Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/810

730 branched in Ceylon. Bark very thin, shining, light brown. Orange-brown, says Trimen, twigs pink ; young parts glabrous. Wood light-brown, moderately hard. Branches glabrous, more or less trigonous. Leaves 3 by 1-1½in., lancoolate elliptic or elliptic-oblong to ovate, not acuminate, numerous persistent coriaceous, rounded at base, obtuse, serrate glabrous, stiff ; venation reticulate, conspicuous, bright-green, rather glaucous, and with scattered sunk glands beneath, faintly aromatic when bruised, yielding an essential oil, from which salicylic acid and carbolic can be made (Dymock's Phar. Indica, Vol. II pp. 325-328), Petiole 1/16-1/6in. (C. B. Clarke). 1/6-¼in., secondary nerves 3-7 pair, the 2nd and 3rd pair reaching beyond half the length of the leaf (Brandis). Flowers white, numerous, rather small, on short drooping pedicels. Dimorphic flowers, with short stamens and sterile anthers, not horned (Brandis) ; a pair of bractlets below the flower, and a bract at base closely placed in dense pubescent axillary racemes, l-3in., much shorter than leaves. Calyx white, segments acute ; anther-spurs very sharp, reflexed. Ovary pubescent. Capsule small, 1/5in. diam., pubescent, completely enclosed in fleshy ovoid enlarged edible calyx, which is ⅓-½ inch long, smooth shining, deep-purple-blue.

Part used : — The oil obtained from leaves.

Use : — The oil is aromatic, stimulant and carminative. It has been given with success in acute rheumatism and sciatica, its properties corresponding to those of the salicylates, in doses of 10 minims gradually increased, preferably in capsules. The oil is also applied externally in liniments, or in the form of a suitable onitment. It has powerful antiseptic properties.

Mr. Broughton, the late Government Quinologist at the Neilgherries, in a report to the Madras Government on the subject of this oil, says: — "the oil from this source contains less of the peculiar hydrocarbon which forms a natural and considerable admixture with the Canadian oil, and therefore is somewhat superior in quality to the latter. The commercial demand for the oil is not, however, considerable enough to make its occurrence in India of much direct importance.

"It occurred to me in 1869 that methyl-salicylic acid would, however, under suitable treatment, furnish carbolic acid according to a decomposition described by Gerhardt. After a few experiments I was successful in preparing considerable quantities of pure carbolic acid. The method of manufacture is as follows :— The oil is heated with a dilute solution of caustic alkali, by