Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/227

Rh to dr. i, reported that in 10 out of 24 cases of chronic and subacute bronchitis and bronchial catarrh, it was found efficacious and successful. It failed in 3 cases of phthisis that he tried. In 2 out of 3 cases of asthma it acted well. The full dose of dr. i causes nausea and griping, and, therefore, had to be reduced to m. xx. which was found sufficient."

The analysis of the leaves reveals certain principles resembling those found in tobacco, as, for instance, an odorous volatile principle, an alkaloid, but not volatile like nicotine, one or more organic acids, sugar, mucilage and a large percentage of mineral salts.

The chemical analyses have revealed the presence of an alkaloid vasicine as the active principle, and this result has been confirmed by the physiological as well as chemical tests of Dr. Boorsma of Java. A tartrate of vasicine is now an article of commerce on the Continent and future possibilities may be expected of it in medical science.

The various portions of the plant available in the Office of Reporter on Economic Products were analysed by Mr. Hooper, with the following results :— The alkaloidal content of the bark is here seen to approach very closely to that of the leaves. The question of cost in collecting these two products would have to be considered, and it is evident that the separation of the bark from the stems would entail more labour than the simple method of gathering the leaves from the shrub. In other medicinal shrubs, such as Buchu and Senna, when the leaves are officinal, it is not customary to use the bark of the plants in addition to the leaves.

The following results were obtained from quantitative experiments on the powdered barks : —

It will be seen that the root-bark from the older plants has a higher percentage of acrid and bitter resinous matters than that from the younger plants. In this connection attention should be drawn to the remark made some years ago by Mooden Sheriff of Madras. In the Supplements to the Pharmacopœia of India, page 364, he reports that he found that the older the plant, the more active is the bark in its effects.

Syn. : — Justicia Nasuta, Linn., Roxb 40.

Sans. : — Guthika-parni.