The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines Part 29

In 1881 Dr. Riddell obtained a sort of gutta-percha from the juice, previously observed by Professor Redwood.

Mooden Sheriff states that the most active parts of the plant are the root bark and the dried juice. He adds that the action of the juice is irregular and even dangerous, and that the bark is active in direct proportion to its age. He recommends that the inert tuberous layer of the bark be removed; prepared thus and powdered it is emetic in doses of 2.50-3 grams.

Duncan claims to have isolated from the bark an active principle which he called _mudarin_ from "mudar," the Indian name of the plant. Following the same process Fluckiger was unable to obtain the substance, but did isolate 1 1/2% of an acrid resin, soluble in ether and in alcohol; a mucilage and a bitter principle decolorized by chloroform and ether. It is probable that this is the active principle of the "Calotropis gigantea."

Warden and Waddell in 1881 isolated a substance crystallizable in nodular ma.s.ses, with the formula C_17_H_28_O, a.n.a.logous to the _albana_ of gutta-percha.

Botanical Description.--A small tree, 7-8 high, with straight stem, branched and woody. Leaves sessile, opposite, cleft at the base, oval, fleshy and woolly. Flowers lateral in simple umbels of 3 or more flowerets. Calyx 5-cleft. Corolla monopetalous, 5 acute lobes, white, of rare and beautiful form. Nectaries 5, united throughout their length with the receptacle, their bases curved like the sides of the fleur de lis.

Above the nectaries is a 5-angled crown, the extremity of the receptacle; in each angle a black anther. Two large follicles narrowed at the ends, woolly, the apex somewhat curved to one side, containing many imbricated seeds, each with a tuft of long hairs.

Habitat.--Bauang, Taal and the volcanic island of Taal. Blossoms in April.

_Tylophora asthmatica_, Wight. (_Asclepias asthmatica_, Roxb.)

Nom. Vulg.--(?)

Uses.--We are ignorant of the uses the Filipinos make of this plant. It is official in the Pharmacopoeia of India, the dry powdered leaf being the part employed, and its emetic, diaph.o.r.etic and expectorant properties are well known in that country. Roxburgh has used the root as an emetic and Anderson has employed it in the same manner as ipecac in dysentery. Later the experience of Anderson was confirmed by O'Shaughnessy; though in place of the root he used the leaf, the properties of which he regards as more certain and uniform.

Dr. J. Kirkpatrick has noted that the juice of the root and its powder are used by the natives of Mysore as an emetic, and adds that he himself has used it for that purpose in a thousand cases with good results. In its effect on dysentery as well as in its emetic effect it resembles ipecacuanha. He used the powder in doses of 1.20-1.80 gr., to which he added 3-6 centigrams of tartar emetic when he desired to obtain an energetic emetic action. Like O'Shaughnessy he prefers the powdered leaves. He considers it a good subst.i.tute for ipecac, not only as an emetic, but as a remedy in asthma, dysentery and catarrhal affections; Drs. Oswald and Mooden Sheriff have made the same observations. The latter advises the administration of the juice of the plant for snake bites till vomiting is produced; then follow with diffusible stimulants.

The emetic dose of the powdered leaves is 1.20-1.80 grams, the expectorant and diaph.o.r.etic dose 10-30 centigrams. The concentrated infusion of the leaves has an acrid taste. Tannic acid, the neutral acetate of lead and caustic potash produce with it an abundant precipitate; the perchloride of iron colors it a dark green. Broughton, of Ootaemund (India), informed Hanbury and Fluckiger, from whom we quote, that in 1872 he obtained a very small quant.i.ty of crystals from a large quant.i.ty of leaves. He had not enough to make an a.n.a.lysis, but injected a solution of the crystals into a dog with resulting vomiting and diarrhoea.

Botanical Description.--A vigorous plant with scandent stem 2-4 meters long, the more recent growth woolly. Leaves opposite, entire, 5-12 centimeters long and 2-6 broad, oval or rounded. Petiole striated and short. Flowers in umbelliferous cymes, compound, axillary, solitary and alternate, with woolly peduncles; hermaphrodite, regular, small, of a pale green color inside and a light purple outside. Calyx gamosepalous, with 5 lobules. Corolla gamopetalous, 5 oval, twisted lobules. Staminal crown composed of 5 fleshy scales, joined to the staminal tube. Stamens 5, inserted on the throat of the corolla, filaments joined to form a very short tube with anthers straight, short and crowned by a membranous bilocular appendix. The gynoecium consists of 2 unilocular ovaries each containing an indefinite number of ovules. Style with a pentagonal stigma which bears in each angle a glandular body. Fruits compound with two separate follicles, large, lanceolate, smooth, 8-10 centimeters long and 5 in circ.u.mference. Each encloses a seed, hairy, alb.u.minous with straight embryo and flattened cotyledons.

Habitat.--Mountains of San Mateo.

LOGANIACEae.

Logania Family.

_Strychnos Ignatii_, Berg. (_S. Philippensis_, Blanco; _Ignatia amara_, L.; _Ignatia Philippinea_, Lour.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Pepita Fruta_, Sp.-Fil.; _Pepita sa katbalongan_, _Kabalongan_, Tag., Pam.; _Pangaguason_, _Aguason_, _Kanlara_, _Mananaog_, _Dankagi_, _Katalonga_, _Igasud_, Vis.; _St. Ignatius Bean_, Eng.

Uses.--The part of the plant employed is the seed, known in addition to the above common names as Pepita de San Ignacio and Pepita de Cabalonga (for _katbolongan_). The natives handle it with the greatest imprudence, selling everywhere in the markets and in the Chinese shops, called _tindang-bayang_. It is not only a remedy among them, but a sort of panacea, to which they attribute, among other virtues, that of expelling evil spirits, simply worn about the neck. They grate it with a piece of earthen pot, mix with a little "tuba" vinegar and apply it to the temples for headache. In bites of poisonous animals they advise the application of the powdered seed over the wound, a treatment which instead of being beneficent might easily be harmful to the patient. Before proceeding further, let us give the chemical composition of the seeds in order that their uses may be the better understood.

_Strychnine_ is found in them in the proportion of 1/2-1 1/2 and _brucine_ 1/2%-1.4%. Fluckiger and Hanbury by drying it over sulphuric acid and burning it with "cal sdica" obtained 1.78% of nitrogen which represents 10% of alb.u.minoid material. Strychnine and brucine exist in combination with igasuric acid discovered by Ludwig in 1873. The proportion of both the alkaloids is greater than in the seeds of nux vomica which contain only .25-.50% strychnine and .12-.05% brucin, although some authors give it as high as 1.01%. Strychnine can be obtained more readily and in larger proportions from St. Ignatius bean, but it is generally obtained from nux vomica seeds on account of the cheapness of the latter.

It is more energetic than nux vomica and its use in medicine should be condemned, preference, however, being given to the official preparations among which the best known is that commonly called "Bitter Drops of Beaume," of which the following is the composition:

Grated St. Ignatius' beans 500 grams.

Pota.s.sium carbonate 5 grams.

Soot (?) 1 gram.

60% alcohol 1,000 grams.

Macerate for 10 days, strain, express and filter. Dose, 1-16 drops in a little water or wine before each meal, for dyspepsia, anaemia, convalescence from fevers, and other conditions in which a tonic is indicated. The indications for the use of this drug are the same as those for nux vomica, keeping in mind the difference in dose.

Botanical Description.--This plant grows in the deep forests of Samar and Masbate. That industrious and distinguished botanist, D. Regino Garcia, found it growing abundantly in Paranas, Island of Samar. It is a robust vine, the trunk sometimes as thick as a man's thigh, climbing to the tops of the highest trees, apparently without preference as to its host, inasmuch as he saw it growing indifferently on _Ficus_, _Dipterocarpus_, _Litsaca_, etc. The seed which most interests us and is very common, is about the size of an olive, round and convex on one side, angulose and flattened on the other by being compressed with many others within the fruit which contains 50 of them. Its surface is blackish with a gray-blue tinge. It is hard and corneous. Its taste is extremely bitter.

Branches opposite, smooth, the ends square. Leaves opposite, oval, much pointed at the apex, entire, glabrous, with 3 prominent nerves. Petioles very short. Flowers in panicles of many flowerets. Calyx inferior, 5-cleft, very short. Corolla 6-7 times longer than the calyx, funnel-form, 5-lobed. Anthers 5, sessile, fixed in the throat of the corolla. Ovary very small. Style filiform, same length as the stamens. Stigma truncate and thick. Drupe globose, often oval, large, smooth, with thick, woody sh.e.l.l of a single compartment containing seeds as described above.

BORAGINACEae.

Borage Family.

_Ehretia buxifolia_, Roxb. (_Carmonea heterophylla_, Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Mangit_, _Alangitngit_, Tag., Vis.

Uses.--The leaves dried in the shade are used in some Visayan towns, in infusion to take the place of tea. The root is used by the Hindoo physicians as an alterative. Dr. R. Ross has employed it for that purpose in a decoction of 60 grams to 500 cc. of water; 60 cc. a day of this preparation gave him good results in secondary and const.i.tutional syphilis. The Mohammedans of India consider the root an antidote for vegetable poisons.

Botanical Description.--Small tree, 5-6 high, trunk straight. Leaves alternate or bunched in 3's or 4's at the nodes, lanceolate or spatulate, 3-toothed at apex, sometimes serrate toward the apex, set with short, stiff hairs. Petioles very short. Flowers axillary, in racemose panicles of a few flowers each. Common peduncle long, pedicel short. Calyx free, bell-shaped, persistent, divided almost to base into 5 narrow, downy parts. Corolla bell-shaped, 5 oval lobules. Stamens 5. Ovary oval, within the flower. Style bifid. Stigmas simple, truncate. Drupe globose, with hard, slightly furrowed putamen of 6 locules and solitary seeds.

Habitat.--Malinta and many other parts of the Visayas. Blooms in January.

CONVOLVULACEae.

Convolvulus Family.

_Ipomoea hederacea_, Jacq. (_I. nil_, Roth.; _Convolvulus nil_, L. and Blanco.)

Nom. Vulg.--_Bulakan_, Tag.; _Kala-Danah_, Indo-Eng.

Uses.--This plant is not used as a medicine by the Filipinos, but is official in the Pharmacopoeia of India from which we copy its indications and official preparations.

The seed is the part employed, its cathartic properties being much like those of jalap, though less energetic. An excellent subst.i.tute for the latter is 2 or 3 grams of _kala-danah_ seeds in powder form, and no unpleasant effects attend its operation.

The official preparations are: