MORINGA PTERYGOSPERMA 87 



Uses. — The root is vesicant and the Filipinos bruise it and 

 use it for sinapisms. I have often observed, however, that it 

 is quite painful used in this way. Dr. Waitz states that it is a 

 good plan to add a few drops of the root juice to mustard sin- 

 apisms, a proceeding which seems to me superfluous, especially 

 in the case of children as he advises it. 



The Bengal pharmacopoeia contains the following official 

 preparations : 



Compound Spirit. — 



Small pieces of moringa root ) _. nriri 



r & V aa 600 grams. 



Orange peel j 



Nutmeg 20 " 



Spirit of wine 4J liters. 



Water 1 " 



Mix and distil 4 liters. 



Dose. — 8-30 cc. as a stimulant and diuretic. 



Compound Infusion. — 



Moringa root, small pieces, bruised ) __ ~ 



& 1 r V ..aa 30 grams. 



Mustard seed j 



Boiling water J liter. 



Let stand 2 hours, filter and add com- 

 pound spirit 30 grams. 



Dose. — 30-60 grams a day, as a strong stimulant. 



The expressed seeds yield a fixed oil, which is irritating and 

 in my opinion should not be used internally. 



The green pods, the flowers and the tender shoots of the 

 leaves are eaten stewed. The juice of the 4 leaves is given 

 internally in India, as an emetic, in doses of 30 grams. 



Botanical Description. — A well-known tree, 5-6 meters 

 high. Leaves 3-pinnate, their terminal divisions odd-pinnate. 

 Leaflets oval, glabrous, entire. Calyx, 5 unequal petaloid 

 segments, imbricated, caducous. Corolla white, 5 unequal 

 petals. Stamens inserted on the border of a disc, unequal, 5 



