Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/621

Rh Mahomedan writers describe it as astringent, tonic, attenuant, and aperient, useful in dyspepsia and bilious headache, also as an astringent application to the eyes (Dymock).

In the Concan, the kernel, with that of the marking nut, is sometimes eaten with betel-nut and leaf in dyspepsia ; the fruit also is used as an astringent, usually in combination with chebulic myrobalans. There is no doubt about the narcotic properties of the kernel. The part used in medicine is the pulp (Dymock).

In the Punjab, it is chiefly employed in dropsy, piles, diarrhœa and leprosy ; also occasionally in fever. When half ripe, it is considered purgative, when fully ripe or dried, astringent. Mixed with honey, it is employed as an application in cases of ophthalmia.

The oil is considered a good application for the hair. The gum is believed to be demulcent and purgative (Watt).

Like other kinds of Terminalia, the Beieric myrobalans afford a yellow fixed oil which is prepared by the poorer classes in the Central Provinces and used as a substitute for ghee and as an application for rheumatism. Bahada seeds yield about 25 per cent, of oil by expression which sells for 8 annas per Seer. Two samples from Akola and Damoh had the following characters : Specific gravity, .9168, .9193 ; melting points 11°, 4° ; acid values, 2.4, 3.9 ; saponification values, 205.8, 205.3; iodine values, 79.0,85.3; Reichert-Meissl values, .76, .78 ; fatty acids and unsaponifiable, 94.2, 93.6 per cent., melting at 39° and 38°.

Sans. : — Haritaki.

Vern. : — Hara, har, harara (H.) ; Haritaki (B.) ; Hilikha (Ass.) ; Silim (Lepch.) ; Karedha (Uriya) ; Hana, Silim-kung (Sikkim) ; Hardâ (Dec.) ; Kadukai-maram (Tam.) ; Karakaia (Tel.) ; Alale (Mysore).

Habitat: — Abundant in Northern India, from Kumaon to Bengal, and southward to the Deccan table-land.

A large or small deciduous tree. Bark ^in. thick, dark- brown, with numerous, generally shallow, vertical cracks. Wood very hard, brownish-grey, with a greenish or yellowish