824 
Some  Medicinal  Plants  of  Ceylon, 
f  A.in.Jour  Pharm, 
\      June,  1883. 
were  preserved  for  several  weeks.  I  am  unable  to  give  more  details, 
as  my  notes  made  in  Ceylon  are  not  at  hand. 
I  also  used  in  Ceylon  a  Aveak  infusion  of  the  stem  as  a  lotion  for 
foul  ulcers  with  great  success. 
I  believe  the  plant  has  already  been  snbjected  to  chemical  analysis 
in  this  country,  and  contains  the  active  principle  berboria. 
It  lias  been  used  also  as  a  yellow  dye.  As  this  drug  has  recently 
been  imported  in  quantity  into  England  it  conld  easily  be  obtained, 
and  an  examination  of  the  cause  of  its  antiseptic  properties  seems 
desirable. 
4.  Valeria  Indica,  L. — The  natives  use  the  bark  daily  to  arrest  the 
alcoholic  fermentation  of  the  juice  of  the  Jaggery  palm,  CaryotaurenSy 
which  is  a  favorite  beverage  with  them.  This  property  of  preventing 
fermentation  might,  I  think,  be  turned  to  account  in  some  of  the  great 
manufacturing  industries,  if  not  in  medicine,  and  I  trust  the  bark  may 
be  thought  deserving  of  cl  emical  investigation  by  some  members  of 
your  Society. 
5.  Semecarpiis  Gardneri,  Thw. — The  black  resin  yielded  by  this 
tree,  although  not  possessing  medicinal  properties,  may  be  of  some 
interest  in  the  arts. 
The  resin  is  hard,  breaks  with  a  smooth  fracture,  burns  with  a 
bright  flame,  is  soluble  in  turj)entine,  and  adheres  strongly  to  wood 
and  metal.    It  is  free  from  acridity. 
The  formula  for  using  the  resin  as  a  varnish  is  as  follows : 
To  a  saturated  solution  of  Valeria  Indica  resin  in  oil  of  turpentine, 
add  by  degrees  pieces  of  black  resin,  and  put  it  into  a  bottle  and  shake 
it  well  until  the  whole  is  dissolved,  then  apply  it  to  wood  or  metal, 
which  will  give  a  varnish  of  great  lustre  and  beauty.  The  resin 
should  be  first  melted  and  strained  through  coarse  calico  or  a  sieve,  to 
free  it  from  impurities. 
6.  Vernonia  anlhehninlica,  Willd. — This  plant  is  cultivated  by  the 
Cinghalese,  and  is  in  great  repute  as  a  remedy,  Avhich  is  indicated  by 
its  name. 
The  seeds  are  black,  of  a  bitter  and  nauseous  taste,  are  easily  pro- 
cured from  bazaars,  and  are  commonly  used  by  the  village  people  for 
expelling  the  ascaris  lumbricoides  and  act  as  a  vermicide. 
The  dose  of  the  powdered  seed  to  an  adult  is  from  J  to  1  drachm. 
The  native  physicians  prescribe  it  generally  as  a  tonic  in  the  shape 
of  an  infusion. 
