Am  Jour  Pharm.)         ^^^^g  Medicmal  Plants  of  Ceylon,  323 
June,  1883.      j  J  o 
While  clinical  observations  in  hospitals  and  medical  colleges  are  of 
much  importance  to  ascertain  the  therapeutic  action,  chemical  exami- 
nation will  perfect  the  knowledge  thus  obtained,  and  will,  with  the  aid 
of  pharmacy,  show  the  best  mode  of  preparation  and  administration, 
and  no  institution  can  more  efficiently  carry  out  this  work  than  the 
Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain. 
I  will  now  proceed  to  make  a  few  brief  remarks  on  some  medicinal 
plants  which  I  brought  with  me  from  Ceylon. 
1.  Randia  dumetorum,  Lam. — The  seeds  of  this  tree  are  used  by 
the  natives  of  Ceylon  and  India  as  a  reliable  agent  in  producing 
tmesis. 
I  am  not  aware  that  any  chemical  examination  has  been  made  to 
detect  the  active  principle. 
It  belongs  to  the  same  family  (Cinchonacese)  as  Cephaelis  Ipecacu- 
unha,  and  it  would  be  important  to  determine  if  it  contains  emetine, 
more  par(icularly  since  an  allied  species,  B.  ullglnosa,  is,  according  to 
Dr.  Dymock,  used  in  India  as  a  remedy  for  dysentery.  This  species 
is  also  indigenous  in  Ceylon.  The  bark  of  B.  dumetorum  also  possesses 
the  same  qualities. 
I  have  seen  the  powdered  seeds  used  with  as  good  effect  as  ipecacu- 
anha in  doses  of  5  to  10  grains.  If  analysis  should  prove  Bandia  to 
possess  the  same  active  principle  as  ipecacuanha,  a  great  saving  might 
be  effected  by  its  substitution  for  the  more  expensive  Brazilian  drug. 
2.  Sethia  aouminata,  Arn. — This  is  a  remedy  much  used  by  the 
Cinghalese  as  a  vermifuge.  The  part  used  is  the  leaves,  the  juice  of 
the  leaves  being  mixed  with  sugar  and  castor  oil,  or  with  the  powder 
of  the  leaves.    The  leaves  are  easily  powdered  when  dried. 
Professor  Bentley  notices  its  vermifuge  properties  in  his  Manual 
of  Botany.'' 
Dr.  Thwaites,  in  his  "  Enumeratio  Plantarum  Zeylanise,''  also  refers 
to  it.  He  says  "  the  Cinghalese  attach  much  value  to  this  plant  as  an 
anthelmintic  for  children,  giving  the  juice  expressed  from  the  fresh 
leaves."  It  is  chiefly  used  for  expelling  round  worm,  and  possesses 
the  advantage  of  not  having  a  disagreeable  taste.  The  powder  is  used 
in  the  dose  of  10  to  15  grains. 
3.  Cosclnium  fenestratiim,  Colebr. — Many  years  ago,  while  using  it 
as  a  tonic,  I  found  by  experiment  that  it  possessed  antiseptic  proper- 
ties, to  which  I  beg  to  invite  your  attention. 
I  found  that  pieces  of  beef  immersed  in  an  infusion  of  the  stem 
