THE POISONOUS PLANTS OF BOMBAY. 365 



(Case 2). In October, 1853, the Civil Assistant Surgeon of Azimgur 

 forwarded the stomach, with its contents, of a man supposed to have 

 died by poison, together with a substance found near the body and 

 supposed by the police to be poison. The stomach was received by 

 Dr. Mouat in an advanced state of decomposition, but still exhibited 

 traces of inflammation and was found to contain led cliitra. The 

 substance sent was also found to be a portion of the root of the Plum- 

 bago rosea. 



Dr. T.. D. C. Barry, Chemical Analyser to Government, Bombay, 

 in his annual report for 1891, refers to a case of poisoning by Plum- 

 bago rosea. The details of this case are not before me, nor have I seen 

 the report. I am writing from the Government resolution on that 

 report as published in the newspapers. I therefore refer the reader 

 to the report itself for farther information. 



The table given by Dr. Dymock (pp. 835-389) in vol. II. of the 

 " Pharmacographia Indica" shows the particulars of Plumbago poison- 

 ing in India, and is well worthy of the perusal of those who are 

 interested in the toxicology of this plant and its active principle Plum- 

 bagin. 



To summarize briefly what I have stated above, the deleterious effects 

 of Plumbago rosea may be classified under three heads : — 



(1) Externally or locally in men and women as a blistering 



agent. 



(2) Internally, i.e., by the stomach in men and women as an 



acro-narcotic or narcotico-irritant poison. 



(3) Internally, i.e., by the stomach, and locally through the 



genital organs as an abortifacient. 



