81 PTEROCARPUS MARSUPIUM 



analogous chemical characters, and some have a considerable 

 similarity of appearance. In the British Pharmacopoeia Malabar 

 or East Indian Kino is alone official ; in the Pharmacopoeia of 

 India, this kind as well as Bengal or Butea Kino are recognised ; 

 while in the Pharmacopoeia of the United States, East Indian 

 Kino, and also that of other plants are official. Our future remarks 

 in this article will refer simply to Malabar or East Indian Kino, 

 but the more important of the other varieties are described under 

 the plants yielding them. 



MALABAK OR EAST INDIAN KINO. Extraction and Commerce. 

 This kind of kino derives its name from being obtained in the 

 forests of Malabar, where permission is granted by government 

 for its collection, on the payment of a small fee. In order to, 

 obtain it, the trees are incised as follows : A perpendicular 

 incision, with lateral ones leading into it, is made in the trunk, 

 when the juice, which has the appearance of red currant jelly, 

 exudes, and is collected by placing a suitable vessel at the lower 

 end of the incision. This juice is then dried by exposure to the 

 sun and air, and subsequently packed in wooden boxes for expor- 

 tation. The amount of kino exported from Malabar is -said not 

 to exceed two tons annually. 



General Characters and Composition. Malabar kino is found in 

 small, angular, very brittle, glistening fragments, of a reddish- 

 black colour. When entire the fragments are opaque ; but in thin 

 laminae and at the edges they are transparent, and of a ruby-red 

 colour. They are without odour; but with a very astringent 

 taste; and when chewed they stick to the teeth, and tinge the 

 saliva blood-red. Kino is partially dissolved by cold water, 

 more readily by boiling water, and almost entirely soluble in 

 spirit of wine of specific gravity 0*838. All these solutions have 

 a red colour, the intensity of which will depend upon the quantity 

 of kino taken up ; the solution in boiling water becomes turbid on 

 cooling, and deposits a red sediment. The spirituous solution has 

 an acid reaction on litmus paper ; and when long kept it fre- 

 quently assumes a gelatinous condition. Kino is altogether 

 insoluble in ether. 



