CASSIA OCCIDENTALIS 101 



in 300 grams of water till the liquid is reduced to 250 grams. 

 The patient takes this decoction hot the first day of the fever 

 and a profuse perspiration promptly breaks out. As a rule 

 the effect is immediate and the fever does not recur. This 

 treatment of fevers is more common in that country than that 

 by quinine and they claim that it has the advantage over the 

 latter of acting as a stomachic tonic. By adding a small 

 quantity of the roots to the decoction it is rendered diuretic. 

 The seeds possess the same properties and are used in de- 

 coctions of 30 grams to 300 of water. According to De 

 Lanesan the roasted seeds are used in La Reunion in infusion 

 similar to coffee in the treatment of gastralgia and asthma. 

 In some countries they mix them with coffee just as chicory is 

 used in Europe. 



Heckel and Schlagdenhaufen have made a very complete 

 study of the plant and we quote the following from their 

 works : 



Chemical composition of the seeds. — 



Water 8.850 



Fats and pigments soluble in petroleum ether . 1 . 600 



" " " " "chloroform 1.150 



Odorous material and traces of tannin . . . . 5.022 



Glucose 0.738 



Gummy, mucilaginous and pectic matter. . . . 15.734 



Soluble albuminoids and aleuron 6.536 



Cellulose 7.434 



Insoluble albuminose 2.216 



Lignose 32.727 



Fixed salts 17.976 



Lost material 017 



100.000 

 Pi'evious to the studies of the above authors the seeds had 

 been therapeutically tested by Delioux de Savignac and Pro- 



