Indian Medicinal Plants/Natural Order Gnetaceæ
N. 0. GNETACEÆ.
1212. Ephedra vulgaris, Rich., h.f.b.l, v. 640.
Vern. : — Amsânia, Butshur, Chena (Pb.) Khanda, Khama (Kunawar) ; Phok (Sutlej).
Habitat: — Temperate and Alpine Himalaya and Western Tibet in the drier regions, altogether 7-12,000 ft., 12-16,000 ft. in Sikkim.
A low-growing, rigid, tufted shrub, with usually a gnarled stem and erect green branches which are striate and nearly smooth. Bracts connate to the middle, not margined, eciliate, rarely produced into minute linear leaves. Spikelets ¼ to ⅓ inch, subsessile, often whorled ; fruiting with often fleshy, red, succulent bracts, 1 to 2 seeded. Seeds bi-convex or plano-convex. (Hooker.)
Uses : — The authors of Pharmacographia Indica write :— -" A specimen of the Persian plant kindly furnished to one of us by Air. K. R. Cama of Bombay, was identified at Kew as E. vulgaris. Dried branches of the Huma are still brought from Persia to India for use in Parsi ceremonial, and it is considered to have medicinal properties. The plant was used by the ancient Arians, and is probably the same as the Soma of the Vedas. * * * * T. V. Biektine (Bolnitch. Gaz. Botkina, 1891, No. 19, pp. 473—476) has brought to notice the use of a decoction of the stems and roots of E. vulgaris as a popular remedy for rheumatism and syphilis in Russia, and of the juice of the berries in affections of the respiratory passages. After administering the decoction himself in a number of cases of rheumatism, acute and chronic, he comes to the conclusion that the plant is especially valuable in acute muscular and articular forms of the disease : the pain is relieved, the pulse becomes less rapid and softer, and the respiration easier. Within 5 or 6 days the temperature becomes normal, the swelling of the joints disappears, and after about 12 days' treatment the patient is cured. In several cases marked diuresis was observed before or about the time that the temperature began to decrease ; the drug was also observed to improve the digestion and promote the action of the bowels. In chronic cases the action of Ephedra was less marked, and in two cases of rheumatic sciatica and osteo-myelitis hardly any effect was produced, but it is only fair to remark that antipyrine, salicylate of soda, antifebrine, salol, &c, also failed to afford relief in these two cases. The decoction used by Dr. Biektine was made with 3.85 grams of the drug to 180 grams of water. Kobert has shown that 0.20 gram of ephedrine injected into the veins of dogs and cats produces violent excitement, general convulsions, exopthalmia and mydriasis. (Nouveaux Remedes, Aug. 8th, 1891.) Pharmacographia Indica, III. 369-370.
The American aborigines of Pima use Teamster's Tea (Ephedra antisyphilitica, Berland) as a beverage. (B. D. B.)
Chemical composition— Dr. N. Nagai (Tokio Chem. Society, through Chem. Zeit., 1890, p. 441) obtainedthe'alkaloid Ephedrine from the stem of Ephedra vulgaris (Ma-oh). Its composition is C15H10NO ; by oxidation the alkaloid is split into benzoic acid, monomethylamine and oxalic acid. Isoephedrine, melting point 114°C, is obtained by heating ephedrine, melting point 30°C, with hydrochloric acid in a closed tube to 180°C. The constitution of ephedrine is C°H5CH2 CH (NHCH3 ) CH2OH, and that of isoephedrine is C5H5CH2C (OH) (NH CH3 ) CH6 .
The hydrochlorate of ephedrine forms acicular crystals which are freely soluble in water. Mr. J. G. Prebble (1889) found the twigs of E. vulgaris to contain 3 per cent, of a tannin, giving a whitish precipitate with gelatine and acetate of lead, and a greenish precipitate with acetate of iron. (Phar- macographia Indica).
1213. E. pachyclada, Boiss. h.f.b.i., v. 641.
Vern. : — Hum, Huma, (Pers. Bomb.).
Habitat : — Western Himalaya, in the drier regions, and Western Tibet, from Garhwal westwards.
A rather tall shrub, more robust them E. Vulgaris, and more scabrid. Branches rather stout, erect, striate, scaberulous, bracts connate to the middle, margined, eciliate, anthers about 6 sessile or subsessile. I can find no good characters in the spikes and flowers except the more or less margined bracts (Hooker).
Uses : — The same as of E. Vulgaris. The ashes are used as a snuff and dye in Afghanistan.