds do not contain 
any appreciable quantity of alkaloid. S. Nusx-vomica occurs 
in Ceylon, India extending to Bengal, and is also found in 
Grocrapuicat DisTrisuTion. 
Another feature of interest concerns the geographical distribu- 
* For further particulars as to the economic uses of the seeds, etc., of 
S. potatorum and 3 Nuzx-vomica, see Watt. Dict. Econ. Prod. India. 
