818 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
ppt. becomes hard in the air. After washing with ale. H 2 0 and Me 2 Co, there 
remains an ash free substance C 10 - H 27 O. The resin-free serum reacts alk; 
upon heating, the protein is coagulated. With HC1. HN0 3 , picric acid and salts- 
of heavy metals, it gives a turbidity, with NaOH a gelatinous ppt., and with ale. 
(N. H 4 ) 2 S0 4 or Na Cl a pptn. of albumose-like protein compounds. The active 
substance is found in the serum after freeing from resin, protein and sulphates. 
Upon cone, it appears as a black, resin-like mass, with a smell like coniine 
which causes headache. It is sol. in H 2 0 and dil ale., with green fluorescene 
Et 2 0 ppts. from ale., a yellow N-free mass, hygroscopic, reacts neutral, color 
of H 2 S0 4 solution is red. The same product is obtained by centrifuging and 
cone, of the serum and extraction with ale. or CH Cl 3 . The pharmacological 
action of the juice upon warm or cold-blooded animals is like that of digitalis. 
O. 02-0. 04. G of the purified principle, injected subcutaneously, kills a rabbit 
in 80 minutes, a guinea pig in 15 minutes. With pigeons, there results vomit- 
ing ; in frogs 1-8 mg. causes systolic arrest of heart action in 6 minutes.--Ch. 
Abs., August 10, 1013, page 2668. 
774 . Asclepias curassavica, Linn, h.f.b.i., iv. 18 . 
Vern. : — Kuraki ; K&katundi (Bomb.). 
Habitat : — Bengal and various parts of India, a weed intro- 
duced from the West Indies throughout the Tropics. 
Parts used : — The leaves, root and flowers. 
Perennial, erect herbs. Leaves opposite, lanceolate, or oblong- 
lanceolate, acute, narrowed into a short petiole, glabrous. Cymes 
umbelliform. Umbels many-fid, shortly peduucled. Sepals 
glandular within. Corolla rotate, lobes reflexed, orange-red. 
Stamens unite and form a tube round the pistil. Filaments 
have horn-like appendage, the cucullus which performs functions 
as a nectary. Follicles turgid, smooth. Seeds comose, numer- 
ous. 
Uses : — In Jamaica, it is called ‘ blood-flower, ’ owing to its 
efficacy in dysentery. The root is regarded as purgative, and 
subsequently astringent. It is also a remedy iu piles and 
gonorrhea (Ainslie ; Baden-powell, Panjab Products). 
According to the IJ. S. Dispensatory, the root and expressed 
juice are emetic and also cathartic. The juice of the leaves has 
been strongly recommended as anthelmintic ; and, according to 
Dr. W. Hamilton, it is useful in arresting haemorrhages and 
in obstinate gonorrhoea. The medicine is, however, somewhat 
