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INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.


ference, cylindric or fluted. Bark thick, very rough and corrugated, brown. Branches numerous, curving upward, young whorled, stout, fleshy, green, jointed with 3 very wide, thick wings, which are narrowed to either end in each joint, and very coarsely repand-crenate. Leaves very small, ¼-½in., sessile on summit of each crenation, cuneate, truncate, glabrous, fleshy, almost nerveless, soon falling. Stipullary spines short, sharp divaricate, persistent ; flower-heads in small, shortly stalked cymes of 3, the central, sessile, the 2 lateral on long, stout pedicels. Bracts opposite, obovate. Bracteoles abundant, fimbriate. Involucre-glands 5 ; very large, much broader than long, yellow, fleshy. Male flowers (stam.) numerous, mixed with many laciniate branchlets ; female flowers : —ovary, nearly sessile ; styles combined, for half their length ; capsule 3-lobed, rather depressed ; lobes ovoid, slightly compressed. Flowers greenish-yellow or pink. Usually appears leafless, as the small, fleshy leaves are quickly deciduous ; contains abundance of pith in the centre ; and the whole plant contains a very viscous, acrid, milky juice.

Uses : — A plaster, prepared from the roots and mixed with asafœtida, is applied externally to the stomachs of children suffering from worms. The bark of the root is purgative, and the stem is given in decoction in gout (Wight and Rheede). The juice, which flows from the branches, is used as a purgative to relieve pain in the loins. It is an acrid irritant in rheumatism and tooth-ache. When taken internally, it acts as a drastic purgative. It is also employed in nervine diseases, dropsy, palsy, deafness and amaurosis (Baden-Powell). A preparation from this plant is in Chutia Nagpur given as a cure for cough (Revd. A. Campbell).

In the Nighantas the plants are described as purgative, pungent, digestive, bitter and heavy, and are said to be useful in constipation, flatulent distention, tumours, swellings, abdominal enlargements, rheumatism, spleen, leprosy, mania and jaundice.

They abound in an acrid milky juice, which is a popular application to warts and other cutaneous affections. The native doctors purify arsenious acid by packing it in n hole made

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