730 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



branched in Ceylon. Bark very thin, shining, light brown. 

 Orange-brown, says Trimen, twigs pink ; young parts glabrous. 

 Wood light-brown, moderately hard. Branches glabrous, more 

 or less trigonous. Leaves 3 by 1-1 Jin., lancoolate elliptic or 

 elliptic-oblong to ovate, not acuminate, numerous persistant 

 coriaceous, rounded at base, obtuse, serrate glabrous, stiff ; 

 venation reticulate, conspicuous, bright-green, rather glaucous, 

 and with scattered sunk glands beneath, faintly aromatic when 

 bruised, yielding an essential oil, from which salicylic acid 

 and carbolic can be made (Dymock's Phar. Indica, Vol. II 

 pp. 325-328), Petiole T Vlin. (C. B. Clarke). \-\ in., secondary 

 nerves 3-7 pair, the 2nd and 3rd pair reaching beyond half the 

 length of the leaf (Brandis). Flowers white, numerous, rather 

 small, on short drooping pedicels. Dimorphic flowers, with 

 short stamens and sterile anthers, not horned (Brandis) ; a pair 

 of bractlets below the flower, and a bract at base closely placed 

 in dense pubescent axillary racemes, l-3in., much shorter than 

 leaves. Calyx white, segments acute ; anther-spurs very sharp, 

 reflexed. Ovary pubescent. Capsule small, Jin. diam., pubes- 

 cent, completely enclosed in fleshy ovoid enlarged edible calyx, 

 which is \-\ inch long, smooth shining, deep-purple-blue. 



Part used : — The oil obtained from leaves. 



Use : — The oil is aromatic, stimulant and carminative. It 



has been given with success in acute rheumatism and sciatica, 



its properties corresponding to those of the salicylates, in doses 



of 10 minims gradually increased, preferably in capsules. The 



oil is also applied externally in liniments, or in the form of a 



suitable onitment. It has powerful antiseptic properties. 



Mr. Broughton, the late Government Quinologist at the Neilgherries, in a 

 report to the Madras Government on the subject of this oil, says: — "the 

 oil from this source contains less of the peculiar hydrocarbon which forms 

 a natural and considerable admixture with the Canadian oil, and therefore 

 is somewhat superior in quality to the latter. The commercial demand for 

 the oil is not, however, considerable enough to make its occurrence in India 

 of much direct importance. 



"It occurred to me in 1869 that methyl-salicylic acid would, however, 

 under suitable treatment, furnish carbolic acid according to a decomposition 

 described by Gerhardt. After a few experiments I was successful in prepar- 

 ing considerable quantities of pure carbolic acid. The method of manufacture 

 is as follows :— The oil is heated with a dilute solution of caustic alkali, by 



