700 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



by me in cases of ague, intermittent and remittent fever. It is 

 a very useful febrifuge and deserves trial (B. D. Basu). 



Church reported on a bundle of dry leaves received at Few from Duthie. 



The following is his analysis :— 



Percentage composition of Artemisia maritima : — 



Water ... ... ... ... ... 13*6 



Oil, resin, wax, etc. ... ... ... ... 40 



Starch, sugar, gum, etc. (by difference) ... ... 34-2 



Albuminoids (true) ... ... ... ... 6-0 



Fibre ... ... ... ... ... 33*9 



Ash (includes 2*7 of sand and mica) ... ... ... 8*3 



Church remarks that the plant contains rather less albuminoids, less 

 digestible carbohydrates, and more fibre than the average hay of mixed grasses. 

 It is, however, thrice as rich in albuminoids as the straw of European cereals. 



Artemisin, C 15 H I8 4 , is obtained from the last mother liquors in the 

 technical treatment of the seed of Artemisia maritima. It is freed from 

 santonin by recrystallisation from chloroform, being deposited in combi- 

 nation with 1 mol. of the solvent, which is evolved at 90°. It melts at 200°, 

 gradually turns yellow in the air, and is more readily soluble in water and 

 dilute alcohol than santonin ; [a] D =—84-3°. The ferric chloride reaction is 

 not characteristic ; when heated with soda (10 parts) and water (40 parts), 

 a fugitive carmine-red coloration is produced, and, like santonin, it gives 

 the same colour with alcoholic soda. Artemisin is apparently hydroxy 

 santonin.— J. Ch. S. LXX, pt. I. (1896) p. 59. 



Max Jaffe, considers artemisin as y-hydroxy santonin. 



664. A. vulgaris, Linn, h.f.b.i., hi. 325; Roxb. 

 599. 



Syn. :— A. indica, Willd. ; A. paniculata, Roxh. 598. 

 Sans. : — Nagdami, grantbiparni. 



Vern. :-- Nagdouna, matjari, mastaru, dona (H.) ; Sarmi, 

 Samri (Dehra Dun), Nagdona (B.) ; Tataur, punjan, banjiru, 

 chambra, ubusha, tarkha ; Bui madaran, afsuntin (Pb. Bnzar 

 names); Surband (Mar.); Titapat (Nepal) 



" In Madras, the native names are applied to two sections : — 



(a) A. vulgaris : — Douna (H and Duk.) ; Mar-i-Kurondu 

 (Tarn.); Davanamu (Sans. Tel. Kan.); Davana (Mar.). 



(b) A. indica:— Maspatri (D.) ; Machi-pattri (Tarn. Tel. Mai. 

 and Kan.) ; Granthaparni (San.) — Dr. Moodeen Sheriff. 



