Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/638

558

Habitat: — Very common, from the Himalaya throughout India ; no tree is more plentiful in the plains of Bengal.

Vern. :— Hijgal, samundar-phal, panniari, ingar (H) ; Hijal samandar (B.); Kinjolo (Uriya) ; Hindol (Ass.); Ijar (Monghyr) Hinjal (Santal) ; Saprung (Kol.) ; Batta, kurpâ, kadamic (Tel.) Hole kanva (Kan.) ; Ingar, ijal, samundar-phal, kana-pachethi (Bomb.) ; Piwar, newar, tiwar, datte-phal (Mar.); Samudra phula (Cutch) ; Niwar (Concan) ; Sjeria-samstravadi (Mal.)

A middle-sized, evergreen, glabrous tree. Bark f½in. thick, dark-brown, rough. Wood white, shining, soft, even-grained. Leaves obovate or oblanceolate, minutely denticulate ; blade 2-5in-long, narrowed into petiole, 1/6-⅛in. long. Flowers red, ⅓in. across, in long, slender, pendulous racemes 6-15in. long. Calyx- segments rounded, ciliate. Ovary 2-celled. Fruit oblong, bluntly quadragular, 1¼-1½in. long, crowned by the persistent calyx lobes.

Uses. — The root is bitter and supposed to be similar to Cinchona in its properties. It is also held to be cooling and aperient. The seeds are very warm and dry, used as an aromatic in colic and in parturition, also in ophthalmia (Watt). Considered by the natives of Bombay to be warm and stimulating and emetic, often prescribed alone or in combination with other medicines as an external application in colds. A few grains often given as an emetic to children suffering from catarrh, and seldom fail to induce vomiting (Dymock). The kernels powdered and prepared with sago and butter are said to be used in diarrhœa (Watt). The juice of the leaves is given in dirrahœa. The powdered seeds are used as snuff in headache (U. C. Dutt.) The fruit rubbed in water is administered as an emetic (Lisboa).

Sans. — Kumbhi.

Vern. — Kumbi, vâkamba, kumbh, (H. and Pb.) ; Kumbha, kumbhâsâla, kembya, vâkumbhâ (Mar.) ; Gummar (Gond.) ;