170 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



advises the administration of the juice of the plant for snake 

 bites till vomiting is produced ; then follow with diffusible 

 stimulants. 



The emetic dose of the powdered leaves is 1.20-1.80 grams, 

 the expectorant and diaphoretic dose 10-30 centigrams. The 

 concentrated infusion of the leaves has an acrid taste. Tannic 

 acid, the neutral acetate of lead and caustic potash produce with 

 it an abundant precipitate ; the perchloride of iron colors it a 

 dark green. Broughton, of Ootaemund (India), informed Han- 

 bury and Fliickiger, from whom we quote, that in 1872 he 

 obtained a very small quantity of crystals from a large quan- 

 tity of leaves. He had not enough to make an analysis, but 

 injected a solution of the crystals into a dog with resulting 

 vomiting and diarrhoea. 



Botanical Description. — A vigorous plant with scandent 

 stem 2-4 meters long, the more recent growth woolly. Leaves 

 opposite, entire, 5-12 centimeters long and 2-6 broad, oval or 

 rounded. Petiole striated and short. Flowers in umbelliferous 

 cymes, compound, axillary, solitary and alternate, with woolly 

 peduncles ; hermaphrodite, regular, small, of a pale green color 

 inside and a light purple outside. Calyx gamosepalous, with 5 

 lobules. Corolla gamopetalous, 5 oval, twisted lobules. Stam- 

 inal crown composed of 5 fleshy scales, joined to the staminal 

 tube. Stamens 5, inserted on the throat of the corolla, fila- 

 ments joined to form a very short tube with anthers straight, 

 short and crowned by a membranous bilocular appendix. 

 The gynoecium consists of 2 unilocular ovaries each containing 

 an indefinite number of ovules. Style with a pentagonal 

 stigma which bears in each angle a glandular body. Fruits 

 compound with two separate follicles, large, lanceolate, smooth, 

 8-10 centimeters long and 5 in circumference. Each encloses 

 a seed, hairy, albuminous with straight embryo and flattened 

 cotyledons. 



Habitat. — Mountains of San Mateo. 



