OF MADRAS.
83
Physiological Actions .—The gum is demulcent and emollient ; the
ripe fruit stomachic and refrigerant ; and the leaves carminative and
stomachic.
Therapeutic Uses.—The gum is useful in the same diseases and for
the same purposes as those in which the Gum Arabic is employed ; the
fruit is used with advantage in dyspepsia and in quenching thirst in
febrile conditions ; and the leaves are also administered with benefit in
some slight cases of dyspepsia.
Preparations .—Of the gum—Mucilage, which is prepared in the
same manner as the mucilage of the Indian Gum Arabic described under
the heading of Preparations , in the article of Acacia Arabica. Of the
fruit—Syrup : Take of the pulp of the ripe fruit, ten ounces ; mix well
in thirty ounces of water and strain through cloth; add twenty ounces
of refined sugar to the strained liquid, and apply heat till the sugar is
dissolved and the liquid assumes the consistence of a thick syrup. Of the
leaves—Infusion : Take of the fresh leaves, three ounces ; boiling water,
one pint ; infuse in a closed vessel for two hours and strain.
Doses .—Of the mucilage, from two to four fluid ounces ; of the syrup,
from four fluid drachms to one fluid ounce ; and of the infusion, from
two to four fluid ounces ; three or four times in the twenty-four hours.
European Drugs , for which, they may be substituted.—The gum for
the Gum Arabic and Tragacanth imported from Europe ; the syrup for
effervescing draughts, diluted phosphoric and sulphuric acids ; and the
leaves for Dill and Anise.
Remarks.—The gum of Feronia Elephantum occurs in small round-
ish, oblong or tapering tears, or in broken pieces, varying in size from
a pea to a soap-nut ; generally colorless and transparent, sometimes
opaque with numerous minute cracks on the surface ; odorless, bland and
m u c i l a g i n o u s i n t a s t e . T h i s g u m i s v e r y f r e q u e n t l y c o n f o u n d e d w i t h t h e I n d i a n G u m A r a b i c , f o r i t n o t o n l y b e a r s a g r e a t r e s e m b l a n c e t o i t ,
but there is also a great similarity between the pronunciation of the
Tamil names of both, the former being called " Vilàmpishin ," and the
latter " Vélam-pishin ." Feronia gum being rather scarce and compara-
tively very dear, the native druggists take advantage of the above
facts, and generally pick out the whiter and more transparent pieces
from the Indian Gum Arabic and sell for the former. The only ready
and practical difference between these gums is that the gum of F. Ele-
phantum is invariably much whiter and more transparent than that of
Acacia Arabica . The two gums are said to be chemically different, but
they make equally good and adhesive mucilages.
The fruit of F. Elephantum or wood-apple is invariably globular
with a hard, dull-white, greenish-white or ash-colored rind, and varies
in size generally from a small orange to a middle-sized pomegranate. It
is one-celled with a large five-lobed cavity, which contains a reddish
brown and sub-acid pulp. On account of its cheapness, the wood-apple
is often used for adulteration with the bael-fruit, but the difference
between them is so great that they can be easily distinguished from each
other. ( See remarks under Ægle Marmelos. )
Feronia Elephantum, Corr . 149. The small variety.
Habitat.—Not cultivated, but found growing in many jungles and
edges.