1008 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



root are employed externally for tumors and certain skin 



diseases (Ph. J. July 25, 1885, p. 87). The bark is also 



employed by Indian and Arabian physicians ^Balfour). " The 



expressed juice is an excellent laxative, cholagogue and 



anthelmintic. It is used as an injection into the rectum in 



cases of ascarides. It is also a valuable bitter tonic, and the 



natives believe that its presence cures scabies in the locality " 



(Dr. Thornton, in Watt's Dictionary). 



Chemical composition.— Approximate analysis of the leaves gave the follow- 

 ing result :— 



Ethereal extract ... ... ... 1081 



Alcoholic „ ... ... ... 1640 



Aqueous „ ... ... ... 15*20 



Alkaline „ ... ... ... 8-97 



Organic residue ... ... ... 38*47 



Inorganic „ - ... ... ... 5*93 



Moisture ... ... ... .. 4'22 



Total ... 100-00 



Ash soluble in water ... ... ... 1683 



„ „ in acid ... ... ... 72*86 



Sand and silicates ... ... .. 10*30 



Total ... 100*00 



Sodium chloride in ash ... ... ... 5 58 



The leaves of C. inforunatum yielded no volatile constituent when boiled 

 with water. The ether extract contained a quantity of resinous matter, 

 and gave up the bitter principles when heated with water ; the extract was 

 of a less fatty consistence than that from the C. inerme leaves. The spirit- 

 uous extract was also much larger than in the previous sample, and was 

 differently constituted, i asmuch as it almost entirely consisted of a taunin, 

 giving a green colour with ferric chloride. These leaves contain much more 

 soluble organic matter than the former, but the percentage composition of 

 the ash shows that the soluble inorganic salts are much smaller. The ash 

 of these leaves amounted to 12*3 per cent (Hooper, in Pharm. Record, Aug. 

 1st, 1888). 



966, 0. siphonanthas, Br., h.f.b.l, iv. 595. 



Syn. : — Siphonanthus indica, Willd. Roxb. 481. 

 Sans. : — Brahma yastika. 



Vern. : — Barangi ; Arnah and Ami (H.) ; Bamanhati (B.) ; 

 Ami, dawa-i-mubarak, arnah (Pb.) ; Bharangi (Bomb.) ; Sarum 

 enter (Dec). 



