Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/91

Rh The fat is obtained from the seeds of nux-vomica by extraction with ether, and is a by-product in the manufacture of the alkaloids, strychnine and bracine. The yield of the fat is about 4 per cent. (Harvey and Wilkie), 4.2 per cent. (Schroeder). The fat melts at about 29°, it has a low saponification value below 166 and 170, iodine value, 69 to 79. A considerable amount of unsaponifiable matter is present, from 12 to 16 per cent. According to Schroeder (1905) the fat contains 8.6 per cent of solid glycerides (palmitin and arachin) and 74.5 per cent, of olein. (Hooper).

Nux vomica contains 1 — 2% of a concrete oil or fat which consists principally of the glycerides of capric, caprylic, eaproic, butyric and palmitic acids. The unsaponitiable matter consists of a satd. alc. C35^H59OH, and an unsatd. alc. C32H540.5H2O behaving like syroceryl alc. The oil is dark brown in color and possesses an unpleasant odor. An analysis gave :d15.5°100° o 0.892, sol. point 60°, sapon. no. 152, 1 no. (Hubl) 54. Reichert-Wollny no. 1.0, acetyl no. 31.2, acid no. 33.7.— (Chemical Abstracts May 20, 1916 p. 1404.

The unsaponitiable portion of the oil may be separated into the fractions, (a) a resinous portion, (b) a phytosterol, m p. 158°, (c) an alc, C35H57OH (CnH2n—120) or C35H59OH (CnH2n-10 O), m.p. 90°, [a]D+90°, mol. wt. 496. The alec. contains no double bond and is probably related to amyrin. Esters of Ac O H, propionic, benzoic and salicylic acids were prepared. Of the Ac OH ester the molecular wt. =512, [a]D= +74.47. The alc, C32H53OH, possesses double bond in the side chain, its properties coincide in many respects with those of the sycoceryl alc. of De la Rue and Mueller. No sepn. of the unsaponitiable portions of the oil could be effected accoding to the method of Darmstaedter and Lifschuetz. (Ch. A., March 20, 1916, p. 800.)

Habitat: — Deccan Peninsula, extending north-west to the Sone river.

Sans. : — Kátaka, Ambu-prasáda.

Vern : — Nirmali (Hind, and Beng.) ; Chil-binj (Dec.) ; Tetran-kottai (Tam.) ; Chillaginjálu (Tel.) ; Títrán-parala (Mal.) ; Chiligidda ; Chell-bígá (Kan.); Nírmalí, nivali (Mar.); Kamon-yeki (Burm.). Gapra (Bomb.).

English : — Clearing Nut Tree.

A moderate-sized, deciduous tree, attaining 40ft. Bark ½-¾in. thick, black or brownish-black, corky, very deeply and narrowly cleft vertically, so as to form thin ridges which easily break off. Wood white when fresh cut, turning yellowish-grey on exposure, hard, close-grained, no heartwood (Gamble), wholly glabrous ; trunk often fluted. Leaves 2½ by lin., ovate or elliptic, coriaceous, sessile, glabrous or nearly so, acute at both ends, hardly