284 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



as hard as a stick. The second or flat variety is extremely rare 

 and occurs in flat and circular pipes, varying in diameter from 

 two to three inches, and in thickness from J to \ inch. The pieces 

 are more or less soft like the first variety in all other characters. 

 " The third or hard variety (No. 159), which is by far. the 

 most common, occurs in small balls generally about the size 

 of a small orange. The balls are very hard, smooth, dark-brown 

 in color, both externally and internally, and possess the same 

 kind of smell and taste, but in a much slighter degree. It con- 

 tains a great deal of impurities (about 80 per cent.) as earth, sand, 

 fragments of wood, &c, upon which its hardness chiefly depends. 



" With regard to the therapeutic use of the resin of A. 

 malabariea, its first variety, if fresh, has a very remarkable 

 control over dysentery and diarrhoea, as though it possesses 

 some specific action over the mucous coat of the large and small 

 intestines, and therefore deserves some special attention of the 

 profession. In some ordinary cases of acute dysentery and 

 diarrhoea, two or three doses of the resin, in the form of emulsion, 

 with the mucilage of gum acacia, and with from 5 to 10 minims 

 of Tinctura opii in each dose, were sufficient to nip the diseases 

 in the bud. There were no more motions, tormina or tenesmus 

 after the second or third dose for 10 or 12 hours, and when the 

 bowels did begin to move again after this period, the evacua- 

 tions were always healthier and soon became natural without 

 further treatment. In more severe cases, however, the medicine 

 had to be repeated three or four times in the 24 hours and con- 

 tinued for two or three days before the cure was effected. In 

 still more severe or serious and complicated cases, it was neces- 

 sary to resort to some other medicines, including astringent 

 enemata, &c, to assist the resin according to the condition and 

 symptoms of each individual case. Matti-pal is also useful in 

 gonorrhoea and gleet, and to the same extent as the Copaiba 

 and Gurjun-balsam" (Moodeen Sheriff.) 



246. — Samadera indica, Gcertn. h.f.b.l, l 519. 

 Vern :— Karinghota (Mai.) ; Niepa (Tarn.); Samadara (Sin.). 



