On the Failure of Vitex Peduncularis in the Treatment of Malaria

the plant Vitex pedxincularis was useful in the treatment of blackwater fever and of malarial fevers. This plant grows in Bihar, Eastern Bengal and the Central Provinces, though it is not very well known. In Hindi it is known by various names,?Nagbail, Nagpheni, Charaigorwa, Chhacjriaruba, Minjur-gorwa, in Bengali it is called Bpruna and Goda. The only reference regarding its medicinal properties by the old writers is its use for external application for pains in the chest. Vaughan, however, found that-the aboriginal tribes of certain parts "61 Bihar were well acquainted with this plant, and used it in the treatment of malarial fevers and also of blackwater fever which sometimes occurs among them. They prepare an infusion of the leaves or of the rootbark or young stem and take it internally several times a day with much benefit.. Pre.7 ference is given to the dark coloured root plant over the pale coloured variety. Vaughan tried this drug in a series of cases in both these diseases and reported .. that it gave very satisfactory results. He originally used the method of making an infusion employed by these tribes. This consisted in taking two ounces of fresh leaf or of leaves dried in the shade and dropping them into 40/6unces of water, boiling for 5 to 10 minutes,arid then leaving them to infuse for another hour. The resulting infusion was about the colour of strong cold tea in appearance a!nd in taste, and was given sweetened with a j little sugar in doses of 8 to 10 ounces in 24 hours. Concentrated infusions prepared on the! lines of infusio gentianse compositum (concentrated) of the British Pharmacopoeia were also tried by him, but the therapeutic effects, were not so marked. He adopted the method of using 1, 2 and 4 ounces of leaves in 40 dunces of water to suit different cases, and the results