Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/225

Rh According to Rumphius, the bark and young leaves are employed by the Macassars in diarrhœa, dysentery and affections of the genito-urinary tracts, and also as a wash for aphthæ of the mouth.

In exhibiting before the Melbourne Medical Congress of January 1889, a powder and a liquid extract of mangosteen from the fruit-rind prepared by the late Mr. M. C. Periera of the Bombay Medical Stores, Surgeon Major Kirtikar said thus : — " The value of these preparations lies in the yellow resin which the rind of the fruit contains a character of the fruits of the Guttifers. The resin acts like all other resins as a stimulant to the intestinal canal. I am not sure whether the crystallisable substance, mangostine, which Schmidt has obtained from the rind, has any particular therapeutic property. It is worthy of a trial, as the preparations are largely used by the Natives of Western India in chronic cases of the intestinal canal. Waitz recommends a decoction of the powdered rind as an external astringent application. I have no doubt that the resin adds to the value of this local remedy, by mechanically constricting the parts gently — an effect very often produced by uniform light bandaging." (Congress Proceedings, p. 948).

A strong decoction has also been recommended as an external astringent application (Watt.)

The fruit is said to have come into use of late years in European medicine as a substitute for Bæl (Watt.)

Mangostin (A) occurs in all parts of the Mangosteen tree. The dried fruit-skins contain about 5% each of a crystalline resin (A) and non-crystal resin. (A) was first isolated by Schmidt, who assigned the formula C20H22O5. (A) has the typical resin properties, burning with a smoky, luminous flame, causing friction and vibration when rubbed between the fingers, and dissolving in alkalis, alc, Et20, and many other solvents. (A) was obtained by coneg. the alk. ext, of the dried skins in vacuo, shaking the syrupy residue with H2O, and dissolving the dried insol. portion in warm PhH containing a little Et2O. Recrystd. repeatedly from ale. containing a little H2O, it forms flat, pale yellow needles, m. 181-2°. The analyses and mol. wt. detns. in PhO H and (CO2 2 Me)2gave results agreeing with C23H24O6. (A) is insol. in carbonates, dissolves in alkalies with a red color, and is repptd. by CO2 and acids and gives a greenish brown color with FeCl3. It contains 1 MeO and 2 phenolic OH, the latter being shown by titration and by the action of Me2SO4 and dil. aq. KOH, which yield dimethyl-mangostin, C25H28O6, faintly yellow,