ALSTONIA 



SCHOLARIS 

 Dita-bark 

 D.E.P., 

 i., 101-7. 



THE GREATER AND LESSER GALANGALS 



ALPINIA, JAnn. ; II. Br. Ind., vi., 252 ; SCITAMINE^B. A 

 genus that contains some 40 species inhabiting the tropical and sub- 

 tropical regions of Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. 

 Galangal. The two most important species are A.. Oainnga, Willd., and A. 



of/lcliiai-um, Hance, which are considered separately below. A.. Allughu*, 

 Roxb. taro or taruko a native of Bengal, Assam, Burma, Ceylon and the 

 Medicine. Konkan, has an aromatic rhizome which is used by the natives MEDICINALLY. 



Fibre. It has been recently stated that the leaves and stem yield a FIBRE which might 



possibly be useful in paper-making, owing to its exceeding abundance. [Cf. 

 Hooper, Re.pt. Labor. Ind. Mus., 1904-5, 28.] -4. /iiinitmjan. a supposed new 

 species described by the late Dr. Moodeen Sheriff in 1869 \cf. D.E.P., i., 194], 

 is believed to be the same as -i. offldnm-nm, but owing to the continued 

 uncertainty the latter species has been kept separate. -*. \ntn-nn, Roxb., the 

 Light Galangal, is a native of the Eastern Archipelago, much cultivated 

 in Indian gardens. The rhizome is used in place of the Greater or Java- 

 Galangal, and is sometimes mixed with it or with ginger. 



A. Galanga, Willd. ; the Greater or Java-Galangaj, the barakulinjan, motha- 

 kolanjan, pera-rattai, pera-ratta, padagoji, etc., is found throughout India from 

 the foot of the Himalaya to Ceylon and Burma : distributed to the Malay 

 Islands and widely cultivated. 



Medicine. It is mentioned by Marco Polo (A.D. 1290) as grown in Bengal, and by Var- 



thema (1510) as found in Cambay. Garcia de Orta (1563) and Linschoten (1598) 

 say that there are two sorts, one Chinese called " Lavandon," the other Javan 

 and there called " Lanquas." The latter, they say, was sown in Indian gardens. 

 The rhizome of both species are mentioned and figured by Clusius (Hist. Exot. 

 PL, 1605, 211). The rhizome and the fruit (Gainngalcnrtintnom) are sold in 

 the bazars, and the former is said to be used in the United Provinces in calico- 

 Medicine, printing. It seems probable that the Greater Galangal is only used MEDICINALLY 

 as a substitute for the Lesser or Chinese Galangal. [Cf. Acosta, Tract, de las 

 Drogas, 1578, 58 ; Kew Bull., 1891-5 ; 1892, 16-20 ; 1896, 233 ; Pharmaceut. 

 Journ., Jan. 31, 1891.] 



A. officinarum, Hance ; the Lesser Galangal, Alpinin cMnenniH of chemists, 

 is commonly sold in the bazars as kulinjdn or kolijdna. Also called chota-pan- 

 Ici-jar or choti-kulijan, shitta-rattai, khusro-ddru, etc. 



It is a native of China from whence the rhizome is exported largely to India, 

 and somewhat less than in former days to England. The principal demand for 

 it is in Russia, though it is still an ingredient in certain old-fashioned English 

 MEDICINES. In India it is considered a nervine tonic and an aphrodisiac. 



Trade. It is not possible to distinguish between the Greater and Lesser Galangal in 



the Indian trade returns, but the collective imports have increased from 2,794 

 cwt., valued at Rs. 21,525 in 1899-1900, to 5,202 cwt., valued at Rs. 39,731 in 

 1902-3, though they have since declined to 3,918 cwt. in 1906-7, valued at 

 Rs. 21,375. The collective exports also have fallen from 1,327 cwt., valued at 

 Rs. 12,255, in 1899-1900 to 393 cwt., at Rs. 3,476, in 1902-3. Since then, however, 

 the exports have shown an increase viz. to 1,245 cwt., valued at Rs. 12,249 

 in 1905-6. In 1906-7, however, they fell to 614 cwt. and Rs. 6,338. By far 

 the largest increase is in the trade from China (Hongkong) viz. from 692 cwt. 

 in 1899-1900 to 3,200 cwt. in 1904-5, and 2,104 cwt. in 1906-7. 



D.E.P., ALSTONIA SCHOLARIS,!?. Br. ; Fl. Br.Ind.,ui.,62; Gamble, 



i., 197-9. Man. Ind. Timbs., 483; Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bomb., ii., 132; APOCYNACE.E. 



Dita-bark. A tall evergreen tree of the moister regions of India, but nowhere very 

 common. It affords the dita-bark of commerce, and is known in the 

 vernacular as chatwan, chatium, lationj, satidna, pala, pala-garuda, rukat- 

 tana, etc. 



Medicine. The bark is used in MEDICINE as an astringent tonic, antholmintic, alterative 



and antiperiodic. It is a remedy in cases of chronic diarrhoea and advanced 

 dysentery, as also of catarrhal fever and stomachic debility. Externally the 

 milky juice is applied to foul ulcers and is also used with oil in earache. Ditain, 

 an uncrystal Usable substance obtained from the bark, and also a tincture of 

 .iiMtuniu. appear to be useful in cases where quinine produces distressing 

 secondary symptoms. The Report of the Indian Indigenous Drugs Committee (i., 

 419-38) seems to show that the drug is useful in diarrhoea and dysentery, but 



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