492 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. IX. 



Gymnema Sylvestre, but when the plant was in flower Dr. Dymock pointed 

 out the difference, and thus I overcame the difficulty. Hemidesmus by its 

 native n ame AnantamuJ is only known this side by the medical profession 

 and a few others connected with Pharmacy. In the Salsette taluka it has no 

 name because it is not considered to be a medicinal plant. In a few places 

 it has a name, but, being confused with Gymnema Sylvestre, it is called 

 " Kali kardori," being similarly useful. In the Southern Concan it is known 

 by the name of " Ujparsare," but not without some confusion. In the Deccan 

 it is not distinguished from Gymnema Sylvestre and is known as " Kavli," 

 the name of the latter plant. I have reason to believe that some who use 

 the Gymnema Sylvestre believe it to be the true Hemidesmus. A medical 

 man of considerable experience in the Deccan once told me that Hemidesmus 

 was abundant there and it was known by its native name Kavli, being 

 ignorant that " Kavli " was the name for Gymnema Sylvestre, and it was the 

 latter plant which he took for Hemidesmus. Perhaps, being ignorant of this 

 confusion and the very minute difference between the two plants, it does 

 not occur to them to separate them by a very close examination. 



The most distinguishing mark is the peculiar sweet aroma, nearly like that 

 of Vanilla, of the root of the Hemidesmus plant which is absent in the other. 



Caution. — To obtain genuine Hemidesmus, the labourer employed for 

 the purpose of collecting should be paid by the day, and not by the amount 

 collected, as in the latter case he will be tempted for the sake of profit to 

 pass off as much Gymnema Sylvestre for Hemidesmus as he can. He must 

 also, however, be made thoroughly conversant with the minutest differences 

 in the two plants and be on his guard to avoid the mistake. 



EOLARRHENA ANTIDYSENTER1CA. 

 Although it is a well-known fact, as pointed out in the " Pharmacopoeia of 

 India," page 455, that there is a confusion in the selection of this plant, yet I 

 find that the details given to distinguish it from others are not observed in 

 procuring the true plant. The confusion which arises and which I wish to 

 point out is due to its various native names here. I believe the various names 

 of this plant and its varieties, vis., Kura, Kuda, Kurwah, Koora, Kureya, 

 are all dialectic corruptions of Kurwa (bitter) with adjectives " Pandra " 

 " Daula " for white, " Tambra " for red, and " Kala " for black. Dr. 

 Kirtikar, in his list of drugs under the natural order Apocynacece, presented 

 to his summer session class in the Grant Medical College in 1894, while 

 lecturing there on Botany, as a temporary measure, speaks of Eolarrhena 

 antidysenterica as " Pandra Kuda," Wrightia tinctora as " Kala kuda," 

 and Wrightia tomentosa as " Tambda Kuda," " Kala Inderjow." Dr. 

 Dymock mentions in the same natural order Eolarrhena antidysenterica 

 and calls it " Kureya," " Pandra Kura," " Daula Kura," "Karwa-inderjow," 

 and Wrightia tinctora, " Kala Kura." In another natural order, Rubiacias, 



