Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/781

Rh Habitat : — Throughout the mountainous districts of India ; on the west Himâlaya, Khasia Hills, Manipur ; mt. Aboo, in Mârwar, and the Western Ghâts.

A tall aromatic shrub-like herb, 2-8 ft. high, hoary pubescent or tomentose. Stems leafy paniculately branched. Lower leaves petioled, 2-4 in, long, ovate in outline, 1-2 pinnatisect, with stipule-like lobes at the base, more or less pubescent above, ashy-grey or white tomentose beneath ; upper leaves often sessile, linear-lanceolate, entire or 3-fid. Heads sessile or shortly pedicelled, ovoid or subglobose, arranged in sub-secund spike-like suberect or horizontal panicled racemes, brownish-yellow. Invol-bracts woolly or glabrate ; outer small, herbaceous, inner mostly scaricus. Outer fern, flowers very slender ; inner hermaphrodite flowers fertile. Achenes minute. The Dehra Dun plant belongs to the form known as A. indica, which has the lower surface of the leaves of an ashy-grey colour. (Duthie).

Uses: — The Hindus consider it to be a valuable stomachic, deobstruent, and antispasmodic ; they prescribe it in infusion and electuary, in cases of obstructed menses and hysteria. Externally, it is used in fomentations, given in skin diseases and foul ulcers as an alterative (Dutt).

Used as a tonic, anthelmintic, antispasmodic and expectorant, in diseases of children. Expressed juice is applied by native practitioners to the head of young children, for the prevention of convulsions (Watt's Dictionary, Vol. I).

" Used by the natives in asthma and diseases of the brain also" (London Exhibition).

Bellew states that in Afghanistan and throughout India, a strong decoction is given as a vermifuge, and a weak one to children in measles. An infusion is given as a tonic.

" The strong aromatic odor and bitter taste of this plant indicate stomachic and tonic properties. Dr. Wight states that the leaves and tops are administered in nervous and spasmodic affections connected with debility, and also that an infusion of them is used as a fomentation in phagedenic ulceration. Dr. L.