1200 
INDIAN MEDTOINAT. PI, ANTS. 
OliPin. romp . — The drug y ioldod ro analysis — 
Ether extract (essential nil, fat, and snft resins) 
Alcoholic extract (sugar, resins) 
Water extract (gum, nciils, &e.) 
Starch 
Orndc fibre 
Asli 
Moisture 
Albuminoids, modifications of arabin, &c. 
fi-ftfi 
7'2fl 
13-42 
ir.-ftR 
12-fil 
fl'80 
7'fifi 
3018 
100 00 
The root had a pungent odour, similar to a mixture of camphor and nutmeg, 
the soft resin had a bitter and burning taste. The colouring matter had many 
of the reactions of curcumin, but was more readily bleached than true 
eurenmin, and the oolonr of the powder was very fugitive. The water extract 
gave a crystalline precipitato with lead acetate, which was found to be due 
lo the presence of malic acid. The root contained more mucilage and sngai 
than that of Curcuma aromatii a. (Pharmacogr. Tnd. III, 427.) 
1247 . Contus SpecAosus , Smith, h.f.b.i., vi., 249 ; 
Roxb. 20. 
Savs. : — Kenan ka ; Pushkara mulaka. 
Veriu : — •KAat, k<bi (B. &. FT.) ; Osop (Santal) ; (rudarich!)- 
kfmda (Bomb.); Pinnga, penva (Mar.); Bommakaehikn (Tel.); 
Tsjanakua (Mai.) ; Keyu, Keoli, kfitshiriu (TT. P.). 
Habitat : — Throughout India 
An annual herb. Root-stock tuberous, horizontal. Leafy 
stem G-Oft. , stout. Leaves or more, oblong ; acute, thinly 
silky beneath. Spike very dense-fid, 2-4in., bracts ovate 
bright-red, 1-1-J : in. Calyx 1 in- ; segments 3, ovate, cuspi- 
date. Corolla-segments white, oblong, 1-l^in. Tap white, 
snborbicular, 2-3in., the margins incurved and meeting. Fila- 
ments l|-2in., including the oblong petaloid connective. Cap- 
sule lin., globose, red, crowned with the persistent calyx. 
Usee : — The root is said to be bitter, astringent and digestive, 
and to be useful in catarrhal fevers, coughs, skin diseases, Arc. 
(TJ. C. Dutt.) In the IT. Provinces, from the root a strengthen- 
ing tonic is made, and it is also used as an anthelmintic. 
(Atkinson.) Roxburgh notices a preserve made of the fresh roots 
which is considered wholesome and nutritious. Ainslie, quoting 
Brown’s History of Jamaica, says that the root is there used as 
