914 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.
covered over for a night. It seems remarkable that when thus burned the smoke should retain the same poisonous and intoxi- cating properties. A few seeds with a aqarqarha (Anacyclus pyrethrum) root and cloves are chewed as an aphrodisiac (Dr. Emerson).
The seeds, leaves and fresh juice are narcotic, anodyne and antispasmodic. They are more powerful than those of D. alba, both of which, however, are used in the treatment of mania, epilepsy and obstinate headache. An alkaloid, Daturine, is useful as a substitute for Belladonna, and is prepared from the seeds (Kanai Lai De Bahadur).
Dr. Oswald reports having seen great and immediate relief follow smoking a small quantity of the leaves of this species in cases of asthma (Ph. Ind.).
" In painful swellings I apply the juice of fresh leaves, or make a poultice of them. The fresh juice in ophthalmic pain I find very useful ; it checks the inflammation, if there be any" (D. Basu). In ear-ache, the fresh juice of the leaves is useful, a drop or two poured inside the ear (T. N. Ghose). In Mysore, the juice of the leaves is given once daily with curdled milk for gonorrhoea (North).
Scopolamine is the predominant alkaloid in the twigs and leaves, and the sole alkaloid in the fruits and roots of this plant grown in Assam. The results with the Indian plants resembled those obtained with European plants.
[Bull. Imp. Ins. 1911.]
The seeds contain about 10*9 per cent of fat and 149 of hyoscyamine.—
J. Ch. S. 1899 A. I. 829.
872. D. alba, Nees. h.f.b.i., iv. 243. Roxb. 188 (under D. Metel).
Vern. : — Safed-dhatura (H.) ; Dhutura (B.) ; Dhotara (Mar.) ; Dholo dhaturo (Guz.) ; Umattai (Tarn.) ; Ummetta, dhutturamu (Tel.) ; Unmatte-gida (Kan.) ; Ummatta, ummam (Mai.)
Habitat : — Throughout India.
Flowers white or nearly so. Trimen observes thus : — " Li- nens referred the Indian and Ceylon plant to his D. Metel, but the two species are scarcely separable, " Vol III, p. 239. London 1895.
