Indian Medicinal Plants/Natural Order Ericaceæ
N. 0. ERICACEÆ.
704. Gaultheria fragrantissima, Wall., h.f.b.i., iii. 457.
Habitat : — On the mountains of N. and S. India, Nepal to Bhutan ; gregarious in the Nilgiri, Travanacore Hills, Burma, Ceylon, upper zone.
A large stout shrub in India, usually small low and much 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 which means it is saponified and dissolved, methylic alcohol of great purity being liberated. The solution of the oil is then docomposed by any mineral acid, when beautiful crystals of salicylic acid are formed. These are gathered, squeezed, and dried. They are then mixed with common quicklime or sand, and distilled in an iron retort ; carbolic acid of great purity, and crystallizing with the greatest readiness, passes into the receiver. This acid is equal to the purest kind obtained from coal tar, and employed in medicine. It, of course, possesses all the qualities which have rendered this substance almost indispensable in modern medical and surgical practice. I had hoped, from the inexhaustible abundance with which the plant grows on the Neilgherries, that the carbolic acid from this source could be prepared at less cost than that imported. I have not yet had an opportunity of working on a large scale with an itinerant still, as would be necessary for its cheapest production ; but from some calculations I have lately made, I am led to think it can scarcely be prepared for less than the price of that procured from coal-tar. The purest kinds from the latter source cost four shillings a pound ; I estimate the cost of that from this indigenous sorce at from Rs. 2-8 to Rs. 3-8 per pound in this country. The carbolic acid from the same source has certain advantages over the coal-tar acid, consequent on its extreme purity. It is less deliquescent, and cannot possibly be open to the suspicion of contamination with certain other products of coal-tar which possess injurious qualities.
" In conclusion I am led to the belief that it would not be advisable to prepare carbolic acid from this singular source, when the comparative cost shows that the gain must be very small or non-existent. But it appears to me well worthy of record, that should circumstances render the supply of the English product difficult or uncertain, as in the case of war, or the English price increase, a practically inexhaustible source exists in this country from which this indispensable substance, in its purest state, can be obtained at a slight enhancement of the present price." (Confer. Pharm. Journ., Oct 1871.)
705. Pieris ovalifolia, D.Don, h.f.b.i.. iii. 460.
Syn. : — Andromeda ovalifolia, Wall.
Vern. : — Ayâr (H.) ; Ayatta, eilan, ellal, arur, arwân (Pb.) ; Anjir, angiar, jagguchal (Nepal) ; Piazay (Bhutia) ; Kangshior (Lepcha).
Habitat: — Temperate Himalaya, from Kashmir to Bhotan and the Khasia Mountains.
A deciduous tree. Bark thick, fibrous, peeling off in long narrow stripes, deeply cleft, the clefts often extending spirally round the stem. Wood light, reddish-brown, soft, even-grained, but warps badly. Height 20-40ft. Leaves 3-7 by l-4in., ovate-elliptic oblong, acute or acuminate, entire, rounded at the base, coriaceous, glabrous, often pilose beneath when young, petiole ⅛-½in. Racemes axillary, simple, rarely falsely panicled by the suppression of leaves towards the ends of the branches (C. B. Clarke), more or less pubescent. Pedicels ⅛-⅓in. long. Bracts 1/5in., lanceolate or linear, deciduous. Flowers white ; " sometimes pink or bluish," says Brandis. Calyx-lobes 5, triangular lanceolate, 1/10-⅛in., connate at the base. Corolla ⅓-1/6in. or 1/5-2/5in. long, elongate ovoid, pubescent without ; lobes 5, short, recurved. Stamens 10, hypogynous ; filaments subulate, ciliate, with two filiform appendages, called " horns," at the apex ; anthers open by terminal pores. Ovary 5-celled, ovules many in each cell. Capsule 1/5in. diam., globose, loculicidally 5-valved ; seeds many, minute, linear-oblong (Kanjilal).
Use : — The young leaves and buds are poisonous to goats, they are used to kill insects, and an infusion of them is applied in cutaneous diseases (Gamble).
706. Rhododendron arboreum, Sm. h.f.b.i. iii., 465.
Syn : — R. puniceum, Roxb. 373.
Vern. : — Ardáwal, mandál, chiu, áru, brás, broa, chacheon (Pb.) ; Chhán (Hazara) ; Ardáwal, mandál, chiu, bras (Himalayan names) ; Trikhgandera (Trans-Indus) ; Billi, pumaram (Nilghiris) ; Brus (Kumaun); Bhorans, gurâs, ghonás, taggu, lalgurás (Nepal) ; Etok (Lepcha).
Habitat : — Temperate Himalaya, from Kashmir to Bbotan, and the Khasia Mountains.
An evergreen tree, 25ft. Bark lin. thick, reddish brown, peeling off in small flakes. Wood soft, reddish-white, or reddish-brown, close and even-grained, apt to warp and shrink. Leaves crowded at end of branches, 4-6in. long, lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, acute at both ends, coriaceous, glabrous above, rusty-tomentose or covered with small silvery scales beneath. Nerves and midrib prominent beneath, depressed above ; buds viscous. Flowers large, very showy, commonly deeply crimson, rarely pink or nearly white, in corymbose fascicles at the ends of the branches. Pedicels O-to ⅓ the length of the Corolla-tube. Bracts hairy. Calyx-lobes 1/10in., wide, ovate or very obscure. Corolla campanulate, l-l½in. by ¾-lin. Lobes 5, often unequal. Stamens 10, alternately longer. Ovary woolly, 7-9-celled. Capsule 1in, long, cylindric, curved, longitudinally ribbed. Seeds ellipsoid. Testa scarcely lax, except produced at the end.
Use: — The young leaves are poisonous. They are also medicinal, and applied to the forehead for headache Dr. Stewart).
The honey of the wild bee is said, in Sikkim, to be poisonous at the flowering time of this species (Watt.)
The flowers which are sour to taste are eaten and made into a preserve, says Kanjilal.
707. R. campanulatum, Don., h.f.b.i,, iii. 466.
Vern. : — Gaggar (Kashmir); Chimul (Kumaun) ; Sarngar, shinwala, shargar, simrung (Himalayan names) ; Cherialu (Nepal).
Habitat : — Alpine Himalaya, from Kashmir to Bhotan.
A moderate-sized, evergreen shrub, 6-1 6ft , with thin grey bark. Leaves 3-5in. long, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, rounded at both ends, crowded at the ends of the branches, mucronate, coriaceous, glabours and finely reticulate above, with a dense cinnamon colour tomentum, concealing the nerves beneath ; midrib prominent. Flowers large and showy, whitish pink, purple or lilac, in lax terminal corymbs ; pedicels as long as Corolla-tube ; bracts lin., broad — oblong, silky. Calyx-teeth broadly triangular, very small, scarcely 1/12in. Corolla campanulate, 1-1 by 2/5-1in. ; lobes 5. Stamens 10. Ovary 5-9-celled, glabrous. Style persistent. Capsules cylindrical, seeds linear-oblong, compressed.
Uses:— The leaves are poisonous to goats. Mixed with tobacco, it is made into a medicinal snuff, useful in colds and hemicrania. They are also used in chronic rheumatism, syphilis and sciatica. The dried twigs and wood are used in Nepal as a medicine in phthisis and chronic fevers, (Watt).
708. R. lepidotum, Wall, h.f.b.i., iii. 471.
Vern. : — Tsaluma, tsuma (Bhutia) ; Talis fur (Northern Ind.) ; Taliori (Simla). Habitat: — Temperate and Alpine Himalaya, from Kashmir to Bhotan.
A small, aromatic shrub, young parts covered with glandular scales. Leaves 7/10-lin. long, approximate at the ends of branches, sessile or subsessile, obovate or obtuse, or lanceolate and subacute ; glabrous above, silvery or brown tomentose beneath. Flowers red, yellow or purple, solitary or 2-3 together ; pedicels ½-1½in. long, very scabrous. Calyx-lobes oval, not ciliate. Corolla-tube short; lobes round, spreading, 1/5-⅓in. long. Stamens usually 8. Ovary 5-celled. Capsule 5-celled, ⅓ by 1/5in. Seeds oblong, acute.
Use : — To it are attributed the same medicinal properties as to R. Anthopogon.
709. R. setosum, Don., h.f.b.l, iii. 472,
Vern. :-— Tsallu (Bhutia and Tibetan).
Habitat : — Sikkim and Nepal.
A small shrub, 1ft. Branchlets bristly. Leaves ½ by ¼in., elliptic obovate, obtuse, scaly on both surfaces and often bristly beneath. Pedicels ¼in., glandular, scaly, 3 8-clustered, short. Calyx-lobes 1/6-¼in.,by ⅛-1/6in. obtuse, glandular, scaly, elliptic. Corolla red, tube very short, 1/5in., lobes ½ by ¼in., oblong spreading. Stamens 8, sometimes 10 ; filaments hairy below. Ovary 5-celled, glandular, scaly. Capsule ¼ by 1/5in., ovoid, hardly larger than the Calyx-lobes. Seeds ellipsoid, subacute at the ends ; testa close, not produced.
Use : — " The Sikkim Bhutias and Tibetans attribute the oppression and headaches attending the crossing of the loftiest passes to the strongly resinous odour of this and R. anthopogon. A useful volatile oil, of no less marked character than that of the American gaultheria, might probably be obtained from the foliage by distillation" (Hooker).
710. R. Anthopogon, D. Don., h.f.b.l, iii. 472.
Vern. :— Nichni, rattankát, nera (Jhelum) ; Tazak-tsum ; Talis-far (Kashmir) ; Pálu (Bhutia).
Habitat : — Alpine Himalaya, from Kashmir to Bhotan. A small shrub, with aromatic odour ; 1ft. Branchlets scabrous and scaly. Leaves 1-1½in. long, elliptic or broad-oblong, shining above, broad-tomentose, and as it were tomentose from the layer of glands, petiole ⅛-¼in. long. Flowers yellow, in dense terminal corymbs. Calyx-lobes oblong or elliptic membranous, ciliate. Corolla tubular, with a dilated mouth ; tube 1/5in. long ; lobes obovate, entire, spreading. Stamens 6-8 ; Ovary scaly. Capsule 1/5in. long, ovoid. Seeds oblong, subacute. Testa lax, not produced even at the ends.
Uses: — The leaves are aromatic, and their smoke is considered useful in some diseases. They are supposed to have stimulant properties (Stewart). The leaves are administered as errhine to produce sneezing (Honnigberger).
This is one of the species which is thought by the Bhutias to excite the headache and nausea which attends ascents to the high elevations of the Eastern Himalaya. (Sir J. D. Hooker.)
711. R. cinnabarinum, Hook. f h.f.b.l, iii. 474.
Vern. : — Búlú (Nepal) ; Kema, kechung (Lepcha).
Habitat: — Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim and Bhutan.
A large shrub, 4-8ft. Bark thin, reddish-grey. Wood light- greyish or yellowish- white, moderately hard, even-grained, warps. Leaves 2-3 by 1-1¾in., acute or obtuse, beneath nearly white or cinnamoneous, with scattered gland scales, oblong or elliptic. Petioles terminal or clustered, ⅛-⅓in. Pedicels ¼-½in., squamous or glabrous. Bracts glabrous, with ciliate margins. Flowers, says C. B. Clarke, orange-rose or brick-red. FJowers scarlet, says Gamble ; orange or brick red says Brandis. Calyx-lobes small, unequal or obsolete. Corolla- tube long, narrow, campanulate, lobes ovate, 1¼ by ⅓in., pendulous. Stamens 10. Filaments pilose at base. Ovary 5-celled, glandular scaly. Capsule ⅓-½ by ¼in. Seeds ovoid or trigonous. Testa close, hardly produced at all. A most variable plant says Clarke.
Use: — The leaves are universally considered poisonous to cattle and goats. If employed as fuel, the smoke causes eyes to inflame and the face to swell (Hooker).
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