Chapter V: Preface (4)

Botanical Description.--A large tree, somewhat resembling the elm in contour, with leaves opposite, abruptly pinnate. Leaflets 12 or more pairs, linear, with a notch at the apex, entire, glabrous. Flowers yellow-white, spattered dark red, racemose. Calyx, 4 sepals. Corolla, 5 lanceolate petals with crispate borders. Stamens monadelphous, dividing into 7 filaments above. The ripe pod is chocolate color, oblong, slightly compressed, straight or curved, 6-15 centimeters long, full of a light-brown pulp in which rest the seeds enveloped in a cellular membrane. These seeds are flattened, almost quadrangular; testa hard, of a chestnut color, shiny and without albumen.

Habitat.--Very common everywhere in the islands. Blooms in May.

_Bauhinia malabarica_, Roxb. (_B. tomentosa_, Wall. and Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Alibangbang_, Tag., Vis., Pam.

Uses.--The leaves of this tree and of the species _B. tomentosa_, L., are quite acid and the Filipinos use them as an ingredient of many dishes. The fresh flowers possess anti-dysenteric virtues for which purpose they are given internally in infusion of 10-20 grams of the flowers to one-half liter of water. The decoction of the root bark is a common remedy for liver troubles along the coast of Malabar according to Rheede.

Botanical Description.--A tree 20° high, with leaves alternate, peltate, slightly cordate, orbicular, the apex divided into two large lobules with a stylet between them, glabrous above, somewhat downy beneath; 2 large, flat glandules are situated at the base. Petioles short. Flowers cymose. Peduncle long. Calyx inferior, funnelform, with 4-5 sepals as long as the corolla. Corolla, 5 petals. Stamens 10, 5 alternate ones longer than the others. Stigma thick, peltate, 2 lobules. Pod 1° long, with linear stalk, containing many seeds separated by filamentous isthmuses.

Habitat.--Common everywhere. Blooms in November.

LEGUMINOSÆ.

Mimosa Division.

_Entada scandens_, Benth. (_E. Pursoetha_, DC. and Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Gogo_, Tag.; _Bayogo_, _Balogo_, _Gohong bakay_, Vis. and Pam.; _Gilla Nuts_, Indo-Eng.

Uses.--The use made of the mashed bark of this tree is well known throughout the Philippines. Cut in strips and beaten thoroughly between stones it is sold under the name of "gogo"; it is macerated in water, to which it imparts a reddish color, and forms a substitute for soap. The Filipinos use this preparation for bathing, especially the hair, for which purpose there is no more useful or simple preparation. It cures pityriasis, and renders the hair very soft, without drying it too much as is usually the case with soap. The natives use it in treating the itch, washing the affected parts with the maceration and at the same time briskly rubbing them with the bark; in this way they remove the crusts that shield the acari. The treatment is successful in direct proportion to the energy of rubbing.

The seeds of "gogo" are very large, lenticular, flattened, 3-4 centimeters in diameter. Their chemical composition has been studied by Pettit. Alcohol dissolves the active principle, perhaps a glucoside, the study of which the author has not completed. Five centigrams of this substance administered to a guinea-pig causes paralysis of the hind quarters without any apparent inflammation. He also found saponin in the seeds, but it exists in much greater quantity in the trunk. In the Sunda Islands they eat the seeds roasted and also extract from them an illuminating oil.

The maceration of gogo is emetic and purgative; it is used in the treatment of asthma; it is exceedingly irritating, the slightest quantity that enters the eye causing severe smarting and a slight conjunctivitis for one or two days.

Botanical Description.--A high climbing shrub with stem as much as 7-8' in diameter. Leaves opposite, twice abruptly pinnate, a stylet replacing the terminal leaflet; 5 pairs of elliptical leaflets, entire, glabrous and notched at the apex. Common petiole with 2 stipules at the base. Flowers in delicate spikes. Calyx obliquely truncate, 5-toothed. Corolla, 5 oval petals much larger than the calyx. Stamens 10-13. Filaments longer than the corolla. Anther with 1-2 white, globose glandules. Pod woody, 4-6° long by "4 fingers" broad, with large notches on the borders, many compartments containing many large, compressed, circular seeds with dark-colored testa, 3-4 centimeters in diameter.

Habitat.--Mountains of Luzon and Panay. Blooms in May.

_Parkia Roxburghii_, G. Don. (_P. brunonis_, Grah.; _P. biglobosa_, Benth.; _Mimosa peregrina_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Kopang_, Tag.

Uses.--The fruit is edible. Its pulp is golden yellow with a sweetish taste and an odor like that of violets.

The roasted seeds are used in certain parts of Africa to make an infusion like coffee, for which reason they have been called "Soudan Coffee."

The pulp was analyzed by Heckel and Schlagdenhauffen in 1887; it contains 60% of its weight of sugar (a mixture of dextrose and levulose), 0.98% of free tartaric and citric acids, fats, albuminoids, etc.

Botanical Description.--A large tree of the first order. Leaves opposite, twice abruptly pinnate. Leaflets small, linear, more than 40 pairs. Principal petiole with one glandule at the base and often another higher up. Calyx long, tubular, with 5 unequal lobules. Corolla, 5 equal petals. Stamens 10, monadelphous. Ovary free, unilocular, multi-ovulate. Pod, 1° × 1', woody, much compressed, brown, with many seeds embedded in a yellow pulp.

Habitat.--Abounds in the provinces of central Luzon. Blooms in December.

_Acacia Farnesiana_, Willd. (_A. Indica_, Desv.; _Mimosa Farnesiana_, L. and Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--Aroma, Sp.; Cassie Flower, Eng.

Uses.--The trunk bark is astringent and in decoction is of use in the treatment of prolapsed rectum and as an injection for leucorrhoea. A poultice of the tender leaves is applied to ulcers and sores previously washed with the decoction.

The tree exudes an abundant gum very similar to gum arabic which latter is the product of another species of acacia (_A. Arabica_, Willd.). The Manila pharmacist, D. Anacleto del Rosario, sent to the Paris Exposition of 1899 a specimen of this gum obtained on the plantation of D. P. P. Roxas, in Batangas. This specimen differed in no respect from gum arabic and it will surely sooner or later take the place of the latter in the Philippines, both for pharmaceutical and industrial purposes. It would be superfluous to describe here the properties of gum arabic.

Botanical Description.--A small tree 9-12° high, very well known, trunk bristling with long thorns. Leaves twice abruptly pinnate. One or more pairs of leaflets, very small, linear. Common petiole with two thorns united at its base and a small glandule on the upper part. Flowers yellow, aromatic, axillary, joined in a globose head 1/2-3/4' in diameter, consisting of more than 50 minute flowerets. In each axil are 2 peduncles. In some heads all the flowerets are staminate, in others hermaphrodite. The hermaphrodite flowers have a calyx with 5 small teeth. Corolla, 5 petals. Stamens 40 or more. Pistil same length as the stamens. Staminate flowers: calyx, corolla, stamens and anthers as in the hermaphrodite flowers. Pistil none. Pod round, curved, with 8 or more elliptical, compressed seeds.

Habitat.--Grows everywhere, but forms dense thickets in the provinces of La Laguna and Batangas. Blooms in January.

CRASSULACEÆ.

Orpine Family.

_Kalanchoe laciniata_, DC. (_Cotyledon laciniata_, Roxb.; _Bryophyllum serratum_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Siempreviva_ (_Live-for-ever_), Sp.-Fil.; _Katakataka_, Tag.

Uses.--The fleshy leaves are beaten up and applied to chronic ulcers and sores on which they exert a stimulant action. Applied to the temples they relieve headache. Ainslie testifies to the good effect of its local use in inflammations and as a wash for ulcers. The juice of the leaves is used in Concan in the treatment of bilious diarrhoea and gall stones.

Botanical Description.--A well-known plant, about 2° high, with leaves sessile, opposite, oval, serrately toothed, fleshy. Flowers yellow, in umbels, the stalks reaching a height of 3°. Calyx very short, with 4 lanceolate, acuminate sepals, united at the base. Corolla salver-shaped, persistent, with border having 4 small lobules. Stamens 8, fertile. Ovaries 4, free, each with 1 many-ovuled cell. Styles same length as the stamens. Stigmas awl-shaped. Four seed vessels, each with 1 compartment containing many oblong seeds.

Habitat.--Common in all parts of the islands.

COMBRETACEÆ.

_Terminalia Catappa_, L. (_T. molucana_, Lam.; _T. mauriciana_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Talisay_, Tag.; _Almendro_, Sp.-Fil.; _Talisay_, _Banilak_, _Nato_, _Hitam_, Vis.; _Kalisay_, Pam.; _Lugo_, _Pandan_, Iloc.; _Indian Almond_, Indo-Eng.

Uses.--The kernel is edible and has a very agreeable taste. It yields about 50% of a fixed oil, sweet and savory. If left for some time, it deposits an abundance of stearin. It closely resembles oil of sweet almonds for which it, as well as the oil of Pili (_Canarium commune_, L.), which we have already described, makes a good substitute.

The trunk bark is astringent and in decoction is used for atonic diarrhoea and as a lotion for ulcers.

Decoction.--

Bark (ground and pounded) 12 grams.
Water 150 grams.
Simple syrup 40 grams.

To be given by the tablespoonful in 24 hours.

Botanical Description.--A tree, 6-8 m. high. Branches horizontal and radiating from the trunk. Leaves purplish, bunched, cleft at the base, sometimes transversely ovate, sometimes oval, notched, glabrous. Petiole very short. Flowers axillary, racemose, with a scale at the base of the peduncle, some hermaphrodite and others lacking pistils. Staminate flowers: calyx downy within, with 5 lobes. Corolla wanting. Stamens 10, inserted on the calyx. Hermaphrodite flowers: pistil same length as stamens. Drupe, fleshy, inferior, oval with the borders turned upward containing a very hard and fibrous nut; seed long and sharp-pointed.

Habitat.--Common in Luzon. In Manila it is cultivated extensively as an ornamental tree, especially along the Sabana Walk, General Solano Ave. and in Sampaloc and Malacañan.

_Terminalia Chebula_, Retz. (_T. reticulata_, Toth.; _Bucida cuminata_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Dinglas_, _Diglas_, Tag.; _Black Myrobalan Tree_, Indo-Eng.

Uses.--The ripe fruit, called _myrobalans_ in India, is purgative and six of them pounded up and given in decoction operate with certainty, producing 4 or 5 copious evacuations without nausea or other disagreeable symptoms. Dr. Waring has experimented with them and recommends them highly. The taste may be made more agreeable by adding a little cinnamon to the decoction. Dymock states that three fruits are sufficient, and Dr. Hove gives one as the effective dose. This lack of agreement may be explained by the fact that the fruits are of different sizes, and probably Waring refers to those of medium size. Contrary to what one would imagine, judging from its purgative action, the fruit contains astringent principles, and makes an effective injection for leucorrhoea as a substitute for nut galls. It is also of some merit in the treatment of piles.

The green fruit is highly esteemed by Radja Kalikesen as a carminative, tonic and purgative. Dr. Twining also mentions these same properties, recommends it as a tonic and aperient of great benefit in atony of the digestive organs and expresses surprise that the Europeans make no use of it. According to the same author a dose in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery is 4 grams twice a day. He quotes a case of hypertrophy of the spleen which he cured with this fruit.

Some of the leaves bear horn-shaped galls, flattened, narrow and hollow. They are caused by an insect which stings the leaves and deposits its eggs in them. These leaves with galls are astringent and very useful and effective in dysentery and diarrhoea, especially that of children. The dose for a child of more than one year is 0.40 to 0.50 gram a day, administered in fractional doses every two or three hours.

Fridolin has obtained from its fruit an acid, which he calls _chebulinic_ (C_28_H_25_O_10_) and presumes to be a mixture of tannic and gallic acids. As Stenhouse had formerly indicated, no principle has been discovered to which the purgative properties can be attributed, unless it be a green oleo-resin turned red by nitric acid, obtained from the fruit by Apery.

Botanical Description.--A tree of the second order, with leaves 3' long, alternate, lanceolate, entire and glabrous. Petioles short. Flowers terminal, in spiked panicles. Calyx superior, bell-shaped, colored, downy within, 5-toothed. Corolla wanting. Stamens 10, longer than the calyx. Anthers roundish. Ovary cylindrical. Style curved and longer than the stamens. Stigma simple. Fruit ovoid, 2-4 centimeters long, 5-10 acute angles, wrinkled, with blackish, hard, compact mesocarp; contains 1 seed.

Habitat.--Batangas, San Mateo. Blooms in May.

_Quisqualis Indica_, L. (_Q. villosa_, Roxb.; _Q. spinosa_, Nares.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Tagaraw_, _Niogniogan_, Tag.; _Tangolon_, Vis.; _Babebabe_, Pam.; _Tartaraw_, Iloc.

Uses.--The fruit contains a kernel that tastes much like cacao, for which reason the Tagalogs call it "niogniogan" (like cacao). This kernel is a powerful anthelmintic, used also in India, the dose for a child of 4 years being 2-4, pulverized and mixed with a little molasses or sugar. A large dose produces hiccough, a fact well known to the natives. Dr. Bouton states that they may cause convulsions and other similar nervous disorders.

They yield a light green, fixed oil, probably the active principle of the plant.

Botanical Description.--A climbing shrub, 6-9° high, whose stem is thickly set with long, opposite thorns. Leaves in stars of 3, oblong, acute, entire, glabrous. Petioles very short. Flowers white, veined with red, in axillary spikes. Calyx very long, nearly cylindrical, 5-toothed. Corolla, 5 petals, inserted between the teeth of the calyx. Stamens 10, inserted on the calyx-tube, shorter than the corolla, arranged in 2 series, 5 higher than the rest. Style the same length as the stamens, united throughout nearly its entire length with the wall of the calyx-tube from which it separates near the stigma. Stigma rather bulky. Fruit 1' long, ovoid, 5 sharp ridges in the woody, fragile, mahogany-colored pericarp, which contains a pointed kernel at one end.

Habitat.--San Mateo, and along the shores of Luzon. Blooms in May.

MYRTACEÆ.

Myrtle Family.

_Psidium pomiferum_, L. (_P. aromaticum_ and _P. pyriferum_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Guayabas_, Sp.; _Bayabas_, _Guayabas_, _Tayabas_, Tag., and other dialects; _Guava_, Eng.

Uses.--The green fruit is acid and very astringent. The stage of development when it is best eaten raw, is just before it ripens, for then its acidity has lessened, it is not astringent and does not emit the strong odor, so disagreeable to many, that characterizes the ripe fruit. When fully ripe it is sweet, non-astringent and very bland, and this is the stage when it is best for making the jellies and preserves so popular in the Philippines.

The bark, especially that of the root, is highly astringent and a decoction of it is used for diarrhoea and as a wash for ulcers. Dr. Waitz has successfully used the following formula in treating the chronic diarrhoea of children:

Root bark of guava 15 grams.
Water 180 grams.

Boil till reduced one half. Dose, a tablespoonful every 2 or 3 hours according to age.

A decoction of the shoots is very useful in stomatitis, cutaneous eruptions and ulcers. Dr. Waitz advises his formula in prolapsus recti of children. It is also of value as an injection in diarrhoea and dysentery.

Botanical Description.--A tree, about 10° high, branches square and somewhat winged towards the ends. Leaves opposite, oblong, obtuse, downy, aromatic in odor. Petiole very short. Flowers axillary, solitary, white and fragrant. Calyx adherent, the border breaking in 3, 4 or more unequal parts when the flower expands. Corolla, 5-6 petals, inserted on the calyx, curved downward. Stamens numerous, inserted in the calyx, as long as the corolla. Style same length as stamens, awl-shaped. Fruit somewhat pear-shaped, with 4 or 5 ribs that disappear at maturity, 4 or more cells each with many small, hard, irregular seeds. In the Philippines the fruit grows to the size of a small pear.

_Eugenia Jambolana_, Lam. (_Calyptranthes Jambolana_, Willd. and Blanco; _Syzygium Jambolanum_, DC. and Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Lomboy_, _Duhat_, _Duat_, Tag., Pam., Vis.; _Jambul_ or _Black Plum_, Indo-Eng.

Uses.--The ripe fruit, so dark a purple in color that it seems black, is edible and very popular in the Philippines, though not considered choice. Some suppose it to be harmful, but it is in reality very easy of digestion.

The syrup of the fruit juice, and the decoction of the trunk bark are both very efficacious in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery.

Syrup of Jambul.--

Juice of ripe fruit 500 grams.
White sugar 950 grams.

Dissolve in a covered water-bath, strain through woolen cloth and put aside.

Dose.--60-200 grams a day.

The juice of the leaves is also used to treat diarrhoea. A Hindoo physician, Bhavaprakasa, advises the following receipt:

Juice of leaves of lomboy }
Juice of leaves of manga } aa 4 grams.
Pulp of _Terminalia chebula_ }

Give in one dose in a little goat's milk and honey.

A sort of wine of very agreeable taste is made from the fruit juice. Lately the powdered seed has been recommended in the treatment of glycosuria or at least it has been stated that its internal use lessens and finally abolishes the glucose from the urine of the patient. It has even been affirmed that while under this treatment the patient may eat glucose-forming foods without fear of glycosuria supervening.

The chemical composition of the seeds are as follows:

Essential oil Traces.
Chlorophyl and fatty matters 0.37
Resin soluble in alcohol and ether 0.30
Gallic acid 1.65
Albumin 1.25
Pigment soluble in water 2.70
Water 10.00
Insoluble residuum 83.73
------
100.00

Dujardin-Beaumetz has tested the therapeutic value of these seeds in diabetes but with negative results. Scott has maintained that by adding the powdered seed to a mixture of malt and starch, fermentation is impeded; but Dr. Villy in the laboratory of Dujardin-Beaumetz has demonstrated that such is not the case. Contrary to the opinions of those physicians who stated that "jambul" was capable of causing the glucose to disappear from the urine of diabetic patients without concurrent diabetic regimen, Dujardin-Beaumetz observed in his trials of the drug that the slightest relaxation of the regimen was followed by an increase of glucose. Under the influence of the medicine in doses of 2-10 grams daily, at the same time maintaining a strict diabetic diet, the Parisian therapeutist noted that the glucose disappears from the third to the fifth day; but this occurred only in cases of medium intensity, whereas in severe cases the medication produced no effect. Upon stopping the treatment the sugar reappeared.

Botanical Description.--A tree, 15-20° high, with leaves opposite, acute, entire, ovate, lustrous, very smooth. Flowers in racemose panicles with peduncles opposite. Calyx superior, with 5 small teeth and a deciduous cover composed of many orbicular pieces joined below. Corolla none. Stamens numerous, inserted on the edge of the calyx. Stigma pointed. Fruit black, oval, crowned with the calyx; one long cylindrical seed with membranaceous epidermis.

Habitat.--Common all over the Archipelago. Blooms in February.

MELASTOMACEÆ.

_Melastoma malabatrichum_, L. (_M. obvolutum_, Jack.; _M. aspera_ and _obvoluta_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Granatis_, Tag.

Uses.--A decoction of the leaves is of use as an astringent in diarrhoea and dysentery. A decoction of the bark is used as a gargle for aphthæ and catarrhal sore throat, and as a wash for ulcers and the itch.

The fruit is edible, resembling slightly the currant; it has doubtless received the name "granatis" on account of its many seeds.

Botanical Description.--Small tree, with opposite branches, their ends covered with hairs. Leaves opposite, 3-nerved, 1' long, very rough with short hairs. Flowers carmine, in terminal panicles. Stamens 10. Filaments alternating violet and straw-color.

Habitat.--Mountains of Angat and San Mateo.

LYTHRACEÆ.

Loosestrife Family.

_Ammannia vesicatoria,_ Roxb. (_A. baccifera_, L.; _A. Indica_, Lam.; _A. debilis_ and _Celosia mana_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Bias pogo_, Tag.; _Blistering Ammannia_, Indo-Eng.

Uses.--The leaves contain an irritant and acrid principle that renders them vesicant when applied to the skin. The Pharmacopoeia of India quotes Sir W. O'Shaughnessy to the effect that plasters made of the bruised leaves even when renewed every half hour require 24 hours to raise a blister and at the same time cause severe pain. He found it much more painful than cantharides and much less prompt to act. Dr. Dymock has prepared an ethereal tincture of the leaves and obtained with it results very different from those just mentioned; this is not surprising in view of the fact that the tincture holds in solution in a small quantity of ether, a considerable amount of the vesicant principle. This tincture has the same color as the "epispastic" of the English Pharmacopoeia, causes less pain and rapidly raises a good blister, facts of which I have convinced myself by the use of a small quantity sent me from Bombay in 1891.

Dr. Bholanauth Bose recommends the internal use of the juice of the leaves as a remedy for chronic diseases of the spleen; this treatment, however, has caused severe pain and is absolutely uncertain in effect.

In Concan the juice of the leaves is given mixed with food to animals in heat, for its anaphrodisiac action. The fresh or dried plant is given in decoction mixed with ginger in intermittent fevers.

If the ethereal tincture be evaporated a resinous residue remains that has not been studied, but appears to be the vesicant principle. This tincture should be made from the dried leaves to avoid hydration of the ether.

Botanical Description.--A small plant with stem red, straight, quadrate, ramose. Leaves opposite, lanceolate, and fringed with hairs. Flowers axillary, small, red, solitary. Peduncles short. Calyx inferior, bell-shaped, with 8-toothed border, the 4 alternate teeth larger. Corolla none. Nectary bell-shaped, surrounding the ovary, shorter than the calyx, with 4 toothlets which lengthening form the filaments of as many stamens. Anthers 4-celled. Ovary of 4 pluriovulate locules. Style almost wanting. Stigma fluted. Seed vessel glabrous, horizontally dehiscent, containing 15 or more angular seeds joined to a common axis.

Habitat.--It grows in the marshes of Mandaloyon.

_Lawsonia alba_, Lam. (_L. spinosa_, L.; _L. inermis_, Roxb.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Cinamomo del país_ (_native cinnamon_), Sp.-Fil.; _Henna_, _Camphire_, _Samphire_, Indo-Eng.

Uses.--This is a very popular plant in the Orient, for many races use its leaves to impart a reddish-yellow stain to the nails, finger tips and palms of the hands. There is a tradition among the Mohammedans that the Prophet once called this plant "the best of all herbs." The leaf in form of a dry powder is sold in the bazars of India under the name of "henna"; mixed with water it gives it a yellow color, and when boiled the tone of the liquid becomes darker; the addition of an alkali turns it brown. In Persia they add indigo to this solution and use it as a hair dye.

The Hindoos apply the bruised leaves to the soles of the feet of small-pox patients, their purpose being to prevent the spread of the eruption to the eyes. They also use it locally in a disease known among them as "burning of the feet." Grierson and Waring obtained good results in this disease by making a paste of the bruised leaves and vinegar; cases that resisted such treatment yielded completely to a brisk rubbing of the feet with a simple paste of the leaf. The decoction and the bruised leaves are also used locally for contusions.

The bark has been given in jaundice, hypertrophy of the spleen, calculi of various sorts, leprosy and stubborn skin diseases, as an alterative. In decoction it is applied to burns.

An English physician, Dr. Newton, made an extract of the leaves and flowers with which he pretended to cure leprosy; it was but one more useless drug in the long list used to combat that terrible disease. The dose of the extract is a teaspoonful daily, given in 2 doses.

The juice of the leaves is given in sweetened water in some countries as a remedy for spermatorrhoea.

The flowers are given in decoction for headache and the fruit is emmenagogue.

Botanical Description.--A small tree, about 12° high. Leaves opposite, lanceolate, broad, entire, glabrous and tough, the edges turned downwards. Flowers yellowish-white, terminal in racemose panicles with opposite peduncles. Calyx inferior, bell-shaped, 4 acute sepals. Corolla, 4 petals, longer than the calyx. Stamens 8, inserted by pairs on the segments of the calyx, alternating with and longer than the petals. Anther kidney-shaped. Ovary at the bottom of the calyx. Styles of the same length as the stamens. Stigma obtuse. Seed vessel a little larger than a pea, globose, 4 chambers, many seeds.

Habitat.--Common all over the Archipelago. Blooms in July.

_Punica Granatum_, L.

Nom. Vulg.--_Granada_, Sp. and Fil. dialects; _Pomegranate_, Eng.

Uses.--The decoction of the tender leaves is used as a gargle and wash in angina, aphthæ, and wounds within the buccal cavity.

The peel of the fruit is highly astringent and in decoction is a useful agent in treating chronic diarrhoea, and locally in injections of lotions for leucorrhoea and inflamed hæmorrhoids. It should not be given when rectal tenesmus exists. The Pharmacopoeia of India contains the following formula for preparing the decoction of the peel:

Pulp of the fruit, mashed 60 grams.
Water 600 grams.

Boil for 15 minutes in a covered vessel, cool, filter and add water enough to make a liter. Dose, 30-50 grams per diem.

This preparation is also used in astringent gargles and injections. For internal use the decoction is rendered more active by adding a small quantity of cloves or cinnamon. This mixture with the addition of opium gives excellent results in the treatment of diarrhoea among the natives of India and is highly recommended by Dr. Kirkpatrick.

The most important part of the pomegranate, however, is its root, the bark of which is a very efficient tænifuge and the most astringent portion of the plant. It should be used fresh, as drying destroys its activity and gives negative results. Many failures to expel the tænia are probably due to this fact. According to Béranger-Féraud the root gives 25% to 40% of cures, whereas pumpkin seeds give but 5% to 10%.

Decoction.--(French Codex.)

Fresh bark of pomegranate root 60 grams.
Water 750 grams.

Macerate 6 hours, boil over slow fire till reduced to 500 grams. Strain. Administer fasting, in 3 doses half an hour apart. The evening before the patient should eat a light meal and take a cathartic in order that the intestinal canal may contain the smallest possible quantity of fæcal matter. After taking the third dose of the decoction the patient should take a mild purgative such as 30 grams of castor oil to expel the tænia. This preparation has a most disagreeable taste. It is better to give the "tannate of pelletierine," a compound of tannin and one of the alkaloids that Tanret discovered in pomegranate root. A sufficient dose of tannate of pelletierine is 30-40 centigrams in wafer form, followed by a purge and with the other precautions and preparatory measures mentioned above. It causes toxic symptoms similar to those produced by curare, according to the experimental studies of Dujardin-Beaumetz and Rochenière. Its action is upon the ends of the motor nerves. A dose of 40 centigrams may cause in man such symptoms of intoxication as vertigo, inverted vision and muscular paralysis. Pelletierine should not be administered to children, but Béranger-Féraud states that the tannate may be safely given them, as follows:

Tannate of pelletierine 0.30 grams.
Sweetened water 40.00 grams.

A coffee-spoonful of this solution contains 0.03 gram of the tannate, and this quantity may be given to a child, in a little milk. If no symptoms supervene within one-half hour give another similar dose and so on up to 3 or 4 doses or .12 gm. in all. After the last dose give the purgative as a routine. It is certainly imprudent to trust the administration of such a drug to any one incapable of recognizing the symptoms of intoxication, and as no one but a physician can judge the effects of the alkaloid he himself should remain with the patient until the efficient dose has been absorbed. This is manifestly impractical and we therefore maintain that the alkaloid is not suited for the treatment of children.

An analysis of the root bark made by the French chemist Tanret revealed the presence of four alkaloids: pelletierine, isopelletierine (C_8_H_15_NO), pseudo-pelletierine (C_9_H_15_NO), and methylpeletierine (C_9_H_17_NO).

Botanical Description.--A shrub 6-9° high with branches terminating in thorns; some of the branches abort and form thorns. Leaves simple, oval, oblong, without stipules, with short petioles. Flowers axillary, solitary or in pauciflorous cymes. Calyx, 4-8 sepals, persistent, fleshy, yellow or red. Corolla, 4-8 petals, imbricated. Stamens numerous, free. Style 1. Stigma thick. Fruit with leathery rind, about size of small apple, packed with seeds, each imbedded in a small amount of crisp, juicy pulp.

ONAGRACEÆ.

Evening Primrose Family.

_Jussiæa suffruticosa_, L. (_J. villosa_, Lam.; _J. erecta_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Malapoko_, Tag.

Uses.--The entire plant reduced to a pulp and mixed with milk is used in India to treat dysentery. Ainslie states that the decoction is employed as a vermifuge and purgative.

Botanical Description.--An herb with square stem, leaves alternate, lanceolate, nearly entire, glabrous. Flowers axillary, yellow, solitary. Calyx of 4-5 lobules. Corolla, 4 lanceolate petals inserted between the divisions of the calyx. Stamens 8, of these 4 alternate being shorter. Ovary very long, inferior, with 4 many-ovuled locules. Style the same length as the stamens. Stigma 4-lobuled. Seed vessels very long, with faint longitudinal ridges, crowned by the remains of the calyx, 4 pluriovulate locules.

Habitat.--In the arable fields and along the banks of rivers. Blooms in January and March.

PASSIFLORACEÆ.

Passion Flower Family.

_Carica Papaya_, L.

Nom. Vulg.--_Papaya_, in many Phil. dialects; _Papaya_, _Papaw_, Eng.

Uses.--The decoction of the leaves is used locally in sores and atonic ulcers, followed by a poultice of the boiled and mashed leaves. The natives use the cold infusion of the leaves to wash clothes spotted with blood and the spots disappear rapidly by virtue of the ferment papain which digests the fibrin. The infusion is also very useful as a wash for sores and gangrenous ulcers, modifying their appearance very rapidly.

Before proceeding further it is desirable to give a description of papain, a digestive ferment which exists throughout the whole plant, fruit, trunk, leaves and petioles; it is contained in the milky juice which exudes from all these parts when cut. This juice was studied simultaneously by Wurtz in France and Peckolt in Brazil. The best method of collecting it is to make several superficial, longitudinal incisions in the green fruit without removing it from the tree; immediately an abundance of juice appears in the incisions and coagulates rapidly. The best time to do this is the early morning. The fruit does not suffer by this process but continues developing and ripens perhaps more rapidly, at the same time improving in flavor, becoming sweeter; the seeds, however, atrophy and lose their power of germination. Peckolt gives the following as the composition of the juice:

A substance analogous to caoutchouc 4.525
Awa 2.424
Soft resin 0.110
Brown resin 2.776
Albuminoids 0.006
Papayotin (Papain of Wurtz) 1.059
Extractive matter 5.303
Malic acid 0.443
Peptic material and salts 7.100
Water 74.971

The milky juice is neutral and coagulates rapidly, separating in two parts: a kind of insoluble pulp and a limpid colorless serum. If combined with fibrin, raw meat, white of egg or gluten it gradually softens them and completely dissolves them in 3 or 4 hours _in vitro_ at 40° C. Combined with milk it coagulates it and soon precipitates the casein which is also dissolved a little later. It digests lumbricoids and tape-worms and the false membrane of croup, in a few hours. According to Wurtz and Bouchut papain is prepared as follows:

The fluid juice or the aqueous solution of the milky exudate is precipitated by the addition of ten times the volume of alcohol. The precipitate, after treating again with concentrated alcohol, is dissolved in water and the addition of sub-acetate of lead eliminates the albuminoids and peptones but does not precipitate the papain. The liquid is filtered and the lead salts separated by means of a current of hydrogen sulphide. It is filtered again and alcohol added gradually, which process first precipitates whatever sulphate of lead may have passed through the filter, and then the papain.

Papain is an amorphous substance, perfectly white, soluble in water, insipid, odorless. An aqueous solution, if shaken violently, foams like a solution of soap. Boiling makes it turbid and when concentrated it has a slightly astringent taste. It is precipitated by hydrochloric, nitric, picric and the metaphosphoric acids. Trommer's test gives it a beautiful blue violet color which, on boiling, changes to a red violet.

It is an extremely active digestive ferment, comparable with pepsin, but superior to the latter because it does not require an acid medium, as its digestive action takes place even in the presence of an alkaline medium and of antiseptic substances such as boric acid, phenol, etc. It is given in doses of 10-40 centigrams in different vehicles such as water, wine, etc. It should be given after meals carefully and properly diluted, in order that its action may not be exerted upon the gastric mucous membrane itself. Its use is contraindicated in gastric ulcer.

A watery solution prepared by macerating the green fruit has been used effectively to remove blemishes from the face, leaving the skin clean and smooth. The natives use little pieces of the green fruit to remove freckles (which they call _pecas_). The ripe fruit is edible and its taste quite agreeable; in some of the Malay Islands it is given for dysentery, but it must be remembered that the ripe fruit does not contain papain.

The pure exudate is given to children as an anthelmintic in doses of 2-6 grams with a little molasses, but it is not so harmless that it may be used with impunity in this form, Moncorvo and others having reported cases of peritonitis with symptoms suggestive of cholera following its use. It is drastic and digestive in addition to its anthelmintic action, but according to Rabuteau, boiling destroys the first property without affecting the others. Dr. Lemarchand of the island of Mauritius gives the following anthelmintic prescription:

Juice of papaya and molasses aa 1 tablespoon.

Add gradually while shaking the mixture.

Boiling water 4 tablespoons.

Cool and administer in one dose followed immediately by 30 grams of castor oil. For a child, one-half dose.

This treatment frequently causes colic, for the relief of which the author advises an injection of sweetened water. Sir O'Shaughnessy's prescription is preferable:

20-60 drops of the exudate in a little sweetened water.

This dose cannot cause any untoward symptoms and is efficient in expelling both lumbricoids and tæniæ.

The triturated seeds may be given internally in doses of 1-2 grams with milk or molasses to expel lumbricoids. Analysis has revealed in the seeds the presence of a resinous oil, an oleaginous material of disagreeable odor and taste called by Peckolt _caricin_, a fatty acid, papayic acid and a resin. In India the seeds are considered emmenagogue. In some countries they wrap meat in papaya leaves for several hours before eating in order to soften it. For the same purpose they sometimes boil the meat in water containing a few leaves or pieces of the green fruit; some even go to the length of saying that it is only necessary to hang a piece of meat in a papaya tree for a time in order to soften it.

The decoction of the green fruit is given internally for indigestion, a treatment common in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga. The milky juice is used to remove corns and Dr. Daruty offers the following prescription for eczema and psoriasis:

Exudate of papaya 1.00 grams.
Borax (powdered) 0.60 grams.
Water 16.00 grams.

Mix.

Paint the affected part with feather or brush, 2-3 times a day. The same solution may be used for softening corns.

Botanical Description.--Trees 15° in height, trunk covered with large leaf scars, wood soft and brittle, the long-petioled, palmately-lobed leaves growing in a crown and giving the tree the general appearance of a palm. Flowers dioecious. Staminate tree: Flowers loosely clustered on long, hanging stems. Calyx, 5-6 teeth. Corolla tubular, 1' long, limb divided into 5 oval parts. Stamens 10, inserted in the throat. Style short, awl-shaped. Pistillate tree: Flowers much larger, sessile, in axils of leaves. Calyx 5-toothed. Corolla large, 5 lanceolate petals curved outward, fleshy. Stigmas 5, fringed. Fruit about size of child's head or smaller, somewhat pear-shaped, juicy, pulp melon-like, 1 compartment with numerous seeds, each in a mucilaginous aril.

CUCURBITACEÆ.

Gourd Family.

_Trichosanthes palmata_, Roxb. (_T. tricuspis_, Mig.; _T. lucioniana_, Bares.)

Nom. Vulg.--(?).

Uses.--Roxburgh states that the fruit is toxic and sometimes used to kill crows. Dymock states that the leaf is smoked in Bombay as a remedy for asthma.

The extremely bitter taste of the fruit and rind induced Sir W. O'Shaughnessy to examine it for tonic and purgative properties; doses as high as 0.20 gram 3 times a day failed to exert a purgative effect. The root is used in veterinary medicine particularly for pneumonia. Mixed with equal parts of colocynth it is applied to carbuncles. In combination with equal parts of _Terminalia chebula_ and ginger it is made into a sweetened infusion for internal use in gonorrhoea.

Botanical Description.--A climber with broad, heart-shaped, serrate, 7-lobulate leaves. Flowers monoecious; staminate white and racemose; pistillate solitary, growing at the base of the staminate racemes. Staminate receptacle tubular, calyx inserted on the border of the receptacle, 5 sepals. Corolla, 5 petals. Stamens 5, of which 4 are in pairs. Pistillate: the receptacle dilates in its lower part in form of a globose vase and encloses the unilocular pluriovulate ovary. Fruit ovoid or pyriform, scarlet when fresh, orange-yellow when dry. Seeds of irregular form, somewhat triangular. Kernel oily.

Habitat.--Luzon.

_T. anguina_, L. (_T. amara_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Salagsalag_, _Pakupis_, _Salimpokot_, _Kukubitan_, _Halahala_, _Buyokbuyok_, Tag.; _Tabobog_, _Kukubitan_, _Pukopukot_, _Kuragda_, Vis., Pam.

_T. cucumerina_, L.

Nom. Vulg.--Probably the same as _T. anguina_.

Uses.--The fruit of _T. anguina_ is purgative, emetic and anthelmintic. The natives use an infusion of the filamentous, reticulate portion surrounding the seeds, in doses of 0.50-0.60 gm., according to P. Blanco.

The second species, _T. cucumerina_, has a wider use. In India it is regarded as a febrifuge and laxative and is commonly given with some aromatic. Ainslie notes that the leaves, as well as the fruit, are bitter and purgative and that the Tamuls use them for their laxative and stomachic effect. Drury states that on the Malabar coast the seeds have a considerable reputation as a remedy for functional disorders of the stomach. Although the green fruit is very bitter the natives of that region use it as a condiment. The tender stems and the dry capsules, both bitter and purgative, are given in infusion and in a sweetened solution, as an aid to digestion. The seeds are febrifuge and anthelmintic. The juice of the leaves is emetic and that of the roots purgative. The decoction of the stem is expectorant.

In Bombay the plant is considered febrifuge, and is given in decoction with ginger, _Swertia chirata_, and sugar. The Mohammedan authors say that the _T. cucumerina_ is effective in expelling lumbricoids and one of them mentions the following as a cure for stubborn fevers:

Seeds of _T. cucumerina_ No. 180.
Seeds of coriander or cumin No. 180.
Boiling water 200 grams.

Let stand over night, filter, add a little sugar, administer in 2 doses morning and evening.

In Concan they use the juice of the leaves as a liniment in remittent fevers, rubbing the hepatic region and in fact the entire body.

Botanical Description.--_T. anguina_, L., is a vine with 5-angled stem, bearing tendrils and spattered with white dots. Leaves heart-shaped, with 5 acute lobules, spiny-toothed. Petioles with a bifid swelling at their bases. Flowers white, monoecious. Staminate: calyx 5-toothed with dotted borders; corolla, 5 fringed petals; stamens 3; anthers 3, entirely united and forming a cylinder. Pistillate: 3 glandules in the corolla tube; style long; stigmas 3. Fruit ribbed, long, the compartments formed by reticular partitions; contains many irregular seeds, one border sharp, the other obtuse, covered by a very thin aril.

The _T. cucumerina_, L., is less common, bears a spindle-shaped or obovate fruit, is hairy and lacks ribs. Its seeds are ovoid, very smooth, encircled by a narrow wing. The reticulum within the fruit is similar to that of the foregoing species.

Habitat.--Common in all parts of the islands. Blooms in October.

_Lagenaria vulgaris_, Ser.

Nom. Vulg.--_Common Gourd_, _Bottle Gourd_, _Calabash_, Eng.

Var. _Lagenaria Gourda_, Ser. (_Cucurbita lagenaria oblonga_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Calabaza de peregrino_, Sp.; _Pilgrim's Gourd_, Eng.

Var. _L. courgourda_, Ser.

Nom. Vulg.--_Tabayag_, Tag.

Var. _L. clavata_, Ser. (_C. lagenaria villosa_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Calabaza blanca_, Sp.; _Opo_, Tag.; _White Gourd_, Eng.

Uses.--The three above-mentioned varieties of _L. vulgaris_, Ser., are commonly grouped under the name calabaza (gourd). All have the same action and hence the same therapeutic application. The green portion of the rind is bitter and possesses purgative and emetic properties. The decoction of the tender shoots is expectorant; in addition it appears to possess purgative properties and in India is used in jaundice.

The part of the plant most generally used is the seeds, the tænifuge properties of which are well known. Its action, however, is not always certain, which may be as truly said of all other known tænifuges. The seeds have the advantage of lacking the disgusting taste characteristic of other remedies of the same class; the taste is almost neutral and a little sugar conceals it completely. The dose is unlimited; some take 15 grams, others as high as 100, and no unpleasant symptoms of any kind have been reported. The only precaution to be observed is to give the patient a purgative 1-2 hours after his dose.

Heckel has analyzed the seeds and found a resin which he calls _pepo-resina_; it exists in the greenish pellicle that envelopes the embryo and appears to be the active principle of the seeds. Its dose is 0.80-1.00 gram (Dujardin-Beaumetz), the product of 250 grams of the seeds. The dose of 100 grams of the seeds mentioned above is very small, if the pepo-resin represents the entire active principle, for 100 grams of the seeds would only contain about 40 centigrams.

Botanical Description.--A very familiar vine, clammy, pubescent and musk-scented; large leaves, long-stalked flowers, white petals, greenish veiny fruit usually club-shaped or enlarged at the apex, the hard rind used for vessels, dippers, and so forth. It is noteworthy that none of the tænifuge varieties mentioned bears yellow fruit.

_Luffa Ægyptiaca_, Mill. (_L. pentandra_, Roxb.; _L. petola_, Ser.; _Momordica operculata_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--Probably bears the same names as the _Trichosanthes_.

Uses.--The root is a hydragogue cathartic even in minute doses. The fruit is emollient by virtue of the large quantity of mucilage it contains, but it is more interesting for other properties. When cut in two, deprived of epidermis and seeds, and washed until none of the mucilage remains, there is left a fibrous skeleton, a sort of skein of interwoven nets that constitutes the so-called vegetable sponge. It serves the same purpose as a sponge and has the advantages that its fibers do not rot and that they are easily kept clean. In view of its cheapness and plentifulness in the Philippines the above advantages should suffice to bring it into universal use for the toilet, for surgical purposes and for cleaning in general.

Botanical Description.--A vine with square, glabrous stem. Leaves alternate, cordate, 3-5-lobulate, dentate, rough, 5-7-nerved. Petioles short. Flowers monoecious. Staminate in axillary panicles; calyx bell-shaped; corolla yellow, 5 oval petals, borders entire; stamens 3; filaments short; two thick ones divide high up in 2 parts, thus giving the appearance of 5 stamens in all. Pistillate axillary, calyx adherent, 5 pointed sepals; corolla, 5 nearly triangular petals, finely dentate; style thick, short, the base encircled by 3 glandules; stigma cordate. Ovary, 3 pseudo-locules formed by the central union of the placentas; pluriovulate. Fruit oblong, terminating at the apex in a deciduous lid or cover, marked with 8 or 10 black longitudinal lines; the interior reticulate, 3 compartments with many seeds, oval, black, flat with thin borders. The natives do not distinguish between this specimen and the _Trichosanthes_, but it is to be noted that the corolla of the former is not ravelled or fringed.

Habitat.--Common in Luzon and Panay. Blooms in January.

_Momordica balsamina_, L.

Nom. Vulg.--_Ampalaya_, _Ampalea_, Tag.; _Amargoso_, Sp.-Fil.; _Paria_, Iloc.; _Apalia_, Pam.; _Balsamina_, Sp.; _Balsam Apple_, Eng.

_M. charanta_, L. (_M. muricata_, Willd.; _M. cylindrica_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--The same as of _M. balsamina_.

Uses.--The fruit of both varieties is edible, though a bitter principle gives it such an intensely bitter taste that it is intolerable to the unaccustomed palate. It is eaten raw as a salad, or cooked with meat or fish. The juice of the leaves is prescribed internally as a purgative and anthelmintic. In Concan it is given alone or combined with aromatics, in bilious disorders as an emetic and purgative; externally they use it as an ointment for the itch and other skin diseases; in India it is mixed with cinnamon, pepper, rice and oil of _Hydnocarpus inebrians_, Vahl.

The fruit and leaves are used internally for worms and externally for leprosy. Some Hindoo writers state that the fruit is tonic and stomachic, and that it is useful in rheumatism, gout, diseases of the liver and spleen.

Botanical Description.--The first variety, _M. balsamina_, more common than the second, is a vine with angular stem and simple tendrils. Leaves, many serrate lobules with white dots on the ends. Flowers yellow, monoecious. Staminate solitary, peduncles very long, involucre cordate; calyx 5-lobed; corolla 5 petals; filaments simple, one separate, 2 approximated; anthers joined at their bases. Pistillate solitary; ovary, 3 locules and numerous ovules; stigma, 3 bifid divisions; fruit globose, narrowing at the ends, covered with tubercles; seeds numerous, lacking albumen, having red aril.

The second variety, _M. cylindrica_, has a downy stem, 5-angled with simple tendrils. The leaves are 5-lobuled, cordate, serrate, with short hairs on under surface. Melon hollow, glabrous, very long, cylindrical, tapering at the ends, covered with tubercles, some elevated in longitudinal lines, others depressed; seeds in 3 rows, enveloped in pulpy arils, white, long quadrangular, truncate above, encircled by 2 rows of obtuse toothlets.

Habitat.--Both grow in all parts and are well known.

_Citrullus Colocynthis_, Schard. (_Cucumis Colocynthis_, L.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Coloquíntida_, Sp.; _Colocynth_, _Bitter Apple_, Eng.

Uses.--The part employed is the fruit pulp, official in all the pharmacopoeias as a very energetic hydragogue cathartic. It is seldom given alone, but in combination with other drugs to modify its energy and its action.

In large doses it causes vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and a series of nervous phenomena that may end in death. Six to ten grams constitute a toxic dose. It operates with most force upon the large intestines and sympathetically upon the uterus.

Dose.--Extract, 0.10-0.30 gram; powder, 0.30-1.00 gram.

The pulp contains a yellow, intensely bitter substance, quite soluble in water and in alcohol, discovered by Hubschmann and named by him _coloquintina_. The seeds contain 17% of an insipid oil.

Botanical Description.--An herb with long, prostrate stems covered with stiff hairs. Leaves alternate, triangular, deeply cleft in 3 lobules that subdivide. Petioles long. The color of the leaves is pale green above, whitish or gray and covered with white hairs underneath. Flowers yellow, monoecious, solitary, axillary, with long peduncles. Staminate: receptacle cup-formed, 5 sepals and 5 free, yellow petals; 5 stamens in pairs, one free. Pistillate: the receptacle globose, covering the lower part of the ovary; 3 staminodes take the place of the stamens. Ovary unilocular, uniovulate, with a short style bearing 3 lobules at its apex. Fruit globose, 6-8 centimeters in diameter, smooth, greenish, later yellow with white spots; it is full of a whitish pulp that becomes dry and pithy and that contains the obovate seeds, smooth, flattened, brown, lacking albumen.

Habitat.--Manila.

FICOIDEÆ.

_Trianthema monogyna_, L. (_T. obcordata_, Roxb.; _Portulaca toston_ and _axiflora_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Toston_, Tag.; _Alusiman_, _Ayam_, Vis.

Uses.--This plant is edible, the natives eating it boiled, fried or in salad. The root is cathartic and is used powdered.

_Botanical Description._--A plant with prostrate stems, radiating branches. Leaves ensheathing the stem, opposite, oval, red-bordered, glabrous. Petioles with 2 stipules at the base and 2 small teeth near the middle. Flowers axillary, solitary, sessile. Calyx, 2 pointed sepals. Corolla, 5 oval petals. Stamens 15-20. Style simple. Seed vessels inversely pyramidal, dehiscence horizontal. Seeds numerous.

Habitat.--Very common in the rice fields. Blooms in January.

UMBELLIFERÆ.

Parsley Family.

_Hydrocotyle Asiatica_, L.

Nom. Vulg.--_Takip kohol_, _Takip suso_, Tag.; _Rabasa_, Sp.; _Indian Pennywort_, Indo-Eng.

Uses.--Dr. Daruty, of Mauritius, has published a study of this plant, giving a résumé of its composition, therapeutic uses and physiological action. The writers of antiquity recognized the plant as a powerful alterative, tonic, diuretic, stimulant and vermifuge, especially effective in secondary syphilis and in ulcerative diseases of the skin.

Lépine and Boileau used it experimentally to treat leprosy and reported favorably; but later experience demonstrated that it did not exercise any specific effect, but benefited anæsthetic leprosy simply by improving the general condition of the patient.

The plant is official in the Pharmacopoeia of India, as alterative, tonic and stimulant. It states that the drug has been found very useful in the treatment of secondary and constitutional syphilis, when the disease attacks the skin and subcutaneous tissue.

In Bombay it is a popular remedy for the mild dysentery of children, given as a decoction of 3 or 4 leaves with a little cumin seed and sugar; the bruised leaves are then applied to the umbilical region. In the Philippines the decoction of the leaves is given as a purge.

Dr. Dervegie reports good results in the treatment of eczema, administering the powdered leaf in dozes of 0.10 gram and applying locally the powder or an ointment of the same. The most marked and constant effects of the drug are a considerable increase of the urinary secretion, elevation of the temperature of the skin and profuse diaphoresis.

Dr. Boileau, quoted above, himself contracted leprosy of which he died; he experimented on himself with "hydrocotyle" and on one occasion a dose of 3 grams nearly proved fatal; tetanic symptoms supervened with suffocation, palpitation, epistaxis and rectal hemorrhage, abating finally with profuse sweating and diuresis.

Dr. Lépine, a pharmacist of Pondicherry, has analyzed the plant and isolated a substance that seems to be the active principle; he has named it _vallarin_, from "vallarai," the Tamul name of the plant. "Vallarin" is a thick, pale yellow oil of a piquant and persistent taste and an odor peculiar to the plant. It changes under the influence of air, moisture or heat and volatilizes at 120°. It is soluble in alcohol. The plant contains 8/10 to 1% of this oil, a dark resin and a green resin.

The Pharmacopoeia of India gives 2 official formulæ, a powder and a cataplasm. The powdered leaf is given internally in doses of 0.30 to 1.50 grams and is applied locally to superficial ulcers.

Botanical Description.--Plant herbaceous with reniform or heart-shaped leaves, forming a sort of funnel, dotted with little hairs, dentate with white tips. Petioles very long, ensheathing each other by 2 wings at their bases. Flowers 3-4, sessile, springing directly from the root, greenish-white, growing in horizontal rows on either side of a short, common peduncle. Common involucre of 2-3 leaflets. Calyx adherent, flattened, faintly toothed. Corolla, 5 small petals, ovate. Stamens 5, equal in height, inserted on the receptacle, alternating with the petals. Filaments short. Anthers globose, cleft at the base in 2 diverging parts. Ovary inferior, cordate, much flattened. Styles 2, short. Stigmas simple. Fruit truncate, oval, downy, indehiscent, marked with furrows, with 2 compartments each containing a seed inserted on the wall.

Habitat.--Grows in shady and moist places. Blooms in July.

_Carum copticum_, Benth. (_C. ajowan_, DC.; _Ammi copticum_, L.; _A. glaucifolium_, Blanco; _Daucus opticus_, Pers.; _D. anisodorus_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Lamudio_, _Damoro_, Tag.; _Lamudio_, Vis.; _Caraway_, Eng.

Uses.--The fruit, of which both form and taste remind one of anise, is official in the Pharmacopoeia of India as a carminative, stimulant and antispasmodic. It is indicated in flatulent colic, atonic dyspepsia and diarrhoea and gives very good results. It has been used in cholera, but is of little value in that disease. In moderate doses it increases salivary and gastric secretion.

The P. of India contains the 2 following official formulæ: _Oleum_--obtained from the fruit by distillation; is colorless when fresh but soon turns yellow; possesses the odor of the fruit and an acrid, burning taste. _Aqua_--600 grams of the fruit ground and mixed with 9 liters of water; this is distilled till 4 1/2 liters have gone over, these constituting the "aqua cari."

Dose.--1-2 drops of the essential oil in emulsion or on a piece of sugar. Of the "aqua," 30-60 grams as a carminative or to disguise the taste of other drugs (such as castor oil), thus frequently preventing nausea or vomiting.

Botanical Description.--Leaves finely pinnately compound. Common petiole clasps the stem at the base. Flowers white, in flat compound umbels. The secondary peduncles 12. Flowerets of each partial umbel about 16. Calyx of flowerets superior, 5 globose sepals. Corolla, 5 equal petals, with rounded lobules. Stamens 5. Ovary tuberculate. Styles 2, very short. Seeds 2, united, furrowed and nearly glabrous at maturity.

Habitat.--Cultivated in gardens. Blooms in October.

_Foeniculum vulgare_, Gaertn. (_F. officinale_, Allion; _F. panmorium_, DC.; _Anethum foeniculum_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Anis_, Sp.; _Fennel_, Eng.

Coriandrum sativum, L. (_Cuminum cynimum_, Wall.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Cominos_, _Calantro_, Sp.; _Coriander_, Eng.

Uses.--The fruit of both species has the same therapeutical application being stomachic and carminative par excellence. It yields an aromatic essential oil with stimulant properties, popular because of its agreeable odor and taste.

As a rule the infusion is given in doses of one liter a day (15-30 grams of the seeds to one liter of water). The essence and the alcoholate are also employed, the former obtained by distillation, the latter by macerating the fresh seeds in alcohol. The dose of the essence, 4-8 drops on a piece of sugar or in potion; the alcoholate, 2-10 grams in sweetened water or infusion of aromatic herbs.