U. 0. OUTTIFEU.E. 
145 
According to Rumphius, the bark and young leaves are 
employed by the Macassars in diarrhoea, dysentery and affections 
of the genito-urinary tracts, and also as a wash for aphthae of 
the mouth. 
In exhibiting before the Melbourne Medical Congress of 
January 1889, a powder and a liquid extract of mangosteen from 
the fruit-rind prepared by the late Mr. M. C. Periera of the Ilom- 
bay Medical Stores, Surgeon Major Kirtikar said thus : — “ The 
value of these preparations lies in the yellow resin which the rind 
of the fruit contains a character of the fruits of the Guttifers. 
The resin acts like all other resins as a stimulant to the intes- 
tinal canal. I am not sure whether the crystal lisable substance, 
mangostine, which Schmidt has obtained from the rind, has any 
particular therapeutic property. It is worthy of a trial, as the 
preparations are largely used by the Natives of Western India 
in chronic cases of the intestinal canal. Waitz recommends a 
decoction of the powdered rind as an external astringent appli- 
cation. 1 have no doubt that the resin adds to the value of this 
local remedy, by mechanically constricting the parts gently — an 
effect very often produced by uniform light baudaging.” (Con- 
gress Proceedings, p. 948). 
A strong decoction has also been recommended as an exter- 
nal astringent application (Watt.) 
The fruit is said to have come into use of late years in 
European medicine as a substitute for Bael (Watt.) 
Mangostin (A) occurs in all parts of the Mangosteen tree. The dried 
fruit-skins contain about 5% each of a crystalline resin (A) and non-crystal 
resin. (A)- was first isolated by Schmidt, who assigned the formula C 10 H i2 0 4 . 
(A) has the typical resin properties, burning with a smoky, luminous flame, 
causing friction and vibration when rubbed between the fingers, and dissol- 
ving in alkalis, ale., Et,0, and many other solvents. (A) was obtained by 
concg. the alk. ext, of the dried skins in vacuo, shaking the syrupy residue 
with HjO, and dissolving the dried insol. portion in warm PhH containing a 
little Et,0. Recrystd. repeatedly from ale. containing a little H,0, it forms 
flat, pale yellow needles, m 181-2'. The analyses and mol. wt. detns. in PhO U 
and (C0 2 Me) 2 gave results agreeing with C JS H 74 0 6 . (A) is insol. in carbo- 
nates, dissolves in alkalies with a red color, and is repptd. by C0 2 and acids 
and gives a greenish brown color with FeCl 3 . It contains 1 MeO and 2 
phenolic OH, the latter being shown by titration and by the action of Me 2 S0 4 
and dil. aq. KOH, which yield dimethyl-mangostin, C, 5 H, a 0 6 , faintly yellow, 
19 
