N. 0. LEGUMMINOS^. 441 



iin. thick, fibrous, grey, exfoliating in small irregular pieces ; 

 exuding from cut and fissures a red juice which, hardens into 

 a ruby-coloured gum similar to Kino. Wood grey or grey 

 brown, white or brown, if cut up fresh and quickly seasoned, 

 soft and durable (Gamble). Trunk crooked and irregular. 

 Young shoots densely pubescent. Leaves large, rachis 5-8in., 

 slender, pubescent when young, swollen at base. Stipules 

 small, linear-lanceolate, deciduous. Leaflets 4-8in., unequal, 

 the terminal the largest and rhomboidal, orbicular, the lateral 

 ones ovate-oval, dilated in lower half, all very obtuse, glabrous 

 above when mature, closely and finely tomentose, and with 

 much raised reticulation beneath. Flowers large, l|-2in. on 

 velvety drooping pedicels, f-lin. long, 2-3 together from the 

 swollen nodes of rigid stout racemes coming off from woody 

 tuberosities. Bracts small, deciduous Calyx finely velvety 

 outside, lined with white, silvery hair. Segments acute. Keel 

 very deeply boat-shaped, acute. Pod pendulous, 5-8in., by 

 about fin. wide, on a densely, woody stalk, fin. long, obtuse, 

 thickened at sutures, leathery, transversely veined, densely 

 but finely pubescent, especially at end. Seed l^in., flat, broadly 

 oval, smooth reddish-brown. Flowers orange-scarlet, very 

 silvery outside, with silky hair, so that the buds are white. 



Uses : — The Gum. — This is known as Bengal or Butea Kino. 

 Nearly the whole of the so-called Kino of our bazaars is this 

 substance. Dr. Waring (in his Bazaar Medicines, p. 31) remarks 

 that this is of little moment, since it appears to be equally 

 effectual. He says : " It is an excellent astringent, similar to 

 catechu, but being mild in operation it is better adapted 

 for children and delicate females. The dose of the powdered 

 gum is 10 to 30 grains, with a few grains of cinnamon." The 

 addition of a little opium increases the efficacy. 



The fresh juice is used in phthisis and liEemorrhagic affec- 

 tions. It is also employed as an application to ulcers and 

 relaxed sore- throats. As an astringent, it is given in diarrhoea 

 and dyspepsia, In the Concan, it is prescribed for fevers. 

 " The use of the gum as an external astringent application is 

 mentioned by Chakradatta ; it is directed to be combined with 

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