Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/828

748 enter into the composition of several mixtures of a cooling and demulcent character (Dutt. Mat. Med. of the Hindus).

The fruit is eaten ; yields, when expressed, a thick oil which is eaten and is also used to adultrate ghee, says Kanjilal.

The oil is much valued by the hill-tribes in the treatment of skin diseases.

The leaves are boiled in water, and given as a cure for several diseases ; they make a good embrocation (Watt).

The bark is used in decoction as an astringent and tonic. (Irvine). It is sometimes used as a remedy for rheumatic affections. Voigt says, it is rubbed on the body as a cure for itch.

The dried flowers are used as a fomentation, in cases of orchitis for their sedative effect.

The flowers are used in coughs, in the form of a decoction. The medicinal properties attributed to this plant are stimulant, demulcent, and emollient, heating, astringent, tonic, and nutritive. The seeds yield, on expression, a thick concrete oil, which is recommended to be applied to the head in cephalalgia.

The spirit distilled from the flowers of B. latifolia (Baia or Mahwa Spirit) has a strong smoky odour, somewhat resembling Irish whiskey, and rather a pungent fetid flavour, which, however, disappears with age. The freshly distilled spirit proves very deleterious, exciting gastric irritation, and other unpleasant effects (See Dr. Gibson in Hooker's Journ. Botany, vol. v., p. 90). Sub- Assistant-Surgeon Odoy Chund Dutt reports having used the weaker (diluted ?) spirit extensively ; and in his opinion it is less injurious to the digestive system than rum, more resembling beer in its effects on the constitution, and nutrition of the body. This view is coincident with that of Dr. W. Wright. It is evidently a powerful diffusible stimulant, and, when matured by age, may be used as such, when brandy and other agents of the same class are not available. The residuum or cake left after the expression of the oil (Ilúpai púnak, Tam.), is employed as an emetic. Some cases of poisoning by Stramonium, in which it was so employed, are given by Dr. J. Shortt (Madras Quart. Med. Journ., vol. vi., p. 286). It appears to act efficiently in this character (Ph. Ind.)