1130 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
ference, cylindric or fluted. Bark thick, very rough and cor- 
rugated, brown. Branches numerous, curving upward, young 
whorled, stout, fleshy, green, jointed with 3 very wide, thick 
wings, which are narrowed to either end in each joint, and 
very coarsely repand-crenate. Leaves very small, £-£in., sessile 
on summit of each crenatiou, cuneate, truncate, glabrous, fleshy, 
almost nerveless, soon falling. Stipullary spines short, sharp 
divaricate, persistent; flower-heads in small, shortly stalked 
cymes of 3, the central, sessile, the 2 lateral on loDg, stout 
pedicels. Bracts opposite, obovate. Bracteoles abundant, fim- 
briate. Involucre-glands 5 ; very large, much broader than 
long, yellow, fleshy. Male flowers (stam.) numerous, mixed with 
many laciniate branchlets ; female flowers: — ovary, nearly 
sessile ; styles combined, for half their length ; capsule 3-lobed, 
rather depressed ; lobes ovoid, slightly compressed. Flowers 
greenish-yellow or pink. Usually appears leafless, as the small, 
fleshy leaves are quickly deciduous; contains abundance <3f pith 
in the centre ; and the whole plant contains a very viscous, acrid, 
milky juice. 
Uses : — A plaster, prepared from the roots and mixed with 
asafcetida, is applied externally to the stomachs of children 
suffering from worms. The bark of the root is purgative, and 
the stem is given in decoction in gout (Wight and Rheede). 
The juice, which flows from the branches, is used as a purga- 
tive to relieve pain in the loins. It is an acrid irritant in 
rheumatism and tooth-ache. When taken internally, it acts 
as a drastic purgative. It is also employed in nervine diseases, 
dropsy, palsy, deafness and amaurosis (Baden-Powell). A pre- 
paration from this plant is in Chutia Nagpur given as a cure 
for cough (Revd. A. Campbell). 
In the Nighantas the plants are described as purgative, pun- 
gent, digestive, bitter and heavy, and are said to be useful in 
constipation, flatulent distention, tumours, swellings, abdominal 
enlargements, rheumatism, spleen, leprosy, mania and jaundice. 
They abound in an acrid milky juice, which is a popular 
application to warts and other cutaneous affections. The na* 
tive doctors purify arsenious acid by packing it in a hole made 
