238 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



Nipa fruticans, Wurmb. 



NOM. VULG. Nipa, Sp.-Fil. ; Sasa, Tag. 



USES. The dry leaves of this palm are generally used in 

 the villages of Manila Province, Pampanag, Bulacan and other 

 provinces in the construction of roofs and walls of houses, 

 which are therefore called " nipa houses." The decoction of 

 the fresh leaves is used as a lotion for indolent ulcers, and a 

 popular preserve is made from the fruit. 



Like the coco and following the same process the nipa yields 

 a liquid also called tuba and possessing properties identical 

 with those of the former plant. The weak alcohol distilled 

 from it has some repute in the treatment of conjunctivitis, for 

 which purpose a few drops are mixed with a small quantity of 

 water and the eyes are washed with it several times a day. 

 This alcohol, improperly called wine of nipa, has a character- 

 istically unpleasant odor which makes it impracticable for 

 medicinal or industrial use. Several chemists have attempted 

 to remove the characteristic odor from nipa alcohol, but their 

 results had always been negative because the odorous principle 

 was distilled over at the same temperature as the alcohol. 

 Finally a distinguished Filipino chemist, D. Anacleto del 

 Rosario, perfected a process of producing from the nipa tuba 

 an absolute alcohol perfectly free from the characteristic odor ; 

 an alcohol, in fact, possessing all the qualities of chemically 

 pure alcohol, and of such a high grade that it was awarded the 

 first prize at the last World's Fair in Paris. 



BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION. A palm about 6 high with 

 long, pinnate leaves with leaflets which separate, at maturity, 

 like those of the coco palm. Flowers monoecious, in a spathe. 

 Fruit, many pyramidal drupes joined together, but easily sepa- 

 rable. The outer covering of each drupe is hard, the inner part 

 tow-like ; seed enveloped in a sort of fleshy white meat. 



HABITAT. Salt water marshes, especially in Pampanga and 

 the Yisayan Islands. 



