436 NOTES ON THE ECONOMIC APPLICATION OF BARKP. 



and fermented, forms bird-lime. It is of a dirty greyish broAvn colour, 

 with a short brittle fracture and a slightly bitter taste. 



Ipomcea Turpethum, R. Br. — A twining plant, native of the East 

 Indies, New Holland, Otaheite, the Friendly Islands, &c. In India the 

 natives use the fresh bark of the roots as a purgative by rubbing it up 

 with milk, a piece about six inches long, and about as thick as the little 

 finger is considered sufficient for one dose. It is also used in Ceylon for 

 a like purpose in combination with tamarinds, ginger, and sugar. It is 

 of an earthy brown colour, with a very white fracture, having little or 

 no smell or taste. 



Hymenodictyon excelsum, Wall. — A tree growing about 50 feet high, 

 native of the East Indies, chiefly in the mountainous parts of the Circars, 

 and in the adjoining valleys. The inner layers of the bark possess 

 strong bitter and astringent properties resembling those of cinchona, 

 but when fresh in a greater degree ; these properties, however, are not so 

 quickly extracted by chewing as they are from Peruvian bark, but the 

 taste is much stronger and more ^durable. The bark is of a thick 

 spongy consistence, much cracked on the outer surface, which is of a 

 grey colour, the inner layers white, the middle portion between the 

 outer and inner coats of a farinaceous consistence. This bark is used for 

 tanning as well as in medicine. 



Hollarliena febrifuga, Kl. — A small tree or shiub, native of Eastern 

 tropical Africa. The bark of this tree is used by the Portuguese on the 

 Zambesi as a substitute for cinchona, and is spoken of by Dr. Living- 

 stone, who, in his travels, says he employed it himself in decoction, and 

 found it very efficacious in fevers, &c. The plant is known in that 

 country as " Kumbanzo " or " Quina " of the Portuguese. 



Hollarhena antidysenterica, Wall. — A small tree, native of the East 

 Indies. The bark, under the name of Conessi bark, has great reputation 

 in India as a tonic and febrifuge, and has been successfully employed in 

 dysentery. 



Cosmibuena hexandra, Pohl. — A middling-sized tree, native of the 

 mountain woods of Brazil, in the provinces of Rio Janeiro and Minas 

 Geraes. The bark, like most other plants of this order, is very bitter, 

 and is employed by the Brazilians as a febrifuge, and for other purposes 

 to which cinchona is applied. The outer surface is of a bay colour, the 

 inner of a deep red, or blood colour. 



Bignonia antisypluUtica, Mart. — A moderate-sized tree, growing in 

 the Province of Rio Negro, Brazil. The bark obtained from the young 

 branches is used as a remedy in the worst cases of syphilitic swellings. 

 It is employed in two forms, externally in powder, and internally in 

 decoction. 



Cordia myxa, L. — A small tree, growing to a height of 10 or 15 feet, 

 native of many parts of India, Arabia, Persia, Egypt, &c. The bark has 

 the reputation in Java of being a mild tonic, for which purpose it i? 

 generally used. It is of a grey colour, much cracked on the surface. 



