1154 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.
The juice has been very successfully used by me in the treatment of scabies, eczema and ringworm, (B. D. B.)
Oil was separated from seeds by treatment with alcohol into a non-poisonous insoluble and a poisonous soluble part. The toxic constituent, curauolic acid, was isolated from the soluble portion by stirring with a hot saturated solution of baryta, washing the resulting paste with cold water, drying, extracting with ether, evaporating the ether solution, extracting the residue with absolute alcohol, and treating the alcoholic solution with sulphuric acid. It set to a jelly at about 10°C.
Curcin, the toxic principle isolated from fat-free curcas seeds by extraction with physiological Sodium chloride solution, was very sensitive to acid, and had a retarding influence on the coagulation of blood. (J. S. Ch. I. for 30-6-1914, p. 651).
The seeds yield about 34 per cent, of oil and the kernels about 52 per cent. The oil is yellow when fresh, becoming reddish on exposure to the air ; it has an unpleasant odour, and strong purgative properties, more pronounced than those of castor oil. Curcas oil yields about 10 per cent, of solid fatty acids melting at 57.5° ; the liquid fatty acids consist of about equal proportions of oleic and linolic acids. The specific gravity is 0.919 to 0.921 ; saponification value, 193.2 ; iodine value, 98*3 to 104.9 ; Reichert-Meissl value, 0.55; Maumene test, 65 to 68°. The fatty acids (95.5 per cent.) melt at 24-26° ; iodine value, 105. (Agricultural Ledger, 1911—12, No. 5. p. 163.)
1145. Aleurites moluccana, Willd,, h.f.b.i., v. 384.
Syn. :— A. triloba, Roxb. 670.
Sans : — Aksota.
Vern. :— Akrót, Akola, Jangli-akrót, (H. and B.) ; Khasife hindé, Jouzebarri, (Ar.); Girdagáne hindí, Chahár maghze hindí, (Pers.) ; Jangli, Eranda, Jelapa, Jangli ákhróta Jáphala, Akhod (Mar.) ; Akhoda, (Guj.) ; Akrota, (cutch) ; Náttu akrótu kottai, (Tam.) ; Nátu-akrótu-vlttu (Tel.) ; Nát-akródu (Kan.) ; Vadam (Mal.) ; Kakkuna (Singh.) ; To-sikya-si (Burm.) ; Kanyin, Mak yau lik, Mak man yaǘ (Shan) Buah keras, Kanieri (Malay). The names given in most parts of India to this tree are those which more properly belong to the Walnut, the akrót. It is, therefore, advisable to add the word " wild," e.g., Jangalíakrot.
Habitat :— Occurs in various parts of India, especially the Malayan Peninsula. Wild in the Wynaad.
A large, evergreen tree, 40-60 ft., indigenous probably in the Malay Archipelago, cultivated in most tropical and subtropical countries, and here and there naturalized. Shoots, young leaves
