N. 0. RANUNCULACEJE. 17 



Karida (black root) ; Sitashringi (white-horned; ; Bhangura 

 (frail) ; Upavishanika (the horns or rootlets turned upwards;. 



Vern : — Atis (H.) ; Ati-vadayam (Tarn.) ; Ati-vasa (Tel.) ; 

 Mohand-i-gujsafed ; hong-i-Safed (Kashmir) A 'is (Bhotie) Sukhi- 

 hari, Chitijari ; Patris or Patis ; bonga (Pb.) ; Atavishni-Kali ; 

 Ativish or Ativakh (Guz.) ; Ativish (Mar.). 



Habitat :--- Common in the Subalpine and Alpine Zone of the 

 Himalaya, from the Indus to Kumaon, from 6,000 to 15,000 ft. 



Stem : — Erect, leafy, 1-3 ft., simple or branched from the 

 base, glabrous below, puberulous above. Leaves 2-4 in. broad 

 ovate or orbicular. Cordate, acute or obtuse ; canline sharply 

 toothed, the lowest long-petioled and not amplexicaul. Racemes 

 often panicled, many-flowered. Bracts sharply toothed, upper 

 3-fid or entire. Flowers more than 1 in. long, bright blue, 

 greenish blue, with purple veins. Helmet half as high as long, 

 shortly beaked. Follicles 5, downy. Testa smooth. 



The roots contain an alkaloid, atisine, C 22 H 3 i N 2 , {Alder 

 Wright) or C 4G H 74 N 3 5 (Bronghton). (See Sohn., p. 4,) and 

 Aconitic acid, C 6 H G 6 . 



In Dymock's Mat. Medica. of W. I, (2nd edition, p. 7), it 

 is said: — "The English notices of this are to be found in 

 Hindu works on Materia Medica, Sharangdhar and Chakradatt, 

 where it is recommended as a remedy in fevers, diarrhoea, dys- 

 pepsia and cough, also as an alexipharmic." *' The author of 

 the Makhzan-ul-Adwiya says it is aphrodisiacal and tonic, checks 

 diarrhoea and removes corrupt bile." Up to very recently, English 

 physicians in India administered it as an antiperiodic in doses 

 of about 30 grains, every 6 or 4 hours. Dr. M. Sheriff considers 

 that the ordinary doses are only useful as a tonic, and that 2 

 dram's or more should be given as an antiperiodic. Probably, 

 says Dr. Dymock, the native estimate of the drug, as given 

 above from the Makhzan, is not far from truth, viz., that it is 

 tonic and digestive and often useful in dyspepsia with diarrhoea 

 (Pharmacographia Indica, Vol. T., p. 16, 1890, Bombay). Dr. 

 Tribhuvandas. M. Shah of Junagadh says it is anthelmintic and 

 antifebrile, in doses of 10-30 grains. It can be given to children 

 in fevers. 



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