N. ASCLEPIADE.E. 825 



precipitate, a dark-coloured resinous product was obtained. This substance, 

 which was termed by Hooper " gymnemic acid," is a complex mixture, from 

 which ethyl acetate extracts a portion possessing the property of temporarily 

 destroying the sense of taste for sweet substances ; this latter product., for 

 which it is proposed to reserve the name " gymnemic acid," although there is 

 no evidence that it is a homogeneous substance, amounts to about 6 per cent, 

 of the air-dried leaves. It has weak acidic properties and, when fused with 

 potassium hydroxide, yields acetic acid and a molecular compound of proto- 

 catechuic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids which melts at 192° ; on oxidation with 

 potassium permanganate, formic acid is produced. The resinous substance 

 associated with the gymnemic acid in the precipitate obtained with sulphuric 

 acid is also of an acidic nature, and yields the same products on fusion with 

 potassium hydroxide. The liquid from which the above substances had been 

 separated was found to coutain Z-quercitol, together with i-dextrose. The 

 fruits of gymnema sj/fuestre contain the same substances as the leaves, with 

 the exception of f-quercitol. 



Gymnemic acid and the resinous substance insoluble in ethyl acetate are 

 devoid of toxic properties.— (Fred. B. Power and Frank Tutin, Pharm. J. 1904.) 

 J. Oh. S. Vol. LXXXVL, pp. 763-764. 



780. Marsdenia Royleii, Wight, h.f.b.i., iv. 35. 



Vern. :— Pathor (Chenab) ; Tar, veri (Salt Range) ; Kurang 

 (Simla) ; Murkula (Hind.). 



Habitat : — Eastern and Western Himalaya, from Simla to 

 Kumaon and Sikkim. 



A twining shrub. Young parts soft tomentose. Brandies, 

 petioles, leaves beneath and cymes finely pubescent or tomentose. 

 Leaves 3-6 by 2A'u\ , often velvety beneath, ovate, cordate, 

 acuminate; base usually deeply cordate. Cymes 11 Jin. diam., 

 corymbose. Calyx hairy outside. Corolla i-J-in. diam., lobes 

 pubescent without, villous within, coronal scales slender, subu- 

 late, far exceeding the short anther-tips. Stigma dome-shaped. 

 Follicles turgid, 3in. long, 1 to ljin. broad, with a beak-like 

 tip, straight ; pericarp thick, transversely rugose, puberulous. 

 Seeds fin. long. 



Uses :— The unripe fruit is powdered and given as a cooling 

 medicine (Stewart). A decoction is used as a remedy in gonor- 

 rhoea. 



781. Tylophora fascicalata, Earn., h.f.b.i., iv. 



Vern. :— Bhui-dori (Bomb.). 

 104 



