N. o. solanaoe^:. 897 



A very prickly, diffuse herb, l-4ft-diam., bright-green mature, 

 nearly glabrous. Leaves 4-5in. by 2-3in., ovate, or elliptic, 

 sinuate or sub-pinnatifld, glabrescent, very prickly spines, |in., 

 straight ; petiole lin. Peduncles short, mostly extra-axillary. 

 Cymes lateral, few-fid. Flowers blue, few, all perfect. Pedicels 

 and Calyx stellately pubescent, or at length glabrous. Calyx 

 in flower Jin., lobes ovate oblong usually prickly, hardly enlar- 

 ged in fruit. Corolla lin. diam., pubescent without ; lobes 

 shallow. Berry yellow or whitish and green-blotched, |-fin. 

 diam. globose, glabrous, much exceeding the Calyx-lobes. Seeds 

 j^in diam., glabrous. 



Uses : — " The root is much esteemed as an expectorant, and 

 is used in cough, asthma, catarrhal fever and pain in the chest. 

 Kantikari is used in medicine in various forms, such as decoc- 

 tion, electuary, ghrita, &c. A decoction of the root is given 

 with the addition of long pepper and honey, in cough and 

 catarrh, and with the rock salt and assafcetida in spasmodic 

 cough " (Hindu Mat. Med.). 



The roots beaten up and mixed up with wine are given to 

 check vomiting. The juice of the berry is also useful in sore- 

 throat (Agra Exhibition), 



The root is largely employed in catarrhal and febrile affec- 

 tions, having expectorant, diuretic and other properties assigned 

 to it. The stems, flowers and fruit, according to Dr. Wilson 

 (Calcutta Med. Phys. Trans. Vol. 11., p. 406), are bitter and 

 carminative, and are prescribed in those forms of the burning 

 of the feet (Ignipeditis) which are attended with a vesicular, 

 watery eruption. Fumigations with the vapour of the burning 

 seeds of this plant are in high repute in the cure of toothache. 

 It acts as a powerful sialogogue, and by this means probably 

 relief is obtained (Ph, Ind.). 



In the Concan 2 tolas of the juice of the fresh plant, with 

 2 tolas of Hemidesrnus juice, are given in whey as diuretic, and 

 the root with chiretta and ginger is given in decoction as a 

 febrifuge. Dr. Peters, of the Bombay Medical Service, informs 

 us that in Bengal the plant is much used as a diuretic in dropsy. 



In the Pan jab hills, the expressed juice of the leaves is given 



113 



