The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-03-14
MILK OF TIE MApAR.
EAs Magic IHauenOe Of One Of the Herbs
Of India.

harmless looking plants flourish abund-
antly, yet possessing some strange and
some of the most deadly qualities. A
plant, called the ma lar, from two to
four feet high, grows in isolated groups
along rOadsides and in open sunny
place 1t is soft and branching, with
broad, thick, dark green leaves COW
cred with down, and large white wRxcn
flowers, family tinged with pink toward
the center. The first time | discovered
1t to have curative value was on get
ting sprained thumb through an up
set OF my dOg-cart, causing swelling of
the whole hand with severe pain. While
trying in vain all the ordinary home
resources my bearer Jhoti, who stood a
stoical witness of the calculations and
contOrtions which the pain and failure
of remedies elected, at length suggested
the madar leaf
Glad of any chance, though placing
little faith in his nostrum, agreed
readily; and he soon appeared with
madar leaf, which he applied hot to the
hand and tied firmly round. The relief
seemed almost to begin from the moment
OF application. and in quarter of an
hour the pain had nearly subSided,
while the hand felt more elastic with the
rapid decrease of the swelling In an
hour or two there was no per.
ception of pain left, and the hand felt
much like the other except for little
stiffness Keeping on the leaf, by his
advice, for twenty.four hours, with ono
or two fresh changes during that time,
there appeared afterward minute crop
Of watery pustules, which itched for a
day or two and then disappeared No
trace OF pain or swelling remained.
After such an experience my incredulity
In native remedies was somewhat shaken
and the plant, which had hitherto
seemed but useless weed, now rose
into new interest. The hurry Of the
native for his madar leaf his neem. tree
leaf or bark for pOultices, his castor
leaf, ETC., for sprains and swellings now
say0red less to me of native simplicity,
and inspired desire to test their RENE
dies before condemnng them. On other
occasions have used tho madar leaf
with the same result, often wondering
whether lis efficacy were known to our
medical faculty, or ever tested for EN-.
ployment in wider or more scientific
sense.
But 1t Is the milk Of the madar which,
like the poppy, contains its strangest
and most powerful property, and exudes
abundantly on the slightest s:rat h OF
its succulent leaf or stem. When dried
in the sun, the milk Eecomes hard and
brittle. The natives profess to use it
for any obstinate sore, especially in the
nOstril, and it was when used for this
ostensible purpose that witnessed its
effects among my servants, caused either
from absorption in the blood or acciden-
tai swallowing. binding the khansamah
absent one evening from duty at din
ner, and the masalohie arrayed in his
pugri officiating for him, learned that he
was in very bad way from accidentally
swallowing some OF the madar milk,
which he had applied to sore in his
nostril. With some fear, from the dc.
scription given, that he might be poisoned
and as be was an old and valued serv-
ant, left dinner and went to see him.
He was sitting in front OF the cooking
house, with his face buried in his hands,
in an attitude of the deepest do ection,
from which nothing could rouse him or
elicit word Of answer to my inquiries.
In eight or ten minutes the first
change noticed was slight movement
OF the head to one side and distinct
leer at bis fellow-sevants who were
standing by. This was repeated in q
few seconds, and again at lessening in
tervals, accompanied by sounds of sup
pressed chuckling, rs il the whole affair
were grand Joke which he was playing
ut the expense of those present shortly
the leers, which expressed the most in.
tense mirth, developed into bursts of
laughter loud and ecstatic, with looks of
indescribable en-. .oyment, and began
to doubt whether, after all, we were not
being fooled. The blowing up, how
ever, which | began to give him re-
ceived no notice-if anything, it
seemed TO increase his merriment; but
while yet stood by the hts of laughter
grew less violent, the merriment de-
creased, soon ceased altogether, and the
ft OF depression superyened. This
lasted for about quarter of an hour,
and then the hilarious mood gradually
came on as before, but always of less
duration than tho depression mood.
The paroxyms continued for some hours
till at last the man fell into deep
sleep. Next morning he was at his
work as usual, none the worse, looking
FRESH as evfr, but without any recOllec-
ton of his exhibition the night before.
r AS on several occasions had found
one or ether OF the servants in the
same state, began TO wonder whether
1t was sores in the nOstrils" or whether
the drug had not en- taken to produce
the effect ! had witnessed. The in.
: quiriGS made brought no confirmation
Of the suspicion or showed that the drug
was known or used for that purpose.
However that may be- the fire. ,uent re-.
currence of the accident with the same
: individuals and on so improbable prc
! tenhe fOrccd the inference that the
madar was used as an into o1icant. One
popularity Of it was that highly excit.
ing or intoxicating though it seemed,
= there was No visible reaction OF nervous
depression, disorlered Stomach, elc., o.
in the case of intoxicating liquors. The
terrible elects of larger quantities on
the brain, on which it seems to act, may
be imagined.
l 1t is stated by the natives as familiar
fact that if pro- o is formed from mkt.
: ureOf the madar milk with y pounded rut
! teo-seed-a recognized weight of The
country used by jewellers dried ant
hardended in the sun, and if the Skin
be pricked with this and the point left
: death will follow imperceptibly and pain
/. lessly IN two or three days, leaving nc
trace of the cause medically or other
wise Int the faintgNt speck Ike a mos