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POISONS 



The drugs commonly used are : — 



(a) Reputed Emmenagogues. — 



Nenunt odorum Solander. 

 Cerhera thevetia Linnseus. 

 Carica papaya Limiaeus (seeds). 

 Daucus carota Linnaeus (carrot seeds). 



(b) Purgatives (Cucurhitacece). — 



Cucumis trigonus Roxburgh. 

 Momordica charanta Linnaeus. 

 Momordica cymhalaria Fenzl. 



(c) Irritants.- — Several inorganic irritants are used — arsenic, lead, 

 mercury, copper, and quicklime. Browning informs us that copper 

 sulphate has been used of late in Ceylon for this purpose, as well as 

 tartar emetic, corrosive sublimate, large doses of quinine, and very 

 large doses of Epsom salts and an aloes (socotrine) iron pill, in 

 which the quantity of the aloes is very considerable. 



Plumbago rosea Linnseus. 

 Plumbago zeylanica Linnseus. 



Calotropis procera R. Brown. 



Piper nigrum Linnseus (black pepper). 



Ananas Tovirneiori, 1735 (unripe pine-apple). 



Moringa pterygosperm.a Gaertner (bark). 

 Lasiosiphon speciosus Decaisne. 



(d) Supposed Ecbolics. — 



Bambusa sp.? juice of bamboo-leaves. The fruit is 

 used. 



Randia dumetorum Linnseus. 



Cuscuta reflexa Roxburgh. (A decoction is used which 



also acts as an irritant.) 

 Seeds of Celastrus paniculatus Wight. 

 Seeds of Anethum graveolens Linnseus. 



Plumbago zeylanica Linnseus and P. rosea Linnaeus are evergreen 

 shrubs about 2 to 5 feet high, in the root of which there is an active 

 principle, plumbagin, which acts externally as a vesicant, and 

 internally as an irritant and narcotic. It is used as a paste, or 

 spread on wool on an abortion stick. 



The abortifacients which were commonly used in Ceylon were 

 Gloriosa superba L., violent purgatives (including large doses of 

 magnesium sulphate), and the twigs of the castor-oil plant, the 

 last named being a mechanical irritant. 



5. Stupefying with Intent to Rob. 



Two drugs are much used in India and Ceylon for the purpose 

 of stupefying with intent to rob — viz., Datu.a fastuoia Linnseus 

 and Cannabis sativa Linnseus. 



