130

MATERIA MEDICA

substance which was brown or dark-brown. The latter was just behind
the layer of the gum and in contact with the tree and ground. If left
in water the gum of this tree slightly swells and is formed into a kind
of soft jelly, and is miscible but not completely soluble in water.

     The bark of the younger plants is ash-colored and not rough exter-
nally and very fibrous and of a flesh color internally; and that of the
older trees is very rough, scaly, generally about ¾ of an inch in thick-
ness, brown externally, and reddish-brown internally. The taste of the
inner bark is slightly astringent, due to tannic acid.

‡ Spondias mangifera, Pers. 210 and 211.

     Habitat. —Found growing in many gardens in the city of Madras.

     Parts Used.—The young fruit (No. 210) and gum (No. 211).

     Synonyms.—Of the fruit—The hog-plum, Wild mango, Eng. Amrá,
Hind. Janglí-ám, Maryam-ká-phal, Duk. Mari-mánga or Marya-
mánga, Káttu-mánga, Tam. Ivura-mámidi, Adavi-mámidi, Tel.
Ambalam, Anpázham or Ampáram, Malyal. Kádu-máviná, Amte,
Amte-hannu, Can Ámrá, Beng. Ámrátaka, Sans. Of the gum—
Ámré-kί-gond, Hind. Maryam-ké-jhár-ká-gónd, janglί-ám-ká-gónd,
Duk. Marimánga-pishin, Tam. Ivura-mámidi-pisunu, Tel.

     Local Sources.—Neither the fruit nor the gum is sold in the bazaar,
but they both require to be gathered in their proper season.

     Physiological Actions.—The young fruit is stomachic and tonic, and
the gum demulcent and emollient.

     Therapeutic Uses.—The young fruit in powder is, as a stomachic,
useful in some slight cases of atonic dyspepsia; and as a tonic, in all
the affections in which Gentian and Calumba are indicated. The gum
in the form of mucilage is a useful adjunct to other medicines for the
purpose of suspending heavy powders, &c.

     Preparation.—Simple powder: Select the young fruits before their
nut is hard and fully developed, remove the nut, cut the fleshy portion
into small pieces and dry them in the sun; when quite dry reduce
them to a fine powder in the usual manner.

     Dose.—From thirty grains to one drachm or more, 3 or 4 times in
the 24 hours.

     European Drugs for which they may be substituted. —The young fruit
for Gentian and Calumba, and the gum for the Indian Gum-arabic.

     Remarks.—The fruit is a fleshy drupe, oval, varying in length from
1 to l½ inches, and in thickness from ¾ to 1¼ inches, smooth, green
when young and yellowish when ripe, subacid and astringent in taste
with a slight and peculiar smell. It bears a resemblance to a very
young and small mango; hence it is known in some languages as a
"wild mango."

     S. mangifera is one of those plants which, when very large and old,
throws out occasionally a large quantity of gum with some resinous
substance through an old wound or crack. The gum and resin thrown
out in this manner collect on the ground near the stem of the tree
in the form of a thick, flat, oblong or, irregular mass. I am myself