N. O. ACANTHAOEiE. 077 



to dr. i, reported that in 10 out of 24 cases of chronic and subacute bronchitis 

 and bronchial catarrh, it was found efficacious and successful. It failed in 3 

 cases of phthisis that he tried. In 2 out of 3 cases of asthma it acted well. The 

 full dose of dr. i causes nausea and griping, and, therefore, had to be reduced 

 to m. xx. which was found sufficient." 



The analysis of the leaves reveals certain principles resembling those 

 found in tobacco, as, for instance, an odorous volatile principle, an alkaloid, 

 but not volatile like nicotine, one or more organic acids, sugar, mucilagej 

 and a large percentage of mineral salts. 



The chemical analyses have revealed the presence of an alkaloid vasicine 

 as the active principle, and this result has been confirmed by the physiological 

 as well as chemical tests of Dr. Boorsma of Java. A tartrate of vasicine is 

 now an article of commerce on the Continent and future possibilities may be 

 expected of it in medical science. 



The various portions of the plant available in the Office of Reporter on 

 Economic Products were analysed bj' Mr. Hooper, with the following results :— 





Moisture, 



Ash. 



Spt. ext. 



Vasicine. 



Leaves 



7-9 



20-0 



133 



•39 



Bark 



10-2 



14-0 



14 4 



•35 



Root 



67 



46 



3'4 



traces. 



Root-bark ... 



5-8 



12-4 



11-2 



•58 



The alkaloidal content of the bark is here seen to approach very closely to 

 that of the leaves. The question of cost in collecting these two products 

 would have to be considered, and it is evident that the separation of the bark 

 from the stems would entail more labour than the simple method of gathering 

 the leaves from the shrub. In other medicinal shrubs, such as Buchu and 

 Senna, when the leaves are officinal, it is not customary to use the bark of the 

 plants in addition to the leaves. 



The following results were obtained from quantitative experiments on the 



powdered barks : — 



From From 



Young Hants. Old Plants. 



Moisture ... ... ... 12*1 ... 10 2 



Spirit extract ... ... ... 15 ... 162 



Soluble in water ... ... 7 # 2 ... 75 



Resins ... ... .. 78 ... 8*7 



Total Ash ... ... ... 7 ... 122 



Sand ... ... ... 2-8 ... 7*2 



Pure Ash ... ... ... 4'2 ... 50 



It will be seen that the root-bark from the older plants has a higher per- 

 centage of acrid and bitter resinous matters than that from the younger 

 plants. In this connection attention should be drawn to the remark made some 

 years ago by Mooden Sheriff of Madras. In the Supplements to the Pharma- 

 copoeia of India, page 364, he reports that he found that the older the plant, 

 the more active is the bark in its effects. 



936. Rhinacanthns communis, Nees., h.f.b.i.,, 

 iv. 541. 



Syn. : — Justicia Nasuta, Linn., Roxb 40. 

 Sans. : — Guthika-parni. 



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