N. O. LILIACEflJ. 
1297 
in a terminal raceme, 6-12in. long. Perianth |in. long, bell- 
sbaped®, 6-parted ; segments white, with 3 green ribs in the 
centre; lip rounded. Stamens 6 at base of segments and 
shorter. Ovary 3 celled, 3-grooved. Style shorter than the 
ovary, straight, tapering downward, ovules several in each cell. 
(Japsule $-fin., oblong, 3-valved ; cells 6-9 seeded. Seeds many, 
Hat, black, $in. diam. 
Uses : — The Hindus use the bulb in the preparation of chdndi- 
bhasma or “ ashes of silver,” which they employ medicinally. 
“Indian Mahomedan writers evidently consider the Indian squill 
as identical in medicinal properties with the squill of the Greeks ; 
they prescribe it in the paralytic affections, also as an expec- 
torant, digestive, diuretic, deobstruent and emmenagogue, in 
many diseases, more especially in asthma, dropsy, rheumatism, 
calculous affections, leprosy and skin diseases.” (Dymock). 
European writers vary much in their opinions regarding the 
medicinal properties of the drug. Ainslie states that it “ is 
chiefly employed by farriers for horses in cases of strangury and 
fever.” Roxburgh writes that the bulb is quite as nauseous and 
bitter as that of the officinal squill ; while O’Shaughnessy 
remarks that bulbs examined by him were inodorous, nearly 
tasteless, and devoid of any medicinal property. Bidie, Atkinson, 
U. C. Uutt, K. L De, Dymock and others confirm the statement 
that the drug is an efficient substitute for Urginea Scilla. 
Moodeen Sheriff explains the discrepancy by stating that, when 
young and small, not exceeding a litne in size, it acts as a diuretic, 
in doses of 10-20 grains, even more powerfully than the officinal 
* Mr. H. H. Haines, I.F.S., writes in the Indian Forester tor July, 1917 
p. 937 : — 
In the Flora of British India, the perianth is described as cainpauulato, 
and this character is given in other works 1 have consulted including, I regret 
to say, my own Flora of Chota Nagpur, as, at that time, I had not observed 
the plant late of an evening. The description of the flowers of Scilla is given 
as stellate or campanulate, and although that description was not intended to 
mean in one and the same species, it really does apply to some species of 
both Scilla and Urginea. If one walks along a fire-line on a mbonlight night, 
ail the flowers of Urginea indica, whose night out it is--they only get one 
each in their lives— will be found wide open, stellately spreading and fragrant. 
It is then a very graceful pretty plant. Next morning all the flowers are 
campanulate, in which condition they have always been described. 
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