824 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



pale-brown. The leaves, in Wight's figure, unsually large, says 

 J. D. Hooker. 



Uses :— The root is in esteem amongst the Hindus as a local 

 and internal remedy in snake-bites (Ainslie). The root is also 

 said to possess emetic and expectorant properties. 



In the Concan, the dried and powdered leaf is used as an 

 errhine (Dymock). 



A curious circumstance connected with this plant was first 

 noticed by Mr. Edgeworth ; namely, that if chewed, it destroys 

 the power of the tongue to appreciate the state of sugar and 

 all saccharine substances. In his own person he found that 

 powdered sugar, taken immediately after masticating some of 

 the leaves, appeared like so much sand in his mouth, and this 

 effect lasted nearly twenty-four hours, when he recovered the 

 power of distinguishing the taste of sugar (Pharm. Jonrn., 

 vol. vii., p. 551). 



Mr. Hooper repeated the above experiment and states that, 

 after chewing one or two leaves, it was proved undoubtedly 

 that sugar had no taste immediately afterwards. He also further 

 discovered that the leaf had the valuable property of completely 

 removing the bitter taste of sulphate of quinine after a good 

 dose of the leaf, tasting like so much chalk. 



Though of opinion that this property might prove of value in 

 pharmacy for the purpose of destroying the taste of quinine, 

 he writes, " I am not going to propose its use in the administra- 

 tion of nauseous drugs, until the properties of the gymnema 

 have been more studied. Otherwise, the quantity of the 

 vehicle taken may be proved to counteract the effect of the 

 medicines." 



The leaves contain no cyanogenetic glucoside. On igniting the air-dried 

 leaves, 8'6 per cent of ash was obtained, which yielded the following results 

 on analysis : CaO, 19*3 per cent. ; Fe. 2 3 and Al 2 3 17*9 per cent. ; MgO, 27 

 per cent. ; the remainder consisted chiefly of alkali carbonates, with traces of 

 manganese and silica. 



On adding water to an alcoholic extract of the leaves, a soft, dark -green, 

 resinous mass was obtained which contained formic and butyric acids and 

 hentriacontane, melting at 68° and present in the leaves to the extent of 

 about 0*05 per cent. When sulphuric acid was added to the filtrate from this 



