N O. VKUBBENAOEjE. 
1003 
chettu, pisangi, pisingha, tak-kolapu-chettu, nalta-kupi, eru- 
pichecha eti-pisi-nika, peunika, eru puclicha (Tel.). Vishama- 
dhari, Kundali (Kan) ; Nirvochchi (Mai). 
Habitat : — India and Ceylon, near the sea, from Bombay to 
Tenasserim. 
A straggling almost scandent evergreen shrub, 3-7ft. Young 
shoots minutely grey-pubescent. Leaves opposite, rarely ternate, 
dark green, f-l^in. entire elliptic or ovate, nearly coriaceous, 
base cuneat.e young somewhat grey pubescent. Petiole i-^in. 
long. Flowers showy white, in axillary pedunculate 3-9-fid. 
cymes. Bracts g^in. linear, pedicels £-?in. Calyx grey 
puberulous or glabrate. Corolla tube fin. long, fin. broad, 
pear-shaped, spongy hardly succulent, smooth hardly sulcate. 
Separating into 4 long woody pyrenes. 
Uses : — Ainslie says the juice of the leaves and root is censider- 
ed alterative in scrofulous and veneral affections, the dose being a 
tablespoonful with or without a little castor oil. Rheede speaks 
of the use of the dried leaves for the same purpose, and of a 
poultice, of the leaves to resolve buboes ; he also says a bath 
prepared with them is used in mania, while the root boiled in 
oil affords a liniment useful in rheumatism. The Malays and 
Macassars administer the berries or the root to people poisoned 
by eating unwholesome fish ; the leaves smeared with oil are 
heated over the fire and applied to recent wounds ; they are 
also one of the leaves used for preparing the green rice of the 
Malays. In Bombay the plant has a great reputation as a 
febrifuge ; the juice of the leaves is used in doses of half an 
ounce. It is mucilaginous, very bitter, somewhat saline, and 
with a fragrant, apple-like odour. 
The medicinal properties of C. inerme closely resemble those 
of Chiretta. The dried leaves have been found to be quite as 
efficient as the juice of the fresh plant ; they should be dried in 
the shade to preserve their aroma, and may be administered in 
decoction with aromatics, or powdered and made into pills. A 
tincture has also been found to be an efficient preparation. — 
(Dymock). 
