OF MADRAS.
135
or on a sand-bath. Of the bark—Compound Decoction: Take of the
inner bark of Acacia Aiabica, Tamarindus Indica, Albizzia Lebbek, Cassia
aurieulata, Ficus glomerata, and. Odina Wodier, cut into small pieces,
each five ounces; water ten pints; boil on a slow fire till the liquid
is reduced to four pints, and strain when cool.
Doses.—Of the Mucilage, from four to eight fluid ounces in the 24
hours, or ad libitum. Of the Simple-powder, from forty to eighty
grains; and of the Compound-powder, from thirty to sixty grains; 3 or
4 times in the 24 hours. Of the Extract or Aqáqíyá, from twenty to
sixty grains, 3 or 4 times in the 24 hours.
European Drugs for which they may be substituted.—The Mucilage of
the picked variety of this gum, for the same preparation of the true
Gum-arabic imported from Europe; the Simple and the Compound
Powders, for Pulvis Cretæ Aromaticus, Puly. Cretæ Aromaticus cum
Opio, Pulvis Cateehu Co. and Pulvis Kino Co. ; and the Extract or
A Aqáqíyá for Logwood and its extract, Rhatany and its extract, Catechu,
Kino. Botany Bay Kino, Pulvis Ipecaeuanhæ Co. and Pulvis Opii Co. ;
and the Compound Decoction, for the Tincture of Myrrh.
Remarks.—As far as my knowledge extends, the gum produced by
A. Arabica (the Indian Gum-arabic) is the cheapest and most abun
-dant of all the gums in India, and its picked variety can be used as a
very good substitute for the true Gum-arabic imported from Europe.
Although it generally consists of a mixture of tears and lumps which
differ a great deal in their appearance and vary from a perfect clearness
and colorlessness to a yellowish, reddish, dusky or deep brown color, yet
the best portion of it bears the greatest resemblance to, forms a very
good substitute for, and is quite identical in its medicinal and chemical
properties with, the real variety of the drug. The best or picked
variety of the Indian Gum-arabic occurs in tears and lumps of various
sizes from that of a small walnut downwards. The tears and lumps
are generally roundish, ovoid or oblong ; occasionally vermicular or
irregular; and rarely stalactiform. They are always smooth, shining
and more or less transparent, except when they are covered with dust or
contaminated with bark, sand or other accidental impurities. When
quite dry the tears are brittle, break with a vitreous fracture, bland and
mucilaginous in taste. This gum is very soluble in water, but insoluble
in alcohol, ether and chloroform. A watery solution of it forms an
opaque white jelly with subacetate of lead. 'The powder of it does not
become blue on the addition of an aqueous solution of Iodine.
Aqáqíyá is a watery extract of the fresh-pods of Acacia vera, A. nilotica
and several other species of Acacia which yield the Gum-arabic of com
-merce. It is supposed to be prepared in some parts of Egypt and
Arabia and imported to Bombay, and the latter is the source of its
supply to Madras and many other places in India. I have tried and
succeeded in preparing Aq á q í y á f r o m t h e f r e s h l e g u m e s o fA
c a c i a A r a b i c a
as already described under the heading of " Preparations." The drug
prepared by me, which may be called the Indian variety of Aqáqíyá, is
very superior, as a medicine, to all the foreign or imported varieties,
apparently from its being new and pure, while the latter are generally
very old and more or less contaminated with accidental or intentional
impurities. It is also much cheaper as I shall presently explain.