170 THE MEDICINAL, PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



advises the administration of the juice of the plant for snake 

 bites till vomiting is produced; then follow with diffusible 

 stimulants. 



The emetic dose of the powdered leaves is 1.20-1.80 grams, 

 the expectorant and diaphoretic dose 10-30 centigrams. The 

 concentrated infusion of the leaves has an acrid taste. Tannic 

 acid, the neutral acetate of lead and caustic potash produce with 

 it an abundant precipitate ; the perchloride of iron colors it a 

 dark green. Broughton, of Ootaemund (India), informed Han- 

 bury and Fliickiger, from whom we quote, that in 1872 he 

 obtained a very small quantity of crystals from a large quan- 

 tity of leaves. He had not enough to make an analysis, but 

 injected a solution of the crystals into a dog with resulting 

 vomiting and diarrhoea. 



Botanical Description. — A vigorous plant with scandent 

 stem 2-4 meters long, the more recent growth woolly. Leaves 

 opposite, entire, 5—12 centimeters long and 2—6 broad, oval or 

 rounded. Petiole striated and short. Flowers in umbelliferous 

 cymes, compound, axillary, solitary and alternate, with woolly 

 peduncles ; hermaphrodite, regular, small, of a pale green color 

 inside and a light purple outside. Calyx gamosepalous, with 5 

 lobules. Corolla gamopetalous, 5 oval, twisted lobules. Stam- 

 inal crown composed of 5 flesliy scales, joined to the staminal 

 tube. Stamens 5, inserted on the throat of the corolla, fila- 

 ments joined to form a very short tube with anthers straight, 

 short and crowned by a membranous bilocular appendix. 

 The gyncEcium consists of 2 unilocular ovaries each containing 

 an indefinite number of ovules. Style with a pentagonal 

 stigma which bears in each angle a glandular body. Fruits 

 compound with two separate follicles, large, lanceolate, smooth, 

 8-10 centimeters long and 5 in circumference. Each encloses 

 a seed, hairy, albuminous with straight embryo and flattened 

 cotyledons. 



Habitat. — Mountains of San Mateo. 



