# Indian Medicinal Plants/Natural Order Papaveraceæ

N. O. PAPAVERACEÆ.
58. Papaver Rhœas, Linn, h.f.b.i., i. 117.
Vern.:—Lala, lal-posta (H.); Lai poshta, Lal-poshter-gaehh (B.); jungli-Mudrika (Bomb.); Tambadya-Khasa-Khesa-che jhada (M.); Lala; lal-khas-khas-nu-jhada (Guz.); Lal Khas-Khas-ka-jhar (Dec); Shivappu-gasha-gasha-chedi; Shigappu-postaka-chedi (Tam.); Erra-gassa-gasala chetbe; Erra posta-Kaya chethe (TelJ; Kempu-Khasa Khasa Gida (Kan.); Chovanna Kasha-Kashach-cheti (Malay.).
Habitat:—Kashmir.
An annual herb, with a milky juice; branched, hispid, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves 1-2-pinatifid; leaf-lobes more or less cut, ascending, awned. Scapes with spreading and adpressed hairs. Flowers scarlet, 3-4 in. diam. Sepals hairly above. Pairs of petal unequal; filaments filiform. Stigmatic rays overlapping, i. e., reaching or exceeding the edge of the disk. Capsule stalked, subglobose glabrous.
Parts used:—The capsules.
Use:—The milk from the capsules is narcotic and has slightly sedative properties. (Watt).
59. P. dubium Linn. h.f.b.i., i. 117.
Habitat:—Western Himalaya, from Garhwal to Hazara, in cornfields. Simla 4,000-7,000 ft., W. Asia, Europe.
It resembles P. rhoeas, but often glabrous, and leaf segments usually narrower; hairs of scape appressed. Petals scarlet, in unequal pairs. Capsule sessile.
An alkaloid has been extracted from it.
By extraction of the seed capsules of Papaver dubium with light petroleum, a previously unknown alkaloid, aporeine, is obtained. The thick, yellow, amorphous extractive product amounting to 0'0L5 p. c„ yields with 10 p. c. hydrochloric acid, the hydrochloride, which forms glistening scales, melting at about 230°, and gives precipitates with silver nitrate and phosphomolybdic acid. The base forms microscopic leaflets after crystallisation from ether, light petroleum, or chloroform. When a solution of the trace of the alkaloid or its hydrochloride in a drop of nitric acid of sp.gr. 1*3 is dropped into concentrated sulphuric acid, a violet, brown, and finally yellow ​coloration is produced, a similar result being given by the base with strong sulphuric acid in which a crystal of potassium chlorate has been dissolved.
The hydrochloride gives a greyish-blue, green, brown, and finally black coloration, with a solution of 2 or 3 drops of 40 per cent, formalin in 3 C C. of concentrated sulphuric acid ; with strong sulphuric acid, especially in the presence of potassium nitrate, or with fuming nitric and sulphuric acids in the presence of potassium dichromate, a brown coloration. The hydrochloride produces on the tongue at first a burning and then a numbing sensation. The alkaloid is a tetanus poison, similar to thebaine— (J. Ch. S. LXXXVIII, part I., p. 368).
60. P. somniferum, Linn. h.f.b.i., i. 117. Roxb. Fl. Ind. II. 571.
Sans.:—Apoka (Apiura), Ahiphena (foam of a serpent); Saphenaka (foamy).
Vern.:—Nabatul-khash-khash (Arab); Koknar (Pers.); Post, khaskbas-ka per (Hind.); Khash-kbash-ka-jhar (Dec.); Gasha gasha-chedi, postaka chedi (Tam.); Gasagasala-chettu, posta-kaya-chettu (Teh); Kasha-kashach-cheti (Mai.); Khasa-khasi-gida (Kan); Poshta, poshtar-gochh, afima (Beng.); Khasa-khasa-chen jhada (Mar.); Khas kbasnu-jhada (Guz.); Bhin-bin, bh-airi-bin (Burm): Khasakhasi-chenjhada (Bom.).
An annual herb, with a milky juice; rarely branched, 2-4 ft., glaucous, simple, usually quite glabrous. Leaves oblong, amplexicaul, lobed, toothed and serrate, sometimes ovate-oblong or linear-oblong Flowers large white, on long peduncles, purple or scarlet. Sepals glabrous. Filaments slightly dilated. Ovary one-celled. Stigma discoid, with radiating lobes opposite the placentas which project into the cell Capsule 1 in. diam., stalked, globose, glabrous, stigmatic rays 5-12, persistent, have each a small valve under the lobes, through which the innumerable, fine, white, delicious, oily seeds escape. There are black seeds also, say Hooker f. and Thorn., but I have never seen them on this side of India.
Cultivated throughout India. The largest quantity comes to Bombay from Malwa.
Chemistry.—
    1. The seeds are alkaloid-free.
    2. The alkaloids may be detected in minute quantity in seedlings, after about 14 days' growth.
    3. From this point until the seeds begin to store albumin, an increase in alkaloidal content takes places.
    4. This increase is not constant, bat varies with the intensity of illumination, under which the plant develops, long periods of overcast sky sufficing to reduce the alkaloid content to a minimum.
    5. As the seeds ripen, the alkaloid content decreases.
    6. Daring the ripening of the seeds, the alkaloids are gradually consumed by the plant in effecting albumin synthesis and cannot, therefore, be regarded as products of excretion.
    7. It is probable that the decrease in alkaloid content, during cloudy weather noted under (4), is due to similar causes, namely, alkaloid consumption by the plant for albumin synthesis during failing light.
(Chemical Abstracts, Jan. 10, 1915, p. 94.)
Formation and distribution of certain alkaloids in it.
The alkaloids appear in the following order, narcotine, codeine, morphine, papaverine, thebaine, the first four being found when the plant is only 5-7 cm. high. The flowering plant, up till the time of ripening, contains narcotine, papaverine, codeine, and morphine in all its organs, with the exception of the hairs. The latex varies in composition in different parts of the plant. Narcotine, codeine and morphine are found in all the organs of the ripe plant. Narcotine is produced— from the albumin of the seeds, and is found in seeds which have germinated in nitrogen-free soil. This alkaloid is present in moderate amount in very young plants; the quantity is much greater in the flower-heads than in the unripe seed-capsules. J. Ch. I. 31. 12, 1910, p. 1471.
It is known that opium is more active therapeutically than its morphine content would indicate- Experiments are now described, indicating that this is due to the narcotine contained in the opium. The effect is not of an additive character, but apparently the narcotine strengthens the narcotic and tonic action of the morphine and lessens the injurious action of the latter on the respiratory centre. The most effective mixture appears to be one of equimolecular quantities of the two alkaloids. J. Ch. I. 31. 7. 1912, p. 700.
61. P. Orientale, Linn. h.f.b.i, i. 117.
Cultivated in Gardens.
Two alkaloids, thebaine and isothebaine, have been isolated. During May and June, the period of most rapid growth, thebaine is largely produced, while isothebaine is found mainly in the root during late fall, and after ripening and drying of the aerial plant. ​
The Secondary Alkaloids.
The amorphous basic mixture, obtained after the separation of thebaine and isothebaine, contains 2 alkaloids without, and at least 3 with phenolic properties.
(Chemical Abstracts for February 10, 1915, pp. 298-300.)
The non-phenolic alkaloids consist of protopine, m. pt. 204°-205°C. and an amorphous alkaloid very soluble in organic solvents, whilst the phenolic alkaloids consist of a new alkaloid, glucidine, m. pt. about 238°-239°C., (a) D about -f 47 to -f- 54°, giving color reactions similar to, and apparently closely related to, glaucine, and a mixture of amorphous alkaloids too small in amount to separate and characterise— J. Ch. I. for October 31, 1914, p. 1026.
62. Argemone mexicana, Linn. h.f.b.i., i. 117. Roxb. 426.
Engl:—The Mexican or Prickly Poppy.
Sanskrit:—Srigala-Kanta; brahmadandi.
Vern.:—Bharbhand, piladhutura, farangi-dhutura, ujar-Kanta Shial-kanta, sial-kanta (H.); Baro-Sliial kanta (B.); Gokuhla janum (Santal); Bharbhurwa, ETarwah kantela (N.-W. P.); Kandiari, Snlkanta bhatmil, Satyanasa, bherband, Katci, bhat-kateya (Pb.); Farangi dhatura, bharamdandi, daruri, pila-dhatura (Dack.); Darudi (Guj.); Firangidhotra, daruri, pinvala-dhotra, kante-dhotra (Mar.); Biratna-dandu, Kurukkum-Chedi, (Tarn.); Brahma daudi-chettu (Tel.); Datturi, datturi-gidda (Kan.); Brahma-danti (Mal.); Kanta-kusham (Uriya).
Habitat:—By roadside and Simla 5,000 ft., in fields through-out India.
An erect, prickly, robust annual herb, with copious yellow juice and rigid prickles, growing wild in rich roadside places and rice-fields, after the crops of rice-plants are cut down; stem sometimes half-woody below, 2-4 ft., with spreading branches. Leaves 3-7 in., amplexicaul, glaucous-green, blotched with white, deeply repand, sinuate, pinnatifid, with thorny teeth. Peduncles erect, both before and after flowering. Flowers yellow, scentless 1-3 in. diam. Calyx glabrous and prickly; sepals horned at the top. Petals 4-6; stamens numerous. Stigmas 4-5, radiating free, red. Capsules f-lj in. long, terete, prickly, 4-5-valved; obovate, or elliptic-oblong, 1-celled; opening by valves at the apex. Seeds spherical, shining, black, pitted. ​ Parts used:—The seeds, and roots.
Uses:—The yellow juice of this plant is used as a medicine for dropsy, jaundice, and cutaneous affections. It is also diuretic, relieves blisters, and heals excoriations and indolent ulcers. (Watt). The seeds yield on expression a fixed oil, which has long been in use amongst West India practitioners as an aperient. The unfavorable report of Sir W. O'Shaugh-nessy (Bengal disp., p. 183) led to its being neglected; but more recent trials of its properties by several medical officers in Bengal serve to prove that in half drachm doses it acts as a gentle aperient, and at the same time allays, apparently by a sedative action, the pain in colic. The smallness of the doses, and the mildness of its operation are recommendations to its employment. Age apparently affects its activity, the freshly prepared oil proving more energetic and uniform in operation than that which has been long on hand. Applied to herpetic and other forms of skin disease, it is reported to exercise a well-marked soothing Influence, according to Dr. Bonavia and others (Indian Med. Gaz. 1866, vol. i., p. 206). As a local application to indolent and ill-conditioned ulcers, the expressed yellow glutinous juice of the plant is held in much esteem by the natives. Dr. W. Dymock, of Bombay reports having used it thus with good effect. The native practice of applying this juice to the eye in ophthalmia is dangerous. Both in a chemical and therapeutical point of view, this plant appears worthy of investigation. (Ph. Ind.).
"The seeds are laxative, emetic, nauseant, expectorant and demulcent; the oil, a drastic purgative, nauseant and expectorant; and the root, an alterative tonic. The seeds and oil have also a beneficial effect over asthma.
"The seeds are useful in cough and catarrhal affections of the throat and pulmonary mucous membrane, and in pertussis and asthma. Though they do not appear to possess any anti-spasmodic property, they have a distinct control over asthma, apparently, from their combined actions of nauseant, emetic, expectorant and demulcent. As their use is often accompanied by more or less vomiting and nausea, they are more suited ​as a laxative medicine to some pulmonary affections than other diseases. The oil is serviceable in some cases in which jalap, rhubarb and castor-oil are indicated, and also in some bronchial and catarrhal affections. The use of the root is attended with benefit in some chronic cases of skin diseases.
"There is a great difference in opinion as to the action and dose of the oil of Argemone MexiCana. Some say that thirty minims of it act as an efficient cathartic, while others consider it to be quite inert and incapable of producing any-purgative effect in "ounce doses." I have got this oil prepared three or four times in my own presence, and tried it in many cases. The former opinion is quite correct, and with regard to the latter, it is necessary to say that the oil, so far from being inert in "ounce doses," is unsafe in more than forty minim doses, and produces a dangerous hypercatharsis when the dose is increased to one drachm. If the oil is fresh, its average dose is twenty-five minims; and, if old, thirty-five. It is a good drastic or hydragogue cathartic in such doses, and generally produces from 5 to 12 motions. Ics advantage over jalap, rhubarb, castor-oil, &c, is the smallness of its doses; and over the croton oil, its freeness from unpleasant, nauseous and acrid taste. Its disadvantages as a purgative are, firstly, that its action is not uniform even in its average dose which produces more than fifteen or sixteen motions at one time, and only three or four at another; and, secondly, that it is generally accompanied by vomiting at the commencement of its operation. Though the latter is not severe, yet it has a very unpleasant effect in a purgative medicine. Hypercatharsis from the use of this oil is not generally attended with great debility and other dangerous symptoms, frequently observed under a similar condition from croton oil and some other purgatives." (Moodeen Sheriff's Materia Medica of Madras).
In the Concan, the juice with milk is given in leprosy. * * * An extract made from the whole plant has been found to have an aperient action, and the milky juice to promote the healing of indolent ulcers. I have not noticed any bad effects from its application to the eyes. Its use as an external application to the eyelids in conjunctivitis was probably introduced into ​this country by the Portugese, who appear to have adopted it in Brazil as a substitute for the Argemone of the Greeks and Romans which was used for a similar purpose (Dymock).
"The yellow juice mixed with Ghi is given internally in gonorrhoea (D. R. Thompson, M.D., C.I.E.)"
"I found the juice very useful in scabies. Asst.-Surgeon Gowry Coomar Mukerji found the powdered root in drachm doses useful in tapeworm (R. L. Dutt, M.D.)"—Watt's Dictionary.
The smoke of the seeds is used in Delhi to relieve tooth-ache. It is also said to be useful in caries of the teeth.
The seeds are used as a purgative in syphilis.
In leprosy it is used as follows:—
One tola of the juice, early in the morning, taken on empty stomach.
It is said to cure leprosy in 40 days.
"The juice is useful in malarious fevers of a low chronic type. How it acts I am not sure, bat I believe it has some specific effect (germicidal) on the malarial parasites and, secondly, it acts probably as a purgative.
"I have only tried this juice in a few cases— about six or seven cases— and it only acted well in one or two cases; so I cannot speak with confidence.
"I believe the oil is abetter preparation than the juice, which is an unstable compound.
"I am certain also the oil is a powerful alterative in syphilis and leprosy, the same as Neem oil, but I have not used it yet for this purpose.
"This drug has only lately come to my notice, and I believe there is a great future before it (Major D. B. Spencer, I. M. S.)
Chemistry.— Charbonnier claimed to have isolated morphine, and his statement was confirmed by Ortega. Peckolt, however, concluded that the plant contained a new alkaloid, argemonine, and not morphine.
To determine this question, Mr. J. O. Schlotterbeck exhausted a large quantity of the dried plant, with chloroform, and obtained a large yield of berberine, whilst a second alkaloid, identified as protopine, was extracted with ether from the filtrate.
In Schlotterbeck's opinion, protopine was the substance regarded as morphine by Charbonnier. and as a new alkaloid by Peckolt. ​
Potassium nitrate was identified among the salts naturally existing in the plant. J. S. Ch. I. April 31, 1902, p. 560.
Some crushed seeds were steam-distilled by K. Bhaduri of Calcutta. The distillate had a slight opalescence and a very pungent odour, but no oil came over. Extraction of the crushed seeds with petroleum-ether gave 22*3% of a pale greenish yellow oil with a green fluorescence. The oil obtained by pressing the crushed seeds was deep brown, mild odour, tasteless, d 2S 0*9117, 32 d 100 0.9007, n D . 43.34, sapon. no. 185.5, acetyl no. t 27'9, acid no. 146, I. no. 1067, R.-M. no. 0.61, Hehner no. 94.02, glycerol 15*48%, Maumene test 65°. The oil, very thin at first, gradually thickens on keeping. AcOH and valeric acid are present. The mixed fatty acids, pale in color and thin, showed : d 23 09065, d 100 0*8889, sapone. no. 194, I no. 147*4 ; temp, of turbidity 22°; contains 8* 14% of lauric acid. No stearic acid is present.— Chemical Abstracts for March 20, 1914, pp. 1186-7.
63. Meconopsis aculeata, Royle. h.f.b.i, i. 118.
Vern.:—Guddi kum (Jhelum); Gudi (Ravi); Kanada (Sutlej) Kanta (Simla); (Pb); Kanda (Kumaon).
Habitat:—Western. Himalaya, from Kashmir to Kumaori. 11-1,5000 ft.
A prickly herb, stem leafy, 1-2 ft., smooth, except the short scattered prickles, leaves irregularly pinnatifid, 4-8 in. oblong or lanceolate, long petioled, cauline, sessile. Flowers blue-purple, 2-3 in. diam. Pedicels slender, prickly in fruit. Capsules short and densely bristly and prickly, J-f in., obconic-obovate or oblong, style half as long.
Part used:—The root.
Use:—In Kashmir, the root is considered as a narcotic, and in Chumba regarded as poisonous. (Stewart).
64. M. Nipalensis, D.C. h.f.b.i, i. 118.
Habitat:—Temperate Himalaya, Nepal, and Sikkim.
A perennial herb, with yellow juice, stellately pubescent and laxly hairy, stem 3-5 ft , stout, erect, nearly simple ; young-parts clothed with soft gold villous hairs. Leaves sinuate-lobed or pinnatifid. Flowers golden yellow, 2-3y in. diam., in elongated, nearly simple, racemes. Sepals densely tomentose and bristly. Petals 4. Ovary 1-celled, style J in., persistent. Stigmatic lobes, radiating on its clubbed extremity. Capsule ovate-oblong, 8-10-valved ; clothed with ad pressed hairs and stellate down. Seeds small, many, rugose. ​According to Hooker, " a more stately and beautiful plant can hardly be imagined, except the Hollyhock, which it some-what resembles in miniature."
Part used:—The root.
Use:—The root is regarded as a narcotic in Kashmir.
65. M. Wallichii, Hook.; h.f.b.l, i. 119.
Habitat : — Temperate Himalaya, Nepal and Sikkim.
Welsh Poppy.
A prickly perennial herb ; slender, stellately pubescent and softly hairy in tender parts. Stem 4-6 ft., leafy, branched. Leaves 8-12 in., pinnatifid, oblong or obovate. Lanceolate, glaucous beneath, long-petioled. Flowers much panicled, purple 1-1 J in. diam., many, pedicels short. Sepals densely pubescent, not setose. Petals 4. Stamens numerous ; filaments slender ; anthers erect. Style distinct, persistent, stigmatic lobes clubbed. Capsule 1 in., elliptic-oblong, 5-valved, densely bristly, seeds many, small, rugose.
Part used:—The root.
Use:—The root is used as a narcotic in Kashmir.
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