TERMINALIA 



CHEBULA 



Chebulic 



THE INDIAN MYKOBALANS 



Wood. 



Myro- 

 balans. 



Dye. 



Tan. 



Bassia lonyifolia, etc.). The mixed gums are taken to the local markets 

 by the Gonds, who collect them, and are sold for medicinal purposes or to 

 dyers to mix with their colours. The chebulic myrobalan was highly 

 extolled by the ancient Hindus as a powerful alterative and tonic. Indian 

 writers describe seven varieties, which, however, are mostly the same fruit 

 in different stages of maturity. The classic citrine myrobalan, of which 

 Rhases, Serapion, Avicenna, Mesua, etc., all speak favourably, was at 

 one time much in demand in Europe. Even so late as 1813, Milburn 

 (I.e. 218) gives directions for selecting the drug, which, he adds, the Natives 

 frequently candy. Fleming (As. Res., 1810, xi., 182) ascertained the zengi 

 har (black myrobalan) to be the unripe fruit of this species (Sprengel, Hist, 

 rei. Herb., 1808, i., 262 ; Paulus Mgineta (Adams, Comment.), iii., 440-3). 

 The WOOD takes a good polish, is fairly durable and used for furniture, 

 carts, agricultural implements and house-building. 



Dye and Tan. The dried fruit of this species constitutes the 

 " Chebulic " and " Black " myrobalan of commerce, one of the most 

 valuable of Indian tanning materials. In India it is also used as a dye 

 occasionally by itself, the rind of the fruit being powdered and steeped in 

 water. With alum it is said to give a good permanent yellow. But the 

 most extensive use to which Tiarra is put as a dye is in the production of 

 various shades of black, in combination with some salt of iron. The chief 

 commercial value, however, of chebulic myrobalan is as a tanning material ; 

 it forms the greater part of the ground myrobalans of commerce, though 

 beleric myrobalans are occasionally mixed with it. The liquor prepared 

 from Jiarra is not only a powerful tan, but imparts a bright colour to the 

 leather, and hence is highly esteemed for mixing with other tanning agents. 



Chemical Nature. " The tannins in myrobalans appear to consist almost entirely of pyrogallol 

 tannins, gallotannic acid being present ; consequently the material blooms 

 well. It gives a greenish-yellow colour to the leather and a porous tannage, 

 so that it is not used alone but may be advantageously employed with 

 materials such as hemlock, which yield a dark colour ; it is much used with 

 oak bark and valonia " (Blount and Bloxam, Chem. for Engin. and Manuf., 

 ii., 377). Considerable difference exists in the proportion of tannin contained 

 in the fruits. Specimens supplied from Madras, Bombay, Bengal and the 

 United Provinces furnished percentages of tannin ranging from 13 to 38. 

 It has also been shown that the fruit exhibits two well-recognised forms. 

 The best qualities are known in trade to be oval and pointed, and of 

 a pale greenish-yellow colour in section, solid in structure. The less 

 valuable qualities are round and spongy. It has been ascertained that 



Round and Oval, the oval form is simply a less mature condition. Some interesting facts 

 regarding the commercial value of various samples of myrobalans are given 

 by a writer in Capital (Jan. 7, 1904). [Cf. Ind. For., xxx., 188-91.] " In 

 English," it is stated, " there are five chief varieties of myrobalans, called 

 after the districts in India from which they are obtained. These are 

 (1) ' Bhimlies,' from Bimlipatam in Madras ; (2) ' Rajpores ' ; (3) 

 ' Jubbelpores,' from Jabbalpur in the Central Provinces ; (4) ' Vingorlas ' 

 from the Bombay forests ; and (5) ' Madras Coast.' The price and 

 quality of these nuts vary exceedingly, whilst the opinion as to their 

 actual value in the tanning trade is widely conflicting. Some tanners 

 maintain that Jubbelpore myrobalans, or J's, as they are technically called, 

 are worth more than Bhimlies or B's ; while others are equally strong in 

 their preference for B's in comparison with J's. Some tanners prefer the 



1074 



Trade Names. 



