892 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



pinnate ; petiole lin. Peduncles i-4in. Cymes 2-5in. diam., 

 pedicels £-fin. Calyx in fruit almost sauce-shaped, lobes 5in. 

 Flower sV n '> ovate oblong. Corolla fin. diam. Style glabrous. 

 Berry Jin. diam., globose. Seeds ^in., smooth. 



Uses : — Officinal in both British and Indian Pharmacopeias. 

 In India, it is considered alterative, diuretic and diaphoretic ; 

 it is regarded as useful in constitutional syphilitic affections, 

 chronic rheumatism, and especially so in psoriasis, lepra, and 

 other obstinate skin diseases (Watt). 



" The dried fruit of S. dulcamara, known as Anab-es-salib in 

 Bombay, comes from Persia/' (Pharmacographia Indica, Vol. H. 

 p. 533). 



Upon extraction with alcohol and water, the berries yielded 31*55 p. c. of 

 sugar which appeared to be laevulose. The berries were then dried and 

 extracted with ether, when an oil was obtained, amounting to 9*1569 p. c., 

 After purifying, the oil was viscous and of amber colour. It had the sp. gr. 0. 

 9604, and an acid value of 306. Nitrogen is present in the berries to the 

 extent of 0'934 per cent. Evidence was obtained of the presence of acetic, 

 tartaric, and citric acids. The total alkloid wss 0*15 per cent, and appeared 

 to be solanine. [B. R. Anderson, in Chem- News, 1911 ; abstract in J. Ch. I. 

 for 31-7-1911, p. 921]. 



855. S. spirale, Boxb. h.f.b.l, iv. 230. Roxb. 

 255. 



Vern. : — Bagua (Silhet) ; Mungus kajur (Patna). 

 Habitat : — Assam ; Khasia Mountains and East Bengal. 



An unarmed glabrous herb or undershrub, 4-1 2ft. Leases 

 attaining 8-3in., elliptic, entire, acute at both ends, glabrous 

 or scarcely puberulous. Petiole fin. Peduncles extra-axillary ; 

 pedicels long, densely, spirally racemed. Calyx fin., cup-shaped 

 in fruit, saucer-shaped, not enlarged. Calyx-teeth minute. 

 Corolla white, fin. diam., deeply lobed. Anthers oblong, scarce- 

 ly narrowed upwards. Berry fin. diam., globose smooth. Seeds 

 fin. diam., smooth. 



Use : — The root is given in Patna as a narcotic and diuretic 

 in doses of gr. i to grs. viii. (Irvine). 



856. S. verbascifolium, Linn., h.f.b.l, iv. 230. 

 Vern. ; — Dursul (Nepal.) ; Sivor (Lepcha) ; Asheta (U. P.) ; 



