80 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



Style short. Stigma on a disk. Seed vessel coriaceous, 5 

 compartments, septicidal, 5-valved. Seeds compressed, pendu- 

 lous, prolonged in a membranous wing. 

 HABITAT. Very common in the islands. 



CELASTRACEJE. 



Staff-Tree Family. 



Celastrus paniculata, Willd. (C. alnifolia, DC.; C.Rothiana, 

 Roem.; Diosma serrata, Blanco.) 



NOM. VULG. Bilogo, Tag. 



USES. I am not acquainted with the medicinal uses of this 

 plant in the Philippines. In India, by means of a primitive 

 system of distillation, they extract from the seeds a dark-col- 

 ored oil of empyreumatic odor, which under the name of Oleum 

 nigrum was once proclaimed by Dr. Herklots as the sovereign 

 remedy for beriberi. 



This oil in doses of 10-15 drops a day is a very powerful 

 stimulant, the action of which is manifested by profuse perspi- 

 ration several hours after its administration. Malcolmson re- 

 ports that it has given him good results in several cases of 

 beriberi, particularly in recent cases and those in which nerv- 

 ous and paralytic symptoms predominated. In Coucan, the 

 juice of the leaves is given in doses of 30 grams as an antidote 

 for opium. The bruised seeds made into a paste with cow 

 urine are used locally in treatment of itch. They are also 

 used in the treatment of leprosy, gout, rheumatism, and other 

 diseases which according to their medical theories, are derived 

 from "cold humors. " For these purposes they give the seeds 

 internally, beginning with one and increasing daily until 50 

 are taken. At the same time they make external applications 

 of the oil or of another compound prepared in the following way : 



Place in an open pot with one opening, seeds of C. panicu- 

 lata, cloves, benzoin, nutmeg and mace. The pot having been 



