470 



NOTES ON MYRABOLANS. 



BY M. C. COOKE. 



The fruits of several species of Terminalia have been of late in- 

 cluded under the general name of " Myrabolans," which, in truth, 

 belongs only to the ripe fruits of Terminalia chebula. India is the chief 

 source of these different fruits, where they are extensively employed by 

 the natives in dyeing and in medicine. I was for some time, and until 

 recently, under the impression that more than two species were to be 

 met with in English commerce, but am now convinced that all I have 

 hitherto met with may be referred to one of two species, viz. : Termi- 

 nalia chebula and T. belerica. The Mungachi of the Canarese, (T. 

 augustifolia) is still a stranger in our markets. Under the name of 

 Kiritoochie (a corruption of Huritochee), the unripe fruits of Terminalia 

 chebula have been referred to T. anguslifolia, for which I know of 

 no vernacular synonym in India resembling Kiritoochie. 



In the Mekhzen-ul-Adviyeh, of Muhanmied Hosen Shirazi, under the 

 head of Ahlile, the following kinds of Halileh or chebnlic niyrabolan are 

 enumerated : — 



1. Halileh zira. — Gathered when the fruit is just set. Being dried, 

 it is about the size of the Zira (cumin seed). 



2. Halileh-jawi. — Gathered when the fruit is more advanced. When 

 dried, it is of the size of a barley-corn (jaiv). 



3. Halileh-zengi, Hindi, or Aswed. — This kind is gathered when the 

 fruit is still more advanced. Being dried, it is the size of a raisin, and 

 is black, whence its name Aswed black, or Zengi negro. 



4. Halileh chini. — "Which is gathered when the nut has acquired 

 some degree of hardness. The dried fruit is of a greenish colour. 



5. Halileh-asfer. — Gathered when approaching to maturity. The 

 fruit, when dry, is of a reddish yellow, whence its name {Asfer yellow). 



6. Halileh-cabuli. — "When the fruit has come to full maturity. 



All these six kinds are the produce of the same tree (Terminalia 

 chebula). 



I have never met with any niyrabolan so rudimentary and minute 

 as the first variety named by Shirazi. The smallest kind which seems 

 to be now known and employed in Hindustan corresponds more nearly 

 with the second variety above-named, and is represented by a small 

 black immature myrabolan, of the size of a barley-corn, which is used 

 in Hindustani medicine, and is the Halileh-jawi of the Persian writers. 

 It is not an article of European commerce, but may be examined by the 

 student amongst the Pharmaceutical substances in the India Museum, 

 Whitehall. 



The Zengi-har, or black niyrabolan (the Halileh zengi of the Persians) 

 is the form which has been confounded with the fruit of Terminalia 



