Sάlmali,

Mochά,

Vern. Simul, Rakta Simul. Benq.

"This is one of the largest of our Indian trees, often about one hundred feet high and the trunk thick and ramous in proportion. Flowering time the end of winter, when the tree is totally destitute of leaves. The great numbers of very large bright red flowers with which it is then covered make it remarkably conspicuous at a very great distance." The thick stems are used for making large boats called kondas, from their being made by hollowing out the trunks. Some of these boats are large enough to carry a freight of a thousand maunds. The smaller floats are in very common use in Eastern Bengal, for crossing over rice fields during the rainy season. In fact during the rains these little floats, constitute the only mode of conveyance from village to village in low alluvial tracts. The thick beds and pillows of the natives are stuffed with the Cotton attached to the interior of the seed vessels of this plant, while the thin quilts and stuffed clothing for winter, are made with kάrpasά (cotton of Gossypium herbaceum).

The gum of this tree, called mocharasa is used in medicine.* It is considered astringent, tonic and alterative, and is used in diarrhoea, dysentery and menorrhagia. Mocharasa with sugar in equal parts, is given in doses of twenty to forty grains, in the diarrhoea of children. In the dysentery of children, the following is used. Take of mocharasa, flowers of Woodfordia floribunda(dhάtaki), root of Mimosa pudica (lajjάlu), and the filaments of the lotus, equal parts, in all one tola, powdered rice one tola, water eleven tolas, and boil together to the consistence of a gruel (yavάgu).1 In the dysentery of adults a decoction of beta fruit in goat's milk, is given with the addition of powdered mocharasa and indrajava seeds.2

* In the Pharmacopoeia of India it is stated. "To this tree (Bombox Malaharicum), which is common in some parts of India, two drugs which hold a prominent place in the Native Materia Medica, have been usually but erroneously referred. 1. An astringent gummy exudation, Mucherus (Hind)................ Its botanical source is unknown. 2, Dried roots well known as Safed Musli (Hind)." The Sanskrit term Mocharasa of which the Hindi Mucherus is a corruption, means the juice or exudation of the Mocha tree, and Mocha is one of the Sanskrit names of Bombax Malaharicum. Hence there can be no error in attributing the origin of Mucherus to Bombax Malaharicum. Safed Musli is the Talamuli of Sanskrit Materia Medica, the Hypoxis orchioides of Botanists.