818 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



ppt. becomes hard in the air. After washing with ale. H^O and Me 2 Co, there 

 remains an ash free substance C 10 - H 2T O. The resin-free serum reacts alk; 

 upon heating, the protein is coagulated. "With HC1. HN0 3 , picric acid and salts 

 of heavy metals, it gives a turbidity, with NaOH a gelatinous ppt., and with ale. 

 (N. H 4 ) 2 S0 4 or Na CI a pptn. of albumose-like protein compounds. The active 

 substance is found in the serum after freeing from resin, protein and sulphates. 

 Upon cone, it appears as a black, resin-like mass, with a smell like coniine 

 which causes headache. It is sol. in H 2 and dil ale, with green fluorescene 

 Et 2 ppts. from ale, a yellow N-free mass, hygroscopic, reacts neutral, color 

 of H 2 S0 4 solution is red. The same product is obtained by centrifuging and 

 cone, of the serum and extraction with ale. or CH Cl 3 . The pharmacological 

 action of the juice upon warm or cold-blooded animals is like that of digitalis. 

 O. 02-O. 04. G of the purified principle, injected subcutaneously, kills a rabbit 

 in 30 minutes, a guinea pig in 15 minutes. With pigeons, there results vomit- 

 ing ; in frogs 1-3 mg, causes systolic arrest of heart action in 6 minutes.--Ch. 

 Abs., August 10, 1913, page 2663. 



77J:. Aselepias ewrassavica, Linn, h.f.b.i., iv. 18. 



Vern. : — Kuraki ; Kakatuncli (Bomb.). 



Habitat : — Bengal and various parts of India, a weed intro- 

 duced from the West Indies throughout the Tropics. 



Parts used :— The leaves, root and flowers. 



Perennial, erect herbs. Leaves opposite, lanceolate, or oblong- 

 lanceolate, acute, narrowed into a short petiole, glabrous. Cymes 

 umbelliform. Umbels many-fid, shortly peduncled. Sepals 

 glandular within. Corolla rotate, lobes reflexed, orange-red. 

 Stamens unite and form a tube round the pistil. Filaments 

 have horn-like appendage, the cucullus which performs functions 

 as a nectary. Follicles turgid, smooth. Seeds comose, numer- 

 ous. 



Uses : — In Jamaica, it is called ' blood-flower, ' owing to its 

 efficacy in dysentery. The root is regarded as purgative, and 

 subsequently astringent. It is also a remedy in piles and 

 gonorrhea (Ainslie ; Baden-powell, Panjab Products). 



According to the U. S. Dispensatory, the root and expressed 

 juice are emetic and also cathartic. The juice of the leaves has 

 been strongly recommended as anthelmintic ; and, according to 

 Dr. W. Hamilton, it is useful in arresting hemorrhages and 

 in obstinate gonorrhoea. The medicine is, however, somewhat 



