412 
Clearing  Nuts. 
(  Am.  Joub.  Pharm. 
\     Sept  1,  1871. 
coloration  with  sulphuric  acid,  but  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  treat 
the  matter  as  a  chemical  question. — London  Pharm.  Journ.,  July  22, 
1871. 
CLEARINa  NUTS. 
[Strychnos  'potatorum.) 
By  M.  0.  Cooke,  M.  A. 
The  clearing  nuts  of  India*  are  the  produce  of  a  tree  which  is  de- 
scribed as  larger  than  that  of  the  nux  vomica.  It  is  without  thorns 
or  tendrils ;  leaves  very  shortly  petioled,  elliptic,  acute,  glabrous, 
membranaceous,  five-  and  almost  penninerved ;  corymbs  axillary,  op- 
posite, shorter  than  the  leaf ;  corolla  hirsute  within  ;  berry  one-seeded  ; 
flowers  greenish-yellow,  fragrant.  It  is  found  on  the  Coromandel 
coast,  the  Concans  and  the  western  Ghauts,  flowering  in  April. 
The  native  names  given  by  Moodeen  Sheriff  are, — Nirmali,  Hin- 
dustani, Bengali  and  Gujerati ;  Chilhinj,  Dukhni ;  Tetran  Kottai, 
Tamul ;  Qhilla  gingalu,  Telugu ;  and  Tetran-parala^  Malayalim. 
The  fruit,  says  Ainslie,  when  very  young,  is  made  into  a  preserve 
and  eaten,  but  is  reckoned,  in  its  mature  state,  amongst  the  emetics 
of  the  Tamul  doctors  of  southern  India,  given  in  powder  in  the  quan- 
tity of  about  half  a  teaspoonful.  The  dried  seeds  are  used  for  the 
purpose  of  clearing  muddy  water,  one  of  them  being  usually  rubbed 
hard  for  a  short  time  round  the  inside  of  the  earthen  pot ;  the  water 
is  afterwards  poured  into  it,  and  left  to  settle.  The  impurities  soon 
subsiding,  the  water  will  be  found  clear,  tasteless,  and  wholesome. 
Roxburgh  adds  that  the  natives  never  drink  clear  well-water  if  they 
can  get  pond  or  river  water,  which  is  always  more  or  less  impure,  ac- 
cording to  circumstances.  These  seeds  are  therefore  constantly  car- 
ried about  by  the  more  provident  part  of  our  officers  and  soldiers  in 
time  of  war,  to  enable  them  to  purify  their  water.  They  are  easier 
obtained  than  alum,  and  probably  less  hurtful. 
The  tree  grows  to  a  larger  siz-e  than  the  nux  vomica,  and  is  not  so 
common,  being  only  found  amongst  mountains  and  woods  of  great  ex- 
tent, flowering  during  the  hot  season.  The  berry  is  shining,  and 
black  when  ripe,  containing  only  one  seed,  whereas  that  of  nux  vom- 
ica is  many-seeded.  (See  Pharm.  Journ.  1st.  ser.  Vol.  IX.)  Rox- 
burgh says  the  wood  is  hard  and  durable,  and  is  used  for  various  eco- 
*See  also  June  number  Amer.  Jour.  Pharm,  page  241. 
