Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/289
of a handful of the leaves is a good remedy for coughs. Linnæus records an instance in which salivation, caused by the use of mercurial medicines, was removed by the administration of this
infusion after every other remedy had failed. The plant should be gathered when in flower (Sowerby's English Botany).
hi America, it is generally used in catarrhal states of the air passages, over which it seems to have a soothing effect and is much employed in confectionery as an ingredient in " cough drops " (Potter's Materia Medica, p. 277).
In Mexico, a preparation made from the leaves of this is used for rheumatism. It is also added to mescal and applied as liniment for rheumatism.
A proximate analysis gave the following result : —
| Per cent. | |
|---|---|
| Fat, wax and traces of volatile oil | 2.05 |
| Crystalline compound, soluble in ether | 0.48 |
| Chlorophyl and fat | 2.29 |
| Resin and bitter compounds, soluble in absolute alcohol | 1.94 |
| Mucilage | 4.94 |
| Glucose | 0.67 |
| Extractie, soluble in Water | 5.93 |
| Albuminoids | 4.48 |
| Pectin and undermined | 5.93 |
| Pararabin | 2.30 |
| Cellulose and lignin | 37.48 |
| Moisture | 6.72 |
| Ash | 24.30 |
| Loss | 0.49 |
The fat was soluble in hot 95 per cent, alcohol, and melted at 46° C. The wax was insoluble in this solvent, but dissolved in carbon bisulphide. The crystalline principle was extracted from the drug with stronger ether, and purified by repeated crystallization from hot 95 per cent, alcohol, with one or more treatments with animal charcoal. The crystals were insoluble in water and in solution of potassium hydrate, very sparingly soluble in boiling water and in cold alcohol. Soluble in hot 95 per cent, alcohol, also in ether and chloroform. They melted at 152° to 153° C. They were at first tasteless, but developed, when held on the tongue, a decided bitterness. The alcoholic solution was very bitter.
Sulphuric or nitric acid gave a dark-brown colour, hydrochloric acid produced no change and ferric chloride produced no change.
This principle reduced Fehling's solution slightly by boiling, without first being treated with an acid.