700 
INDIAN MEDIOINAL PLANTS. 
by me in cases of ague, intermittent and remittent fever. It is 
a very useful febrifuge and deserves trial (B. D. Basu). 
Church reported on a bundle of dry leaves received at Few from Duthie. 
The following is his analysis : — 
Percentage composition of Artemisia maritima : — 
Water ... ... ... ... ... IS’8 
Oil, resin, wax, etc. ... ... ... ... 4 0 
Starch, sugar, gum, etc. (by difference) ... ... 34-2 
Albuminoids (true) ... ... ... ... 60 
Fibre ... ... ... ... ... 33*0 
Ash (includes 27 of sand and mica) ... ... ... 8'3 
Church remarks that the plant contains rather less albuminoids, less 
digestible carbohydrates, and more fibre than the average hay of mixed grasses. 
It is, however, thrice as rich in albuminoids as the straw of European cereals. 
Artemisin, C l5 H 1S 0 4 , is obtained from the last mother liquors in the 
technical treatment of the seed of Artemisia' maritima. It is freed from 
santonin by recrystallisation from chloroform, being deposited in combi- 
nation with l mol. of the solvent, which is evolved at 90°. It melts at 200°, 
gradually turns yellow in the air, and is more 'readily soluble in water and 
dilute alcohol than santonin ; [a] D =— 84'3°. The ferric chloride reaction is 
not characteristic ; when heated with soda (IQ parts) and water (40 parts), 
a fugitive carmine-red coloration is produced, and, like santonin, it gives 
the same colour with alcohojic soda. Artemisin is apparently hydroxy 
santonin. — J. Ch. S. LXX, pt. I. (1896) p. 69. 
Max Jaffe, considers artemisin as y-hydroxysantonin. 
664. A. vulgaris, Linn, h.f.b.i., iii. 325; Roxb. 
599. 
Syn. : — A. indica, Willd. ; A. paniculata, Roxb. 598. 
Sans. Nagdami, gvantbiparni. 
Vern. Nagdouna, matjari, mastaru, dona (H.) ; Sarmi, 
Samri (Dehra Dun), Nagdona (B.) ; Tataur, pfinjan, banjiru, 
chambra, ubusha, tarkha ; Bui madaran, afsuntin (Pb. Bazar 
•names) ; Surband (Mar.) ; Titapat (Nepal) 
“ In Madras, the native names are applied to ttvo sections : — 
(a) A. vulgaris: — Douna (H and Duk.); Mar-i-Kurondu 
(Tam.); Davanamu (Sans. Tel. Kan.); Davana (Mar.). 
{b) A. indica: — Maspatri (D); Machi-pattri (Tam. Tel. Mai. 
and Kan.) ; Granthaparni (San.) — Dr. Moodeen Sheriff. 
