N. 0. C0MBRETACE2E, 545 



anjan, jamla (Mar.); Sadado, arjun sadado (Guz.) ; Maddi, 

 tormatti, holematti, billi matti (Kan.). 



Habitat:— Very common in the Sub-Himalayan tracts of 

 the North- West Provinces and Deccan. 



A large deciduous tree, with huge, often buttressed, trunk, 

 attaining 60-80 ft. Bark Jin. thick, smooth, pinkish grey, the 

 old layers peeling off in thin flakes. Sapwood reddish-white ; 

 heartwood brown, variegated, with darker, coloured streaks, 

 very hard. Glabrous ; only the inflorescence is slightly 

 pubescent. Leaves generally sub-opposite, hard coriaceous, 

 oblong, sometimes spathulate-oblong, often campanulate blade 

 3-6, petiole Jin. long. Petiole rarely more than Jin., with 

 . two glands near its apex often very short. Flowers bisexual, 

 dull, yellow, in erect terminal panicles. Bracteoles very small. 

 Calyx-teeth nearly glabrous, both within and without. Young 

 ovary very short, covered with crisped brown or rufous hair. 

 Fruit lin. long, with 5-7 narrow angles, Jin. broad, irregularly 

 marked with ascending lines. 



Use : — The Sanskrit writers consider the bark to be tonic, 

 astringent and cooling, and use it in heart diseases, contusions, 

 fractures, ulcers, &c. In fractures and contusions, with excessive 

 ecchymosis, powdered arjun bark is recommended to be taken 

 internally with milk. A decoction of the bark is used as a wash 

 in ulcers and chancres (Dutt). 



The bark is astringent and febrifuge, the fruit tonic and de- 

 obstruent, the juice of the fresh leaves is a remedy for ear-ache. 



The bark useful in bilious affections, and as an antidote to 

 poisons (Baden-Powell's Punj. Prods.) In Kangra, the bark 

 is used to sores, &c. (Stewart). 



Regarding the physiological action of this drug, Dr. Lai 



Mohan Ghoshal writes : — 



(1) The drug (Terminalia Ar/una) acts as a cardiac stimulant and tonic, 

 increasing the force of the beats of the heart, but slowing their number, but 

 never completely stopping it. The diastole is more or less prolonged. 



(2) The blood pressure is increased due to the contraction of the peri- 

 pheral arterioles caused by the action of the drug on the vasomotor nerve 

 possibly. 



(3) It acts as a powerful haemostatic ; only drawback for this action is 

 the rise of blood pressure. 



