have been careful to indicate the flowering season of each plant. By making excursions to the towns of San Mateo and Angono I have obtained an abundance of whatever I sought and at the same time have learned by talking with the mountaineers and “curanderos,” what uses they make of their plants. The “curanderos” know a great deal concerning these uses, but become very reticent as soon as they are questioned about them. Whether it is dread of ridicule or selfishness or fear that silences them, the fact remains that it is no easy matter to glean any useful facts from them. And yet by tact and friendliness one may elicit much more information from them than first impressions would lead one to hope.
Leaves should be gathered when fully developed, rejecting the old, dried and worm-eaten ones.
The best time to gather bark is one month before the period of inflorescence, when it is rich in sap. The flowers are best gathered when about half expanded. The fruit is gathered green or ripe according to the active principle sought. The seeds should always be mature.
Not all parts of the plant are equally provided with the active principle which may be localized in the root or the flower; or distinct principles may exist in different parts of the same plant. Therefore the part indicated, and only that part, should be employed.
In the root the active substance usually resides in the bark, sometimes in the parenchyma that envelopes the woody tissue and rarely in the woody tissue itself, as, for example, in “rhubarb” and “pareira brava.”
The stem bark is also a frequent seat of the active principle, of which the outer portion contains the greater amount, according to the valuable experiments of Howard.
Some plants owe their therapeutic importance to their wood, others to their leaves or flowers, and regarding the localization of the active principle in these parts we have nothing especial to indicate. The fruit, however, may have a pericarp consisting of mucilage, starch, sugar and gum, etc., while the seeds contain fatty matter, fixed or essential oils or alkaloids, as is the case with coffee and cacao. In view of these facts, we repeat that it is indispensable to use that part of each plant which I have indicated as applicable to a determined case or condition.
I earnestly hope that the physicians and pharmacists practising in the Philippines may undertake investigations and experiments regarding the therapeutic properties of the plants of my native land, and that my endeavors may have acted as a stimulus or inspiration to the loyal and earnest study of the subjects that are now awakening such interest, not only in Europe and America, but in India and Japan.
I should be pleased to receive notes, plants or reports of researches from any one interested in the subject matter of this book, and I shall consider it a pleasure, as well as a duty, to devote my forces, small as they may be, to aiding any one who may do me the honor to claim my assistance.
T. H. P. de Tavera.
Paris, April, 1892.
Contents.
Dicotyledonous, Polypetalous.
Dilleniaceæ—Tetracera macrophylla 17–18
Magnoliaceæ—Illicium anisatum, Michelia Champaca 18–20
Anonaceæ—Artabotrys odoratissimus, Anona squamosa, A. reticulata, A. muricata 20–22
Menispermaceæ—Tinospora crispa, Anamirta Cocculus, Cissampelos Pareira 22–27
Nymphæaceæ—Nymphæa Lotus, Nelumbium nucifera 27–28
Papaveraceæ—Argemone Mexicana 29–30
Cruciferæ—Brassica juncea, Raphanus sativus 30–31
Capparidaceæ—Cleome viscosa, Cratæva religiosa 31–32
Bixineæ—Bixa Orellana, Pangium edule 32–34
Portulacaceæ—Portulaca oleracea 34
Guttiferæ—Garcinia mangostana, G. venulosa, G. Cambogia, G. morella, Ochrocarpus pentapetalus, Calophyllum Inophyllum, Mesua ferrea 35–40
Dipterocarpeæ—Dipterocarpus turbinatus 40–42
Malvaceæ—Sida carpinifolia, Abutilon Indicum, Urena sinuata, Hibiscus Abelmoschus, H. tiliaceus, H. Rosa-Sinensis, Thespesia populnea, Gossypium herbaceum, Bombax malabaricum, Eriodendron anfractuosum 42–51
Sterculiaceæ—Sterculia fœtida, S. urens, Kleinhovia hospitata, Helicteres Isora, Abroma fastuosa, Theobroma Cacao 51–57
Geraniaceæ—Oxalis corniculata, Biophytum sensitivum, Averrhoa Bilimbi, A. Carambola 58–61
Rutaceæ—Ruta graveolens, Xanthoxylum oxyphyllum, Murraya exotica, M. Koenigi, Citrus acida, Bigaradia decumana, Ægle decandra, Feronia elephantum 61–70
Simarubaceæ—Samadera Indica 71–72
Burseraceæ—Garuga pinnata, Canarium commune 72–75
Meliaceæ—Melia Azedarach, Dysoxylum Blancoi, Sandoricum Indicum, Carapa Moluccensis, Cedrela Toona 75–80
Celastraceæ—Celastrus paniculata 80–81
Rhamnaceæ—Zizyphus Jujuba, Rhamnus Wightii 81–82
Anacardiaceæ—Mangifera Indica, Anacardium occidentale, Odina Wodier 82–86
Moringeæ—Moringa pterygosperma 86–88
Leguminosæ (Papilionaceæ)—Agati grandiflora, Abrus precatorius, Mucuna pruriens, Erythrina Indica, Clitoria ternatea, Pterocarpus santalinus, P. Indicus, P. erinaceus, Pongamia glabra 88–95
Leguminosæ (Cæsalpineæ)—Cæsalpinia Bonducella, C. Sappan, C. pulcherrima, Cassia fistula, C. occidentalis, C. alata, Tamarindus Indica, Bauhinia malabarica 96–106
Leguminosæ (Mimoseæ)—Entada scandens, Parkia Roxburghii, Acacia Farnesiana 106–109
Crassulaceæ—Kalanchoe laciniata 109–110
Combretaceæ—Terminalia Catappa, T. Chebula, Quisqualis Indica 110–113
Myrtaceæ—Psidium pomiferum, Eugenia Jambolana 113–116
Melastomaceæ—Melastoma malabatrichum 116–117
Lythraceæ—Ammannia vesicatoria, Lawsonia alba, Punica Granatum 117–122
Onagraceæ—Jussiæa suffruticosa 122–123
Passifloraceæ—Carica Papaya 123–127
Cucurbitaceæ—Trichosanthes palmata, T. anguina, T. cucumerina, Lagenaria vulgaris, var. Gourda, var. courgourda, var. clavata, Luffa Ægyptiaca, Momordica balsamina, M. charanta, Citrullus Colocynthis 127–134
Ficoideæ—Trianthema monogyna 134
Umbelliferæ—Hydrocotyle Asiatica, Carum copticum, Fœniculum vulgare, Coriandrum sativum 134–138
Cornaceæ—Alangium Lamarkii 138–139
Dicotyledonous, Gamopetalous.
Rubiaceæ—Hymenodictyon excelsum, Oldenlandia corymbosa, Randia dumetorum, Ixora coccinea, Coffea Arabica, Morinda citrifolia bracteata, M. tinctoria, Pæderia fœtida. 140–149
Compositæ—Eupatorium Ayapana, Blumea balsamifera, Sphœranthus Indicus, Spilanthes Acmella, Artemisia vulgaris, Carthamus tinctorius 149–155
Plumbagineæ—Plumbago Zeylanica 155–156
Sapotaceæ—Achras Sapota, Mimusops Elengi 156–158
Oleaceæ—Jasminum Sambac 158–159
Apocynaceæ—Allamanda cathartica, Thevetia nerifolia, Cerbera Odallam, Plumeria acutifolia, Alstonia scholaris, Nerium odorum 159–167
Asclepiadaceæ—Calotrops gigantea, Tylophora asthmatica 167–170
Loganiaceæ—Strychnos Ignatii 171–173
Boraginaceæ—Ehretia buxifolia 173
Convolvulaceæ—Ipomœa hederacea, I. pes-capræ, I. Turpethum 174–176
Solanaceæ—Solanum nigrum, Capsicum fastigiatum, Datura alba, Nicotiana Tabacum 176–182
Scrophulariaceæ—Limnophila menthastrum 182–183
Bignoniaceæ—Oroxylum Indicum 183–184
Pedaliaceæ—Sesamum Indicum 184–185
Acanthaceæ—Acanthus ilicifolius, Barleria Prionitis, Justicia Gendarussa, Adhatoda vasica, Rhinacanthus communis 185–190
Verbenaceæ—Lippia nodiflora, Tectona grandis, Vitex trifolia, V. Negundo, Clerodendron infortunatum 190–194
Labiatæ—Ocimum basilicum, O. gratissimum, O. sanctum, Coleus aromaticus, Rosmarinus officinalis, Anisomeles ovata, Leucas aspera 195–199
Plantaginaceæ—Plantago erosa 199
Nyctaginaceæ—Mirabilis Jalapa 199–200
Amaranthaceæ—Amaranthus spinosus, Achyranthes obtusifolia 200–202
Chenopodiaceæ—Chenopodium ambrosioides 202–203
Aristolochiaceæ—Aristolochia Indica 203–204
Piperaceæ—Piper Betle, P. nigrum 204–207
Chloranthaceæ—Chloranthus officinalis 207–208
Lauraceæ—Cinnamomum pauciflorum, C. tamala, Cassytha filiformis 208–210
Euphorbiaceæ—Euphorbia pilulifera, E. neriifolia, E. Tirucalli, Phyllanthus reticulatus, P. Niruri, P. urinaria, Jatropha Curcas, Aleurites Moluccana, Croton Tiglium, Acalypha Indica, Echinus Philippensis, Ricinus communis 210–223
Urticaceæ—Artocarpus integrifolia, Laportea gaudichaudiana 223–225
Casuarineæ—Casuarina Sumatrana 225–226
Monocotyledons.
Musaceæ—Musa paradisiaca, M. sapientum 227–228
Zingiberaceæ—Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, Elettaria Cardamomum 228–231
Amaryllidaceæ—Crinum Asiaticum 231–232
Liliaceæ—Aloes Barbadensis, Allium sativum, A. Cepa 232–234
Palmæ—Areca Catechu, Cocos nucifera, Nipa fruticans 234–238
Cyperaceæ—Cyperus rotundus 239
Gramineæ—Zea Mays, Andropogon Schoenanthes, Saccharum officinarum, Oriza 240–243
Bambuseæ 243–244
Explanation.
For the common words of the different Filipino dialects I have adopted the orthography which in my various treatises on those dialects I have demonstrated to be the easiest, most rational and convenient. I should be inconsistent as to my own theories and convictions if I continued to follow the old form of spelling. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with the matter I will state that the consonants are pronounced as follows:
g
always as in get.
h
gutturalized aspirate.
k
as in English.
w
always as initial w in English, win, wan.
g̃
as ng in sing, hung, etc.
Abbreviations.
Bic.—Bicol.
Eng.—English.
Iloc.—Ilocan.
Indo-Eng.—Indo-English.
Pam.—Pampango.
Pan.—Pangasinan.
Sp.—Spanish.
Sp.-Fil.—Spanish-Filipino.
Tag.—Tagalog.
Vis.—Viscayan.
Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
Dicotyledonous, Polypetalous.
Dilleniaceæ.
Tetracera macrophylla, Vall. (T. monocarpa, T. sarmentosa, Blanco.)
Nom. Vulg.—Malakatmón, Tag.
Uses.—The wood of malakatmón is one of the best known and popular drugs of the Binondo1 market place. It is used as an infusion internally in the hæmoptysis of consumptives, and externally in the treatment of sore throat, its action being due to the large amount of tannin it contains. It is also employed in Malabar in the form of an infusion of the leaves of the species, T. Rheedi, to treat sore throat, mixing it with a decoction of rice called cange.
The Filipinos do not distinguish this species from the T. Assa.
Both are called malakatmón, and are employed indiscriminately to accomplish the same results. The silicious concretion obtained from the leaves is used as a polish in the form of polish paper.
Dose.—In infusion for internal use, 4 grams of wood to 1 liter of water; as a gargle, 10 to 15 grams to the liter.
Botanical Description.—A shrub with leaves alternate, oval, serrate, finely dentate with very short and stiff hairs. Flowers of a strong, rather agreeable odor, axillary, in panicles. Calyx, 4 sepals. Corolla, 4 petals. Stamens indefinite, expanding at the upper end and bearing 2 anthers. Carpels 3, with ovules indefinite in two series. Seeds with red arils.
Habitat.—In the vicinity of Manila. Blooms in July.
Magnoliaceæ
Magnolia Family.
Illicium anisatum, L.
Nom. Vulg.—Anis estrellado, Badiana, Sp.; Sag̃ki, Tag.; Star Anise, Eng.
Uses.—Although this plant does not grow in the Philippines, the use of its fruit is so common there that it demands a place in this work. It is employed chiefly as a condiment in the preparation of food, and its essential oil is used to prepare the native “anise cordial” by mixing it with alcohol obtained from the palm or from sugar cane.
The decoction of the fruit is given after meals as a tea-like beverage, to aid digestion or for its carminative effect in
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