1302 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
Habitat : —Throughout Tropical India. 
An herbaceous, tall, branching, glabrous climber. Root- 
stock of arched, solid, flesh} 7 , cylindric, white or brownish corms, 
6-12in. long and 1-l^in. diatn., pointed at each oud, bifureately 
branched (or V-shaped), producing a new joint at the end of 
each branch. Roots fibrous ; stems 10-12i’t., given off from 
the angle of the young corms herbaceous, terete. Leaves 
sessile, 6-8in., variable in breadth ; base rounded, cordate or 
amplexicaul ; pedicels 4-6in. ; lip deflexed. Flowers 3-4in. 
across ; segments linear, lanceolate, crisply waved. Filaments 
2in. long, spreading, connective ‘ of anthers, ^in. long, green. 
Style 2in. long. Capsule 2in., linear, oblong. Flowers at 
first greenish, passing through yellow-orange and scarlet to 
crimson from base to apex. 
Uses : — According to the "Nighantas, the root is purgative, 
hot, light and pungent ; it increases the secretion of bile, and 
is useful in leprosy, piles, colic, boils and to expel intestinal 
worms. 
“ The root is supposed by Hindu and Muhammadan phy- 
sicians to have valuable medicinal properties. Dutt writes, “It 
constituted one of the seven minor poisons of Sanskrit writers 
and had for one of its synonyms ‘ garbhaghdtini,’ or ‘ the drug 
that causes abortion,’ but I am not aware of its being used as 
an abortive for criminal purposes. The tuberous root, powdered 
and reduced to a paste is applied to the navel, suprapubic 
region, and vagina, with the object of promoting labour. In 
retained placenta, a paste of the root is applied to the palms 
and soles, while powdered Nigella seeds and long pepper are 
given internally with wine.” Early English writers on Indian 
botany and materia medica speak of it as a violent poison, 
but none furnish satisfactory details of a case in which marked 
ill-effects were produced by its use. It seems highly probable 
that these ill-effects have been greatly over-estimated, an as- 
sumption which is confirmed by experiments recently conducted 
by Moodeen Sheriff. In a special opinion kindly furnished to 
the editor he writes : “ The root is not so poisonous as is 
generally supposed. I have taken it myself in small quantities, 
