1054 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
“ Assistant-Surgeon B. M. Chatterjee reports having found 
it a very good expectorant, and that he has prescribed it in 
several cases of asthma with marked success. He employed 
it in the form of powder, decoction, and infusion, but the 
doses and proportions are not furnished. Taken largely it acts 
as an emetic.” (Ph. Ind.) 
In Food and Drugs for October 1910, p. 80, Dr. Lai Mohan 
Ghoshal concludes his observations on the action of this plant 
as follows : — 
1. “ The active principle is a diuretic, chiefly acting on the 
glomeruli of the kidney through the heart, increasing the beat 
and strength, and raising the peripheral blood pressure in 
consequence ; on the cells of the tubules it exerts little or no 
action and, if any, it is only initial and comparative. 
2. On respiration it has little or no action, and if it is 
anything, it is probably due to the fatty principle found in the 
weeds. 
3- On liver the action is principally secondary and in 
chemical combination with other drugs. 
4. On other organs the drug has practically no effect. 
From what has been gone through it may be inferred that 
the drug may be given in any condition of the kidney where 
there is lessened secretion or where increased secretion of kidney ' 
is wanted. Thus it may be given in all renal affections stopping 
secretion of kidney, in ascites, either from cirrhosis of liver 
or heart or kidney. As it increases the systole of the heart, it 
may be useful in all stenosed conditions of the valves, as by 
increasing the force and duration of the systole it can pump 
all the blood from the heart. Where there is dropsy and ascites 
due to weaknes of the heart or to dilation of the heart, this 
medicine in my opinion may do extreme good by relieving the 
circulation through the kidney. In pleurisy and some such 
affections, where there is accumulation of fluid in the cavities, 
the drug may be useful by increasing the quantity of urine.” 
It contains (1) a sulphate of a body, alkaloidal in nature; (2) an oily 
amorphus mass of the nature of fat (probably); (3) sulphates and chlorides and 
traces of nitrates and chlorates from the ash. The amount of the alkaloidal 
body is very small. (Food and Dtrugs, Oct. 1910, p. 78.) 
