THE POISONOUS PLANTS OF BOMB A Y. 273 



AlangiacecB are edible. Such is my experience ; or rather my recent 

 experience supports DeCandolle's earher observation. Lindley* observes 

 that the Malays attribute purgative and hydrogogue properties to 

 Alangium decapetalum and Alangium hexapetalum. 



One word more with regard to the edible and non-poisonous 

 naturQ of the fruit. I can cite two very eminent Botanists who 

 hold the view that the fruit is absolutely free froifl any poisonous or 

 '* blood-heating" properties so-called. Royle repeats the opinion of 

 Lindley that the fruit is edible. Dr. Wight also says that the 

 fruit of the Alangiums " is eatable, but not palatable, being muci- 

 laginous and insipid." I may add that Brandis and others state that the 

 fruit has a somewhat sweet and astringent taste. Such is my own 

 experience. '' The nucleus," says Rheede, " is hitter-sweet ; " I can 

 say that it is so. 



It is well worth noticing here that instances of fruits of plants being 

 edible, and on the otlier hand their roots being emetic, are not un- 

 known. I have distinctly referred to one marked instance given by 

 Mr. W. Bartlettf in one of my former papers in connection with this 

 series (vide my paper on Moringa pterygosperma, in Vol. ix, p. 168, 

 of this Journal). Mr. Bartlett refers therein to the dangerous sickness 

 caused by eating the root of the French Bean plant. 



In detailing the properties of Alangium decapetalum (Lam.), classed 

 under iV. 0. Alangiacece, Colonel H. Drury observest that " the juice of 

 the root is reckoned anthelmintic and purgative. It is also employed in 

 dropsical cases, and, pulverized, is a reputed antidote in snake-bites." 

 This is a quotation from Roxburgh ; but neither Roxburgh nor Drury 

 mentions specifically whether the root is an antidote to the poison of 

 the " colubrine " or of the " viperine " snakes. Symptoms of poison- 

 ing vary in each case, as is well known to those who have devoted 

 special attention to this subject. For years past the term '' snake-bite " 

 has been very vaguely used, and passes muster in the eyes of those 

 who would pose as discoverers of a cure for the deadly cobra-bite, 

 i.e., the bite of the genuine Naja trepudians. 



* Treasury of Botany, vol. i, p. 720. 

 t Pharmaceutical Journal, vol. ii, p. 721, Isfc Series. 



J The Useful Plants of India : London, 1873, 2nd Ed., p. 24. [Observe that in this work 

 A. iomeniosum (DeC), and A. hexapetalum (Eoxb.) are cited as synonyms.]— K.E.K, 

 16 



