102
MATERIA MEDICA
or some other liquid before they can be applied to the skin or ulcers,
and their use is, therefore, attended with so much inconvenience that
they cannot be resorted to at all, except in those places where the oil is
not procurable. A strong decoction of the fresh leaves is a slight anti-
septic, and is useful like a weak carbolic lotion in washing wounds and
ulcers, and syringing out the vagina in the after-treatment of partu-
rition, &e. When the pustules of small or cow-pox burst and begin to
ulcerate, the Hindu medical practitioners invariably recommend the
application of the paste of the fresh margosa leaves two or three times
in the twenty-four hours, and speak highly of its healing power. As
the paste is a slight stimulant and antiseptic, I thought the supposition
of the Vythians is not without foundation, and therefore watched some
of the cases under its use and found the result to be good in all the
slight and ordinary cases. In some severe forms of ulceration from
small-pox, however, it proved quite useless, as naturally expected. On
the whole, the use of the paste is quite justifiable in many slight and
ordinary cases of ulceration from the pustules of small or cow-pox.
The aroma of the fresh or recently dried leaves is sufficient to prevent
the attack of insects, and they are therefore often placed in books and
clothes by the natives of this country ; but they are much inferior to
camphor in this respect.
The flowers are useful in some cases of atonic dyspepsia end general
debility. The gum being bestowed with a slight tonic action in
addition to its demulcent property, it is a better auxiliary to other
remedies than Gum Arabic and Feronia gum in catarrhal and other
affections, particularly when the latter are accompanied by great
debility. The toddy of the margosa tree appears to be of great service
in some chronic and long-standing cases of leprosy and other skin dis-
eases, consumption, atonic dyspepsia and general debility, and although
I have not prescribed it myself, I am acquainted with several persons
who praise the drug very highly from personal use and observation.
It is, however, extremely scarce, and this is a great drawback to its
use and adoption into general practice.
Preparations.—Of the root-bark, bark and young fruit—Decoction,
tincture and powder. Decoction : Take of the inner layer of the root-
bark, cut into small pieces, four ounces ; water, two pints ; boil on a
slow fire till the liquid is reduced to one pint, and strain while hot.
The decoction of the bark is prepared in precisely the same manner,
and in both cases the fresh bark is preferable to the dry and old one.
In preparing the decoction of the fruit, they should be selected when
they are very young or before attaining half of their natural size ; cut
into small slices and dry in the sun ; and then their proportion to the
water and the method of boiling and straining are exactly the same as
in the decoction of the root-bark. Tincture : Take of the inner layer
of the root-bark or bark, in coarse powder, four ounces ; alcohol or
proof spirit, one pint ; macerate for seven days in a closed vessel with
occasional agitation, press, filter and add more spirit, if necessary, to
make one pint. Powder : The inner layer of the root-bark or bark, or
the dry young fruit, may be reduced to powder, passed through a fine
sieve and kept in a closed vessel. Of the leaves, nuts and oil—Decoc-
tion, paste or poultice and solution. Decoetion : Take of the fresh
leaves, four ounces ; water, two pints ; boil till the liquid is reduced to
half of its quantity, and strain when cool. Paste or poultice : Bruise