Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1.djvu/353

ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.

175 gynous ones. Achille Richard places it between Rhamneae and Euphorbiaceae : Blume however continues to follow Jussieu in uniting them to Rhamneae. As all these eminent Botanists seem agreed on the owe point, that this order forms the transition from the hypogynous to the perigynous divisions of DeCandolle's arrangement, the one adopted in this work, it seems evi- dent, that it is most judiciously placed in its present situation as the connecting link between the two.

This is a very widely distributed order, species being met with in the warmer regions of every quarter of the globe, but much more abundantly beyond than within the tropics. The Spindle tree, Euonemus Europaeus is a native of the north of Europe, and has several congeners in the Himalayas, and also in the alpine districts of this Peninsula. I have two species from the hills about Courtallum, and excluding one or two, which I am as yet unable to determine, two from the Neilgberries. Celastrus in like manner has a wide range in India, extending from the southern extremity of Ceylon up to the Himalayas, several species occurring at either end of these distant limits. Species of both of these genera are found in Java and China, as well as in America, and of the latter, in Africa. Celastrvs coreaceus of Senegambia, seems indeed almost identical with our C. montana. Elaeodendron has fewer species and a more limited range, being confined to the East and West Indies, and has one species in Norfolk Island. The tribe Ilicineae of which the Holly is the type has recently been removed from this, and placed as a separate order among the monopetalous orders, where it ranks near the Ebony's and Olives. Dr. Wallich's genus Kurrimia is found in Silhet and Ceylon, from the last of which stations I have two species. According to Wallich's list there are about 70 species, natives of India, referable to this order.

But little is known of these. The berries of Euonemus Europaeus are said to be violently emetic, and to prove poisonous to sheep. Of the Indian species, not one is mentioned by Ainslie as being used in medicine. The researches however of the late Dr. Herklots brought one to light well known to the natives as possessed of very peculiar powers, the seed namely of Celastrus nutans (Malkungnee of the natives;, from which he extracted, by a rather rude process an Emperumatic oil. This he administered with great success in Berriberri. In other hands it has not proved quite so successful. As however the subject is as yet imperfectly known and seems to merit further inquiry, I presume I need offer no apology for introducing a rather long extract from Mr. Malcolmson's essay on Berriberri, giving some account of its introduction into medical practice, and of its active constituents, as ascer- tained by chemical analysis, in the hope, that the very simple and easily made experiments of Mr. M. may induce others to extend the enquiry to the seed of other species, and thence perhaps, add another not less powerful remedial agent from a family which has not hitherto been sufficiently investigated.

"Oleum Nigrum, (Herklots). It remains to communicate such observations as I have made, regarding another native remedy of great value, styled by Dr. Herklots, to whom we owe its first introduction to the notice of Europeans, the oleum nigrum. It is prepared in the following manner. Into an earthen pot whose bottom is perforated by a number of small holes are put, malkungnee seeds tbijss, benzoin, cloves, nutmegs, mace, of each 3ss ; the mouth is closed and the pot placed over another and luted to it. They are then placed in a pit three feet deep and nearly as wide, and surrounded by cakes of dry cow-dung which are set on fire, and when they are consumed about six ounces of the oil is found in the under vessel ready for use. It should be kept in well closed bottles. As we would expect from the nature of the process, the appearance and sensible qualities of the product resemble thoss of an emphreumatic oil, possessing the peculiar powers of the principal ingredient, the malkungnee seeds. These do not appear to be the produce of the Circars, or as far as I can learn, of the Deccan, but Mr. Royle has in- cluded them in a list of Indian materia medica, and states that the plant is the Celastrus nutans.™ It is stated by Hukeem Mahomed Hussein Khan, to be a native of Hindoostan, and the seeds are imported from Calcutta or brought to the Circars from Hyderabad, and are only found in the principal towns, where they are kept in bags containing the seeds, seed vessels and