78 



Oh^ervatio7is on Mudar, 



[Jan, 



Present names, Ainslie's. Roxburgh's, 



Hoya Asclepias Asclepias 



veridiflora vomitoria volubilis 



DfEinia Cynanchiim Asclepias 



extensa extensum echenata 



Gymnema Periploca Asclepias ^ 



sylvestris sylvestris gemenata 



Secamone Periploca I this plant is not mentioned 



^ , ^ ^. Tirr.-i 1 y by either Hoxburgh or 



emetica emetica VViid. <^ Ainsiie. 



Hemidismus Periploca Aselepias 



indica indica pseudo sarsa. 



I shall add a few remarks on each of these species except 

 the two first, extracting as I go along the remarks of Ainsiie 

 and Roxburgh. 



Tylophora tenuissima and asthmatica : of these two spe- 

 cies the last is by far the most common, and I believe the 

 most valuable. It is found in every part of India that I have 

 yet visited, growing in all soils, but most abundant in sandy 

 soil near the coast. It is a twining plant with rather small 

 pale purplish flowers, usually coming off in tufts of three or 

 four together from a common flower stalk, but, except in old 

 clusters, all so near the apex, that this arrangement is not 

 easily observed unless closely looked for. I believe the leaves 

 are the palla kuray (asclepias volubilis) of Ainsiie, but of that 

 I am not quite certain. If so, it is rather remarkable that the 

 leaves should be used as greens, while the root affords such 

 an active medicine as this does. It is the true Asclepias vo- 

 mitoria of Koinig, which I ascertained by the examination of 

 his own specimens so named. — The plant so named by Ains- 

 iie differs v/iclely in appearance, though possessed of some- 

 v/hat similar properties. Roxburgh in his Flora Indica ob- 

 serves regarding this plant, that " on the coast of Coromandel, 

 the roots have often been used as a substitute for ipecacuana^ 

 I have also often prescribed it myself and always found it 

 answer as well as I could expect ipecacuana to do ; I have al- 

 go often had very favourable reports of its effects from others. 

 It was a very useful medicine with our Europeans who were 

 unfortunately prisoners with Hyder Ali, during the war of 

 1780 — 81 — 82 and 83. In a pretty large dose it answered as 

 an emetic ; in smaller doses often repeated, as a cathartic ; 

 and in both ways very effectually." He adds, " that owing to 



