1054 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



" Assistant-Surgeon B. M. Chatterjee reports having found 

 it a very good expectorant, and that he has prescribed it in 

 several cases of asthma with marked success. He employed 

 it in the form of powder, decoction, and infusion, but the 

 doses and proportions are not furnished. Taken largely it acts 

 as an emetic." (Ph. Ind.) 



In Food and Drugs for October 1910, p. 80, Dr. Lai Mohan 

 Ghoshal concludes his observations on the action of this plant 

 as follows : — 



1. " The active principle is a diuretic, chiefly acting on the 

 glomeruli of the kidney through the heart, increasing the beat 

 and strength, and raising the peripheral blood pressure in 

 consequence ; on the cells of the tubules it exerts little or no 

 action:and, if any, it is only initial and comparative. 



2. On respiration it has little or no action, and if it is 

 anything, it is probably due to the fatty principle found in the 

 weeds. 



3. On liver the action is principally secondary and in 

 chemical combination with other drugs. 



4. On other organs the drug has practically no effect. 

 From what has been gone through it may be inferred that 



the drug may be given in any condition of the kidney where 

 there is lessened secretion or where increased secretion of kidney 

 is wanted. Thus it may be given in all renal affections stopping 

 secretion of kidney, in ascites, either from cirrhosis of liver 

 or heart or kidney. As it increases the systole of the heart, it 

 may be useful in all stenosed conditions of the valves, as by 

 increasing the force and duration of the systole it can pump 

 all the blood from the heart. Where there is dropsy and ascites 

 due to weaknes of the heart or to dilation of the heart, this 

 medicine in my opinion may do extreme good by relieving the 

 circulation through the kidney. In pleurisy and some such 

 affections, where there is accumulation of fluid in the cavities, 

 the drug may be useful by increasing the quantity of urine." 



It contains (1) a sulphate of a body, alkaloidal in nature; (2) an oily 

 auiorphus mass of the nature of fat (probably) ; (3) sulphates and chlorides and 

 traces of nitrates and chlorates from the ash. The amount of the alkaloidal 

 body is very small. {Food and Drugs, Oct. 1910, p. 73.) 



