492 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HlSTORY SOCIETY, 1S92. 



caterpillar infesting it. He say& that if not looked to^ the plant is 

 entirely consumed by tlie caterpillars. I am not aware of the plant 

 ever being similarly attacked or even approached by devouring 

 insects, on this side of India. It would be useful to have more 

 information on this point. 



The Poisonous Properties, 

 This plant is one of the nine secondary poisons mentioned by 

 Hindu writers. They are given as follows in Nighanta Ratnakar 



(Vol. III., p. 255) :— 



1. Euphorbia neriifolia. 



2. Calotropis gigantea. 



3. Gloriosa superba. 



4. Abrus precatorius, red and white. 



5. Nereum odorum. 



6. Strychnos Nux- Vomica. 



7. Datura alba and fastuosa. 



8. Jatropha Curcas. 



9. Papaver somniferum (its product opium). 

 Very few cases of poisoning are on record^ but the plant is well 



known all over the country as a virulent poison, althoxigh it is said 

 to be useful in fevers as an antiperiodic. Dr. Norman Chevers 

 mentions two cases {Medical Jurisprudence, p. 284), in one of which 

 the effects are stated to have been those of a JSTarcotico -irritant 

 poison ; it is not stated what poisonous symptoms were observed in 

 the other. In the one V^ tola and in the other 2 tolas of the root 

 caused death. Brigade-Surgeon Lyon mentions {Medical Juris- 

 prudence, p. 454) a case reported in the Indian Medical Gazette, 

 1872, p. 153, in which the powdered root (quantity not men- 

 tioned produced the following effects : — " Symptoms of poisoning 

 appeared in half an hour, and were : — retching, violent vomiting, 

 spasms and contortions of the body, with fearful racking pain ; 

 from time to time there were short intervals of relief, followed by 

 recurrence of the same symptoms. Death took place in four hours. 

 The post-mortem appearances were congestion of the brain and its 

 membranes with extravasations of blood. The lungs, liver, and 

 kidneys were all deeply congested. The gastric mucous mem- 

 brane showed signs of inflammation. The peritoneal covering of 

 the fundus of uterus (unimpregnated) was also found inflamed." 



