Part 63

BAMBUSEÆ.

Bamboo Family.

Nom. Vulg.--Caña, Sp.; Bamboo, Eng.

Linnæus and Blanco include in the genus Bambus all the different species of bamboo to which the Spaniards have given the general name of caña. The plant is of incomparable value to the natives of the Philippines; they build their houses of it, make agricultural and industrial instruments of it, use it in all the varied apparatus of their fisheries and for a multitude of household utensils and furniture.

The variety B. arundinacea, Retz. (B. arundo, Blanco), Kawayag-totóo, Tag., is the largest and most generally employed in making houses and furniture. The tender shoots prepared in lime water are edible but have the deserved reputation of being difficult of digestion.

The variety Schizostachyum acutiflorum, Munro (B. diffusa, Blanco), Osiw, Bokawy, Tag., is less used. The shoots are used to treat opacity of the cornea, for which purpose they are cut when about a palm in height, the outer leaves removed, and the center soaked over night with a little sugar candy. The following day the water in the bottom of the jar is collected and used to paint the cornea.

The variety Dendrocalamus sericens, Munro (B. mitis, Blanco), Taywanak, Tag., is also used in medicine. Its abundant sap is given internally in the treatment of phthisis.

All of the above species and the Dendrocalamus flagellifer, Munro (B. levis, Blanco), Boho, Tag., produce at their joints a hard porcelain-like substance, friable, of opaline color, called "bamboo stone" or "tabashir" in India, where, as well as in the Philippines and Indo-China, it has great repute among the popular remedies. It is given in venereal diseases, hiccough, hemorrhage, fevers and other diseases. As a matter of fact, it is an almost inert substance, the imaginary virtues of which originated, doubtless, in the apparently remarkable fact that a stone (?) was produced inside of a vegetable.

The analysis of M. Guibourt is as follows:

Silicon 96.04 Water 2.94 Lime and potassium 0.13 Organic material Traces.

INDEX OF PLANTS

ACCORDING TO THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES.

Alteratives.--Anona muricata.--Tinospora crispa.--Raphanus sativus.--Bombax malabaricus.--Oxalis corniculata.--Citrus acida and C. Bigaradia.--Mangifera Indica.--Pongamia glabra.--Lawsonia alba.--Hydrocotyle Asiatica.--Alangium Lamarkii.--Oldenlandia corymbosa.--Calotropis gigantea.--Ehretia buxifolia.--Solanum nigrum.--Cassytha filiformis--Euphorbia Tirucalli.--Phyllanthus reticulatus.

Anthelmintics. --Cleome viscosa.--Pangium edule.--Ruta graveolens.--Melia Azedarach.--Dysoxylum Blancoi.--Mangifera Indica.--Anacardium occidentale.--Mucuna pruriens.--Quisqualis Indica.--Punica Granatum. --Jussiæa suffruticosa.--Carica Papaya.--Trichosanthes anguina and T. cucumerina.--Lagenaria.--Momordica.--Hydrocotyle Asiatica.--Sphæranthus Indicus.--Calotropis gigantea.--Tectona grandis.--Clerodendron infortunatum.--Chenopodium ambrosioides.--Echinus Philippinensis.--Cyperus rotundus.--Rhinacanthus communis.

Antispasmodics.--Sida carpinifolia.--Hibiscus Abelmoschus.--Ruta graveolens.--Citrus acida and C. Bigaradia.--Cedrela Toona.--Celastrus paniculata.--Cassia occidentalis.--Carum copticum.--Blumea balsamifera.--Artemisia vulgaris.--Solanum nigrum.--Datura alba.--Nicotiana Tabacum.--Adhatoda vasica.--Chenopodium ambrosioides.--Chloranthus officinalis.

Antiseptics.--Ruta graveolens.--Citrus acida and C. Bigaradia.--Mangifera Indica.--Anacardium occidentale.--Erythrina Indica.--Pongamia glabra.--Entada scandens.--Coffea Arabica.--Blumea balsamifera.--Spilanthes Acmella.--Nerium odorum.--Solanum nigrum.--Nicotiana Tabacum.--Tectona grandis.--Ocimum.--Piper Betle.--Cinnamomum.--Acalypha Indica.--Curcuma longa.--Areca Catechu.--Nipa fruticans.

Astringents.--Tetracera macrophylla.--Michelia Champaca.--Anona squamosa, A. reticulata and A. muricata.--Nelumbium nucifera.--Bixa Orellana.--Garcinia mangostana, G. Cambogia.--Ochrocarpus pentapetalus.--Sida carpinifolia.--Thespesia populnea.--Bombax malabaricus.--Sterculia foetida.--Murraya exotica.--Ægle decandra.--Feronia elephantum.--Melia Azedarach.--Sandoricum Indicum.--Caropa Moluccensis.--Rhamnus Wightii.--Mangifera Indica.--Odina Wodier.--Pterocarpus.--Cæsalpinia Sappan.--Acacia Farnesiana.--Terminalia Catappa and T. Chebula.--Psidium pomiferum.--Melastoma malabatrichum.--Punica Granatum.--Hymenodictyon Indicum.--Tectona grandis.--Achyranthes obtusifolia.--Artocarpus integrifolia.--Casuarina Sumatrana.--Areca Catechu.--Cyperus rotundus.

Acids or Refrigerants.--Oxalis corniculata.--Averrhoa Bilimbi and A. Carambola.--Citrus acida and C. Bigaradia.--Feronia elephantum.--Amaranthus spinosus.--Phyllanthus reticulatus.--Tamarindus Indica.

Balsams.--Calophyllum Inophyllum.--Dipterocarpus turbinatus. Garuga pinnata.--Canarium commune.

Carminatives.--Illicium anisatum.--Cleome viscosa.--Helicteres Isora.--Abroma fastuosa.--Feronia elephantum.--Terminalia Chebula.--Carum copticum.--Foeniculum vulgare.--Plumbago Zeylanica.--Coleus aromaticus.--Rosmarinus officinalis.--Aristolochia Indica.--Zingiber officinale.--Curcuma longa.--Elettaria Cardamomum.

Convulsives.--Strychnos Ignatii.

Cosmetics.--Eriodendrum anfractuosum.--Cocos nucifera.

Diaphoretics.--Cissampelos Pareira.--Sida carpinifolia.--Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis.--Gossypium herbaceum.--Ruta graveolens.--Xanthoxylum oxyphyllum.--Celastrus paniculata.--Hydrocotyle Asiatica. Eupatorium Ayapana.--Blumea balsamifera.--Plumbago Zeylanica. Calotropis gigantea.--Tylophora asthmatica.--Oroxylum Indicum.--Barleria Prionitis.--Justicia Gendarussa.--Ocimum.--Anisomeles ovata.--Crinum Asiaticum.--Cyperus rotundus.--Andropogon Schoenanthus and A. nardus.

Digestives.--Carica Papaya.

Diuretics.--Cissampelos Pareira.--Abutilon Indicum.--Anacardium occidentale.--Abrus precatorius.--Erythrina Indica.--Clitoria ternata.--Cassia occidentalis.--Hydrocotyle Asiatica.--Pæderia foetida.--Spilanthes Acmella.--Achras Sapota.--Ipomoea pes-capræ.--Solanum nigrum.--Limnophila Menthastrum.--Sesamum Indicum.--Lippia nodiflora.--Tectona grandis.--Vitex.--Amaranthus spinosa.--Achyranthes obtusifolia.--Chenopodium ambrosioides.--Phyllanthus reticulatus and P. Niruri.--Allium Cepa.--Cyperus rotundus.--Zea Mays.--Andropogon Schoenanthus.

Emmenagogues.--Michelia Champaca.--Artabotrys odoratissimus.--Anamirta Cocculus.--Cissampelos Pareira.--Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis.--Gossypium herbaceum.--Abroma fastuosa.--Ruta graveolens.--Dysoxylum Blancoi.--Cæsalpinia Sappan and C. pulcherrima.--Citrullus Colocynthis.--Morinda citrifolia.--Blumea balsamifera.--Artemisia vulgaris.--Plumbago Zeylanica.--Plumeria acutifolia.--Sesamum Indicum.--Vitex.--Chenopodium ambrosioides.--Aristolochia Indica.--Casuarina Sumatrana.--Aloes Barbadensis.--Cyperus rotundus.

Emetics.--Hibiscus tiliaceus.--Dysoxylum Blancoi.--Moringa pterygosperma.--Clitoria ternatea.--Entada scandens.--Trichosanthes anguina.--Lagenaria.--Alangium Lamarkii.--Randia dumetorum.--Pæderia foetida.--Allamanda cathartica.--Thevetia neriifolia.--Cerbera Odallam.--Calotropis gigantea.--Tylophora asthmatica.--Justicia Gendarussa.--Acalypha Indica.--Crinum Asiaticum.

Emollients.--Sida carpinifolia.--Abutilon Indicum.--Urena sinuata.--Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis.--Gossypium herbaceum.--Eriodendron anfractuosum.--Helicteres Isora.--Biophytum sensitivum.--Zizyphus Jujuba.--Abrus precatorius.--Clitoria ternata.--Cæsalpinia pulcherrima.--Lawsonia alba.--Luffa Ægyptiaca.--Ipomoea pes-capræ.--Sesamum Indicum.--Acanthus ilicifolius.--Lippia nodiflora.--Plantago erosa.--Musa paradisiaca and M. sapientum.--Curcuma longa.--Allium Cepa.--Cocos nucifera.--Oriza.