Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/237

Rh A lofty evergreen tree. Young branches compressed. Wood rough, soft to moderately hard; sap wood white, heart wood red-brown, but not durable. Leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, entire or sinuate-crenate, acute, base rounded; 5-12 by 2½-7in; glabrous on both surfaces or slightly pubescent, especially on the nerves and margins; lateral nerves 14-18 pair. Petiole 1½-3in.; stipules with dense stellate canescene, pubescent towards the apex, varies greatly in regard to the pubescence of young shoots, leaves and inflorescence. Racemes 3-5-flowered. Flowers 3in. diam; Calyx-tube obconic, hairy, subspheroidal, mouth contracted, unenlarged lobes deltoid-ovate. Petals pinkish white. Nut pubescent.

Habitat. — Eastern Bengal and Eastern Peninsula, from Chittagong and Pegu to Singapur; not in Ceylon, nor in the Konkan.

Use: — The oleo-resin is applied externally to ulcers, ringworm, and other cutaneous affections (Watt.) It is stimulant of mucous surfaces, particularly that of the genito-urinary system; and also diuretic. In gonorrhœa and other affections in which copaiba is generally employed, it has proved an effectual remedy (Ph. Ind., p. 32). Quite recently it has been brought prominently to notice by Dr. Dougall, of the Andamans, as a remedy for leprosy; but, as far as I have heard, the new remedy is not likely to prove successful (DYMOCK}

The best medical properties of this oil are its usefulness in gonorrhœa and gleet, and in all forms of psoriasis, including lepra vulgaris. In gonorrhœ a and gleet, it is at least equal to Copaiba, and the only difference between these two drugs is that the former (Gurjun balsam) requires to be used in a much larger dose (3ii to 3iii) to produce the same effect as the latter. As Gurjun balsam is always used in the form of emulsion with mucilage, the largeness of its dose is no disadvantage. With regard to its usefulness in psoriasis and lepra vulgaris, I am not aware of any other local stimulant which is more efficacious in those diseases than this drug. I have either cured or relieved many cases of the above affections by the use of this drug, with little or no assistance of internal