into a short thick stalk, broadly ovoid, bluntly 4-angled with the spines from the angles, pericarp very tough, fibrous woody.
Uses :— The fresh leaves and stems, briskly agitated in cold water, speedily convert it into a thick mucilage, nearly of the consistence of the white of a raw egg, inodorous and tasteless, An infusion, thus prepared, is a highly prized remedy amongst the people of Southern India, in gonorrhœa and dysuria. Facts communicated to the Editor, leave little doubt that in these cases it is a remedy of considerable value, and that as a diuretic its action is speedy and marked. Dr. Ives (Voyage to India, p. 466) speaks very favourably of the virtues of this plant, under the name of Ghanti-gura or Gocrow (Gokeroo, Hind.) ; and he adds to his own testimony that of Dr. Thomas, as to the power of the mucilage to cure gonorrhœa without the aid of any other medicine. Water thus rendered mucilaginous, soon returns to its original fluidity, and it therefore requires to be freshly prepared each time before its exhibition. Its virtues are well deserving of further investigation. To the fruits, demulcent and diuretic properties are assigned, and they are extensively employed as such by the natives (Ph. Ind.).
The fruits are possessed of antispasmodic and aphrodisiac properties. The decoction of the fruit is useful in irritation of the urinary organs. The juice is a good gargle and the plant makes a good poultice (Dymock.) The juice is used in aphthæ as a local application (Dr. Emerson). Of late years it has been introduced into European medicine as a remedy for spermatorrhœa, incontinence of urine, and impotence {Practitioner, XVII. 381). " The juice of the fruit is an emmenagogue ; it is employed in puerperal diseases, and to promote the lochial discharge. Leaves are used as a cm-ry in splenic enlargements. Decoction of the root is antibilious" (Dr. Thompson, in Watt's Dictionary.)
Chemical composition.— The fruits contain a greenish-coloured fat, a small quantity of resin, and an alkaloid in the alcoholic extract. The mucilage separated by water is precipitated by acetate of lead solution and alcohol, and in these respects resembles the mucilage of gum arabic. The ash of the airdried fruit amounts to 5*43 per cent. (Pharmacographia Indica, III. 36).
