Seeds - Specimen details
| Catalogue Number: 63879 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Image | Plant Name | 37.00 ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Peganum harmala | Entry Book Number | ||
| Artefact Name | Seeds | Vernacular Name | |||
| Iso Country | India | TDWG Region | India | ||
| Parts Held | Seeds | Geography Description | India, Bombay | ||
| Uses | SeedsUse: MEDICINES - Digestive System Disorders User: Man | TDWG use | MEDICINES - Digestive System Disorders | ||
| Storage | Bottles, boxes etc | Related Items | |||
| Donor | India Museum | Donor No | |||
| Donor Date | Donor Notes | ||||
| Collector | Collector No | ||||
| Collection Notes | Collection Date | ||||
| Exhibition | Expedition | ||||
| Number Components | Publication | ||||
| Notes: | Label source: This drug, as found in the bazaar, consists of the seeds mixed with a few pedicels surmounted by the five-partite calyx and portions of the three celled, three furrowed capsule. The seeds are of a dullish greyish-brown colour, irregularly a, ngular, and about one eigth of an inch long; they have a heavy narcotic odour when crushed, and a bitter taste. Examined under the microscope, the testa which is rough and squamous, maybe seen to consist of two rows of large honey combed cells, the walls, of which contain brown colouring matter. The kernel is greyish and when a section is placed in glycerine for examination it immediately develops a fine green fluorescence; it consists of two longish cotyledons surrounded by albumen; the cells of both appe, ar granular. Some seed crushed and treated with water for a few minutes produced after filtering a pale yellow liquid with a marked green fluorescence; this was destroyed by alkalis and restored by acids. A further examination of the seeds was made by exh, austing them with rectifyed benzene, spt. Rectificatus, and water acidulated with hydrochloric acid. The benzene solution was of a pale yellow colour and upon evaporation yielded a rich reddish brown oil having no very marked odour and a nauseous taste. T, he tincture made with rectified spirit was of a deep red like tinct. Lavendulae comp., very opaque and very fluorescent. Upon evaporation it yielded a soft extract of the colour of Dragons Blood and the odour of Cannabis indica. This, when exhausted, with, water, gave a pale red solution with a green fluorescence, which, when treated with a solution of oxalate of ammonia, threw down the red colouring matter and became pale yellow but retained its fluorescence. The remained of the spirituous extract after c, omplete exhaustion with water consisted of a soft resin of a deep carmine lake colour, having a heavy narcotic odour like the resin of Cannabis indica. The portion treated with acidulated water yielded a pale sherry coloured fluorescence solution, which u, pon evaporation gave a soft yellow extract, with an odour like honey; the greater part of this disolved in rectified spirit forming a yellow fluorescent solution; this, after filtration, is evaporated to a thin syrup, and upon cooling formed a dark brown, crystalline mass, which was not further examined, as the alkaloids contained in the seeds have already been fully investigated. Vide Watts Dict. Article 'Harmaline'. In native works on Materia Medica Hurmala is described as an alterative and purifying med, icine in Atrabilis, and also in diseases supposed to arise from cold humours such as palsy, lumbago etc ; it is also said to stimulate the sexual system both in the male and female increasing the flow of milk and menses in the latter. For administration a, concentrated decoction is mixed with sweet oil and honey, or the crushed seeds are boiled in wine down to one fouth of the original bulk of the latter, and the mixture strained. Vide 'Makhzan ul adwiya', article 'Hurmal' Dr Pandurang Gopal, a medical gra, duate of the Bombay University has experimented with this drug. He informs me that the infusion or tincture acts as a stimulant emmenogogue, and produces slight intoxication like Cannabis indica. He gave the tincture in half a drachm doses to a female suf, furing from amenorrhoea, and it had the effect of producing a free menstrual discharge; in five cases of dysmenorrhoea he has found it affective in restoring a free discharge, he further says that it is sometimes used by the native midwives to procure abo, rtion. Dr Pandurang believes it has properties in common with ergot, savin and rue. The equal activity of watery and spirituous preparations may be explained by the fact that the red resinous colouring matter is a secondary product formed by the oxidation, of the alkaloid hurmaline; it is only produced after a prolonged digestion of the seeds in spirit. Hurmal seed is imported from Persia, but the plant has been introduced into India by the Mahomentans, and in this presidency is to be found in abundance am, ong the ruins of Beejapur. The Persian name is Sipand. When sprinkled upon buring coals it is supposed to avert malignant influence of the evil eye. Its medical properties are worthy of further investigation. Dymock Pharm Journ. | ||||