Origin. - The inspissated juice of Pterocarpus Marsupium Roxburgh, a tree (called buja in Bengal) 60 to 80 feet (18-24 Mm.) high, indigenous in India and Ceylon.

Description and Properties. - Small, angular, dark-brownish red, and transparent; inodorous, very astringent and sweetish, coloring the saliva deep red. Soluble in alcohol, nearly insoluble in ether, and only slightly in cold water.

Dose. - 10-20 grains (0.6-1.2 Gm.) [7 1/2 grains (0.5 Gm.), U. S. P.].

Official Preparation

Tinctura Kino - Tincturae Kino - Tincture of Kino. - Dose, 1/4-2 fluidrams (1.0-8.0 Cc.) [1 fluidram (4 Cc), U. S. P.].

Pysiological Action. - Its action is similar to that of tannic acid. It colors the saliva, stools, and diapers red.

Therapeutics. - Externally and Locally. - Kino is an efficient dressing for flabby, indolent ulcers, acting as a stimulant. Yet the other astringents deserve precedence. As a gargle in pharyngitis and relaxed uvula kino is valuable, but, owing to its disagreeable taste, krameria is to be preferred. Owing to its speedy action it checks the hemorrhage in epistaxis where other astringents fail. In leukorrhea and gonorrhea an infusion or injection is serviceable.

Internally. - In dysentery and chronic diarrheas with profuse serous discharges. It is less irritating than the other astringents.

Administration. - The powder is used as an insufflation in epistaxis, and is dusted on ulcers. In diarrhea it is best to use kino in combination with opium or chalk mixture. The tincture is used internally. 37