168 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE nilLirPINES 



It is applied locally for various skin diseases, including syphi- 

 litic ulcers, and as a depilatory. 



Some races of India, such as the Rajputs of the districts of 

 j^Uahab and of Ivhangor, use this milk-juice to poison their 

 female infants whom they are accustomed to regard as a vexa- 

 tious burden. Therapeutically they use it with honey, locally 

 for sore throat. 



The dry and powdered juice has been .used in small doses as 

 an alterative in the treatment of tuberculous leprosy, but it has 

 not given results any better than many other drugs. In syphilis 

 and mercurial cachexia its results are less doubtful. • 



In 1881 Dr. Riddell obtained a sort of gutta-percha, fi-om the 

 juice, previously observed by Professor Redwood. 



Mooden Sheriff states that the most active partsof the plant 

 are the root bark and the dried juice. He adds that the action 

 of the juice is irregular and even dangero.us, and that the bark 

 is active in direct proportion to its age. He recommends that 

 the inert tuberous layer of the bark be removed ; prepared thus 

 and powdered it is emetic in doses of 2.50-3 grams. 



Duncan claims to have isolated from the bark an active 

 principle which he called 'iimdurin from "mudar," the Indian 

 name of the plant. Following the same process Fliickiger 

 was unable to obtain the substance, but did isolate 1 J J^ of an 

 acrid resin, soluble in ether and iu alcohol ; a mucilage and a 

 bitter principle decolorized by chloroform and ether. It is 

 probable that this is the active principle of the " Calotropis 

 gigantea." 



Warden and Waddell in 1881 isolated a substance crystalli- 

 zable in nodular masses, with the formula Cj^H.^jO, analogous to 

 the albanu of gutta-percha. 



Botanical Description. — A small tree, 7-8° high, with 

 straight stem, branched and woody. Leaves sessile, opposite, 

 cleft at the base, oval, fleshy and woolly. Flowers lateral in 

 simple umbels of 3 or more flowerets. Calyx 6-cleft. Corolla 



