14 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



20 — 24 ram. high, 17 — 20 ram. from tip to base, 7 —9 mm. wide ; 

 lateral sepals slightly contiguous with the helmet, oblique, 

 orbicular-obovate, broadly clawed, 16 mm. long, 14 mm. broad ; 

 lower sepals deflexed, oblong" subacute, 10 mm. long. Nectaries 

 glabrous ; claw erect ; hood oblique to subhorizontal, oblong, 

 gibbous on the back ; lip deflexed, lanceolate, acute, entire. 

 Filaments glabrous, about 7 mm. long, narrowly winged, wings 

 gradually alternate. Carpels 5, conniving and contiguous, tomen- 

 tose, gradually passing into the style. Follicles oblong, obli- 

 quely subtruncate, 15—20 mm. long, 4-5 mm. broad, dorsally 

 sub-convex, loosely tomentose or at length almost glabrous, 

 conspicuously reticulate. Seeds obovoid or obpyramidal, 2*6 — 3 

 ram. long, winged along the raphe, transversely lamellate on the 

 faces, lamellae undulate. 



Habitat : — Alpine Himalaya of Nepal. 



Part used : — The root. 



Uses : — This drug is officinal in both the British and Indian 

 Pharmacopoeias. 



Extremely poisonous as the name indicates, It is very 

 probably, says Stapf, the source or one of the sources of the 

 "Bish Bikh" or "Hodoya Bish" of Hamilton. 



" A few years ago I took the white variety, Bachndg, myself 

 in small quantities, and found that its internal use is not 

 attended with more danger than that of the European aconite 

 root '{Aeonitum Napellus^. Since that period, I have employed 

 it very extensively in my practice, and do not hesitate in saying 

 that it is one of tiie most useful medicines in India. Its bene- 

 ficial influence over diabetes is very remarkable, the immoderate 

 flow of urine beginning to diminish from the very day of its 

 use, with a proportionate decrease in the saccharine matter. Its 

 control over spermatorrhoea and incontinence of urine is equally 

 great. It has lately been found useful in some cases of paralysis 

 and leprosy. The advantages of this drug over all other 

 varieties of the Indian aconite root are that it is not only much 

 milder, but also more certain and uniform in its actions." 

 fiYloiiiDEEN Sheriff). 



