Among Horses in India, 43 



Alum, phitkari, is often impure, but quite good enough 

 for external use. 



Camphor, kafur, cannot as a rule be distinguished from 

 that sold in England. 



Castor oil, rendi ka tel^ varies much in quality. Only the 

 cold- drawn should be used as a purgative. This can be 

 known by being very clear and of a pale yellow colour. The 

 common kind is made by boiling and pressing the seeds. It 

 is of a brown colour, and its strength as a purgative is 

 uncertain. 



Chiretta is a perfect substitute for gentian. The dried 

 leaves and stalks are sold in the bazaars. They are about a 

 foot long, as thick as wheat-straws, and of a dark brown 

 colour. When chewed they have a very bitter taste. They 

 can be readily powdered, or made into infusion or tincture. 

 When analyzed they have been found to contain malic acid, 

 resinous matter, bitter extractive, yellow colouring matter, 

 muriate and sulphate of lime and of potash. The tincture is 

 made by putting two ounces of the broken stalks and leaves 

 to sixteen ounces of proof spirit. Let it stand for fourteen 

 days, occasionally shaking it, then filter. Doses are the 

 same as those of tincture of gentian. 



An infusion can be made by pouring one pint of boiling 

 water on half an ounce of the leaves and stalks, letting it sfand 

 for two hours and straining. 



Chiretta was formerly considered to belong to the same 

 natural order of plants as gentian, but botanists are now not 

 all of the same opinion about it. The plant is obtained from 

 Nepal and other parts of the Himalaya Mountains. 



Ginger is of excellent quality, fully equal to the best that 

 can be procured in England. Green ginger is called adrak 

 and dry south. 



Linseed oil, ulsi ka tel, tisi ka tel, is sold like castor oil — 

 of good quality when cold-drawn, and unreliable when other- 

 wise. 



]Sr.ative mustard, rai, is very cheap, but it is difficult or 

 impossible to get the seeds so finely powdered as those of 

 English mustard, which is imported in bottles, and can be 



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