POMEGRANATE 257 



Mediterranean. More than one variety is known, but that producing 

 crimson flowers is the commonest. 



The vermifuge action of the pomegranate was well known to the 

 ancients, who employed the juice of the fruit mixed with wine, as 

 well as the small roots and a decoction of the root-bark. The drug 

 appears to have been subsequently forgotten, but at the beginning 

 of the present century its use among the Hindus attracted the 

 attention of English physicians, and it began to be successfully 

 employed. The bark of the root is said to be the most efficacious, 

 especially when administered in the fresh state, but analyses have 

 shown that the stem-bark is only slightly inferior in the proportion 

 of alkaloid it contains (Ewers, 1899). The commercial drug usually 

 consists of both. 



Description. Pomegranate bark occurs in irregular, curved or 

 channelled pieces, varying usually from 5 to 10 cm. in length and 

 from 1 to 3 cm. in width ; it seldom forms 

 quills. 



The root-bark has a rough outer surface 

 of an earthy yellow colour with darker 

 patches and is marked with conchoidal 

 depressions, due to exfoliation of the outer 



portion. The inner surface is smooth and FlG - 131. Pomegranate 

 yellow in colour, with irregular, darker, root-bark. Transverse sec - 

 T A i, i %LI! tlon - Magnified. (Berg.) 



brown blotches. It breaks with a very 



short fracture, the fractured surface being 



nearly white and exhibiting under the lens numerous fine tangential 



and still finer radial lines. 



The stem-bark differs from the root-bark in being smoother. It 

 exhibits no conchoidal depressions, the formation of cork being less 

 abundant, but it presents occasional, shallow, longitudinal furrows 

 and bands of pale cork. Very frequently the minute apothecia of 

 lichens can be detected on it ; these are not to be found on the root- 

 bark. The latter, too, is usually in more irregular, curved, flattish 

 or even recurved fragments, whilst the stem-bark is in straighter, 

 channelled pieces and sometimes in quills. 



The bark of both stem and root is odourless, but has an astringent, 

 slightly bitter taste. 



The student should observe 



(a) The short fracture and pale interior, 



(b) The yellow colour of the inner surface with brown patches, 



(c) The comparatively smooth surface of the stem-bark and the 



frequent presence of lichens, 



(d) The rough surface, conchoidal depressions, and absence of 



lichens characteristic of root-bark. 



17 



