300 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Western Peninsula on the Western Ghats from the Concan 

 southward. 



Use : — " This is the country ipecacuanha of the Portuguese 

 at Goa. The drag consists of the creeping root, with the slender 

 stems attached to it, the leaves having been stripped off. It 

 has a somewhat pungent, aromatic odour, but hardly any taste ; 

 and is given as an emetic, in doses of from 12 to 18 grains. In 

 Southern India it is used as a remedy for rheumatism. In the 

 Concan the Hindus use the leaves and stems in decoction with 

 bitters and aromatics as a remedy for biliousness. In the 

 Southern Concan it is called pit-yel or pitpapra, on account of 

 its well-marked, emetic and bile-expelling properties ; it is the 

 best indigenous emetic on this side of India" (Dymock). 



It has recently been tried in Madras in acute dysentery and 



also as an emetic and expectorant, with results similar to those 



of ipecacuanha, given in equal doses (Pbarmacog. Ind.). 



An ethereal extract contained 0*3 per cent, of Hooper's alkaloid narega- 

 miane, 2'0 of wax, 2*5 of resin, and 0*9 of fatty oil and cloring matter. The 

 wax melted 58° had a sp. gr. 0*91, acid number 5*9 (Chloroform solution), 6*1 

 (alcoholic solution), ether number 21*1, and saponification number 27'0. 

 When the alcoholic solusion was poured into water, a resin was precipitated, 

 whilst in the solution there still remained a substance which readily reduced 

 Fehling's solution (sugar). The aqueous extract had a faint acid reaction 

 and gave a blue coloration with iodine ; a crystalline compound, which is 

 probably asparagine (Hooper), was also isolated and the extract contained 

 proteids, gum, and pectin substances but not tannin. The drug left 5*73— 7*1 

 per cent, of ash, that of the wood being 1*79 and that of the bark 5'97 ; 5-9 per 

 cent, of dry residue was obtained from the alcoholic and 12*3 from the aqueous 

 extract. 



J. Ch. S. Vol : LXXX. (Pt. II of 1901) pp. 70-71. 



252. Melia azadiraehta, Linn, h.f.b.i., i. 544. 

 Roxb. 368. 



Syn. :—■ Azadiraehta indica, Aclr. Juss. 



Sans.~The bark :— Nimba-valkalam, Nimba-muiam-val- 

 kalam. The fruit :— Nimba-phalam. The oil :— Nimba-tailam, 

 The flower :— Nimba-pushpam. The leaf :— Nimba-patram, The 

 juice : — Nimba-niryasam. 



