Indian Medicinal Plants/Natural Order Celastrineæ
N. 0. CELASTRINEÆ.
279. Euonymus tingens, Wall. h. f. b. i., 610.
Vern. : — Kungku (N -W. P.); Newar, kashri (Nepali); Chopra ; mer mahan (Simla). Skiosh (Bassahir) ; Bhambeli, Roini (Jauns.)
Habitat :— Western temperate Himalaya, alt. 6-1,000ft. From Sutlej to Nepal ; Simla.
A tree 16-20ft. Branches cylindric. Leaves 1½-3in. by ⅔-1in., thick, coriaceous, lucid, rugose aud dark green above,, very pale beneath, ovate-lanceolate, sharply serrate. Peduncles compressed. Flowers usually pentamerous. Cymes fascicled ; petals abruptly clawed, nearly orbicular, coarsely crenulate, ⅓in., yellowish, with purple veins. Fruit ½in. across, nearly round, 4-5-angled. The flowers of this species are sometimes tetramerous (Lawson).
Uses : — It is considered by the Natives to be useful in disesaes of the eye (O'Shaughnessy).
280. Kokoona zeylanica, Thwaites, h, f. b. i., i. 616.
Habitat : — Western Peninsula, Annamally Hills (S. India), Ceylon between 1,000-4,000 ft., rather rare.
Vern : — Trimen : Sinhalese, Kokun, Wana-potu.
A very large tree, much-branched. Bark rough, corky, grey, bright yellow within. Wood pale, yellowish brown, smooth, light, readily splitting. Young parts glabrous. Leaves 2½-4in., obovate, cuneate at base, rounded or retuse at apex, entire or faintly serrate, coriaceous, glabrous, paler beneath and there punctate with numerous, minute, glandular dots, each covered with a red scale. Petiole about ½in. Stipules very minute, triangular, persistent. Flowers dull, yellowish-brown, ½in., in axillary or extra-axillary panicles, much shorter than the leaves. Pedicels glabrous. Bracts minute. Calyx glabrous, lobes very shallow. Petals broadly ovate, or rounded, concave, thick-dotted, within stamens shorter than the petals Disk fleshy, dark green. Capsule nearly 4inches, oblong-ovoid, bluntly trigonous, valves thick, coriaceous, glabrous. Seed compressed, over 5in. long (with the wing) ; wing broadly oblong, straight on one side, oblong, veined, orange-yellow.
Use : — The inner yellow bark is employed medicinally. It is also made into a kind of snuff, which excites copious secretion, and is considered beneficial in headache (Watt).
281. Celastrus paniculatus, Willd. h. f. b. l, i. 617. Roxb. 209.
Syn. :— C multiflora, and C. nutans, Roxb.
Habitat: — Tropical and sub-tropical Himalaya, Punjab and throughout the hilly districts of India ; Burma, Ceylon.
Sans : — Jyotishmati. Kanguni.
Jyotishmati is also one of the Sanskrit names of Cardios- permum helicacabum.
Vern. : — Mâl-Kangni (H. and Bomb.); Mal-Kakni (Oudh, Kumaun) ; Kahundan rangul (C. P.) Kangoni, pigavi (Mar.) ; Ruglim (Lepcha; ; Valuluvai, atiparich-cham (Jam.) ; Mal- kanguni-vittulu (Tel.) ; Sankhû (Pb.) ; Kariganue (Kan.) Mal- kanguni-ka-jantar (Dec.)
J. Indraji : — ( Porebunder and Guj. ) Mâlakànkanâ ; Mâlakâkani, Malkân kanino Velo ; (Marathi) Pengi, Mâlkângoni, Kangooi; (Hindi) Malkangni, Mâlkangi. (Sinhalese) Duhudu.
A large, climbing shrub. Bark usually yellow, corky, sometimes fibrous, spirally twisted and smooth. Wood porous, soft, very variable, according to locality and climate.
Young shoots marked with lenticels (Kanjilal). Leaves alternate, very variable in size and shape ; generally 2-4 by 1½-3in., obovate, orbicular, elliptic or oblong lanceolate, short- acuminate, more or less coriaceous, glabrous ; base acute, lateral nerves 4-6 pair, parallel to margins. Petiole ¼-⅜in. long. Flowers ½in., pale or yellowish green in terminal pedulous pyramidal panicles, 2-4in. long. Pedicels slender, puberulous. Calyx-lobes shallow, unequal, rounded toothed. Petals oblong, broad-based, acute. Disk inconspicuous. Anthers large, about the size of the petals Ovary free, stigma simple. Capsule ½in. broadly ovoid or roundish, blunt, transparently wrinkled, bright yellow ; valves septifragai above, leaving the seeds exposed. Seed ⅓in., cinnamon-brown, striate, completely enveloped in scarlet fleshy aril.
Tropical and sub-tropical Himalaya. Throughout India, Burma, Ceylon. »
Parts used — The seeds, leaves and oil.
Use : — The seeds are thought by the natives to be hot and dry, aphrodisiac and stimulant, useful both as an external and internal remedy in rheumatism, gout, paralysis, leprosy, and other disorders which are supposed to be caused by cold humours. The crushed seeds, combined with aromatics, are said to be very efficient in removing local pains of a rheumatic or malarious nature.
In the Concan, 4 tolas of the leaf-juice are given as an antidote in overdoses of opium, and the seeds, made into a paste, with cow's urine, are applied to cure scabies (Dymock).
In Ajmere, the seeds are considered sudorific (Irvine).
By a rude form of distillation, the Natives obtain from them a black empyreumatic oil, which, under the name of " Oleum nigrum" was brought forward by the late Dr. Herklots as a sovereign remedy in Beri-beri. In doses of from ten to fifteen drops, twice daily, it is a powerful stimulant. Its action in this character is generally followed in a few hours by free diaphoresis, unattended by subsequent exhaustion. Though it has failed to realize Dr. Herklots' encomiums, yet, in some cases treated with it, detailed by Dr. Malcolmson, its beneficial effects were unequivocally evidenced ; in others, however, it failed. It appears to be chiefly adapted for recent cases, and for those in which the nervous and paralytic symptoms predominate (Pharm. Ind.)
The Santals use the oil in disorders of the stomach (Revd. A. Campbell). The seeds, bruised and formed into a poultice, are a good stimulant application to foul, unhealthy and indolent ulcers (Moodeen Sheriff.)
I have been using the black oil myself occasionally in my practice during the last thirty-nine or forty years ; and for about fifteen years, at the commencement of this period, my opinion as to its therapeutic value was not very high ; but ever since I began, about twenty-five years ago, to employ the varieties of this drug obtained from Vizagapatam, Masulipatam and Ellore, I consider it the best and most efficacious of all the remedies ever suggested for the treatment of Beri-beri, and quite agree with Dr. Herklots in everything he has said in its favour. I recollect many cases of Beri-beri which were not benefited, for weeks or months, under the use of other medicines, but began at once to improve when placed under the course of black oil The first good effect of this medicine, according to my own observation, is generally an increase in the quantity of urine, and with this the dropsical effusion begins to disappear. A relief in paralytic and ansthetie symptoms is also noticed about the same time, but generally after the abatement of dropsical symptoms. During the use of black oil, the native practitioners invariably enjoin a very low and strict diet, giving nothing to the patient except water and wheaten cakes for a long period — a restriction which is as injurious as unnecessary in my opinion. The patients laboring under Beri-beri require a very liberal and nourishing diet. I have also used this oil in some simple and uncomplicated cases of dropsy, and with good and encouraging results.
The seeds are supposed to have the property of stimulating the intellect and sharpening the memory. The oil is used in the courts and colleges by a great many pandits and munshis to increase the intelligence of their pupils.
282. Gymnosporia montana, Roxb. H. f. b. l. i. 621, Roxb. 208.
Sanskrit : — Vaikankat, Vikankat.
Vern. :— (Baluch) — Vingar ; (Hindi) Baikal; (Ajmer) Kakra; (Marathi) Bharuli ; (Kanara Tandraja) ; Sherawane. (Trans-Indus) ; Talkar, kharai (Pb.) ; Baikal, gaja-chinni (C. P.); Mal Kangoni, Zekadi (Bomb. ) ; Danta, babur (Gordi) ; Danti, pedda chintu (Tel.)
J. Indraji : — (Porebunder) Vikaro ; (Guj.) Vikalo ; (Maráthi) Vekar, Vekal ; (Hindi) Kingani.
Habitat : — Throughout the drier parts of Central, South- western and North- Western India, common in the Punjab, Sindh, Rajputana. Central Provinces, Bihar, and the drier districts of the Peninsula. Flower at various times of the year. Afghanistan Malay Archipelago.
A tall armed shrub, spines often bearing leaves and flowers ; under favourable circumstances a small tree. Leaves grey, coriaceous, exceedingly variable in shape and size, obovate, oblanceolate to linear-spathulate, narrowed into the petiole. Flowers small, pale, greenish white. Cymes axillary or fasciculate, on short branchlets, often forming terminal, elongate panicles. Capsule ½in., usually 2-valved. Seeds 1,2, rarely 3.
Use : — The bark ground to a paste, applied with other oils to the head, for destroying pediculi.
283. Elœodendron glaucum, Pers. H. F. B. I., i. 623, Roxb. 214.
Syn. : — E. Roxburghii, W. and A. Vern. : — Mirandu, padriún, bakra (Pb.); Bakra, chauli, shanria (N.-W. P.) ; Chauri (Oudh) ; Karkava, irkuli, chelup-pai-maram (Tam. ) ; Nerija, booligi (Tel.) ; Miri, thanki (Kol.) ; Newri (Santal). The leaves— Bhutâpâla (Mar.) ; Tamrug ; Aran tandig bhukas (Bomb.), Burkas (Konan).
Habitat : — Throughout the hotter parts of India.
A moderate-sized or large tree, often with reddish branch-lets. Bark dark-grey, smooth, blood-red inside, exuding when cut a profuse watery sap from the cambium layer. Leaves opposite or sub-opposite ; less frequently alternate 2-6 by l-3in., elliptic ovate-oblong or obovate, acuminate, crenate subcoriaceous, glabrous, dark green and shining above, glaucous beneath. (Whence the specific name " Glaucum ") main lateral nerves about 10 pair, slender; petiole 2/5-1in. long, channeled. Cymes axillary, dichotomous, 3/5 in. long, peduncle 1-2½in. long, often red. Flowers 1/5in. diam., whitish, pale, yellowish-green, says Trimen. Calyx 4-5-cleft, segments obtuse. Disk fleshy. Petals 4-5, about 1/10in. long, oblong. Stamens 4-5, short, inserted under the edge of the disk ; filaments recurved. Ovary adnate to the disk. Style very short. Fruit a dry obovoid drupe, 2/5-3/5in. long, 1-celled, 1-seeded, tipped with persistent style, mostly sterile, (reproduction chiefly by root-suckers — Kanjilal).
Flowers all the year, says Trimen.
Found in Ceylon, dry country.
Trimen :— (Singhalese) Naralu ; (Tamil) piyari ; Perun- Piyari.
Parts used. — The leaves, root and bark.
Use :--The powdered leaves have a powerful sternutatory action, and are used as a fumigatory to rouse women from hysterical syncope, and as a snuff to relieve ordinary headache. (S. Arjun). The fresh root-bark, when rubbed into a paste with water, is applied by the Natives to remove almost every sort of swelling (Roxb) The root is a specific against snake-bite, and the bark is used in native medicine and said to be a virulent poison. (Watt.)
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