STRYCHNOS IGNATII 171 



LOGANIACEiE. 



Logania Family. 



Strychnos Ignatii, Berg. (8. Philippensis* Blanco; Ignatia 

 amara, L.; Ignatia Philippinea, Lour.) 



Nom. Vulg. — Pepita Fruta, Sp.-Fil.; Pepita sa katbalogan, 

 Kabalogan, Tag., Pam.; Pangaguason, Aguason, Kanlara, 

 Mananaog, Dankagi, Kataloga, Igasud, Vis.; St. Igyxatius Bean, 

 Eng. 



Uses. — The part of the plant employed is the seed, known 

 in addition to the above common names as Pepita de San 

 Ignacio and Pepita de Cabalonga (for hatbologan). The na- 

 tives handle it with the greatest imprudence, selling everywhere 

 in the markets and in the Chinese shops, called tindag-bayag. It 

 is not only a remedy among them, but a sort of panacea, to 

 which they attribute, among other virtues, that of expelling 

 evil spirits, simply worn about the neck. They grate it with a 

 piece of earthen pot, mix with a little " tuba " vinegar and 

 apply it to the temples for headache. In bites of poisonous 

 animals they advise the application of the powdered seed over 

 the wound, a treatment which instead of being beneficent 

 might easily be harmful to the patient. Before proceeding 

 further, let us give the chemical composition of the seeds in 

 order that their uses may be the better understood. 



Strychnine is found in them in the proportion of J-1J^ and 

 brucine ^fo-lAfo. Fliickiger and Han bury by drying it over 

 sulphuric acid and burning it with " cal sodica " obtained 1.78J& 

 of nitrogen which represents lOJfc of albuminoid material. 

 Strychnine and brucine exist in combination with igasuric acid 

 discovered by Ludwig in 1873. The proportion of both the 

 alkaloids is greater than in the seeds of nux vomica which 

 contain only .25-.50^> strychnine and .12-.05^> brucin, al- 

 though some authors give it as high as l.Olfo. Strychnine can 

 be obtained more readily and in larger proportions from St. 



