302. A common plant in waste places throughout India. The seeds, which in their native state are an acro-narcotic poison, yield on expression about 30 per cent. of a pale yellow oil, which in doses of 12 to 15 drops acts as a purgative equal in action to one ounce of Castor Oil, but is far less certain in its operation and causes more griping than the latter, hence it is rarely employed. Its ill effects are corrected by Lime Juice, as in the case of Croton Seeds (Sec. 120). Diluted with a bland oil (1 part to 2 or 3), it forms a useful embrocation in _Chronic Rheumatism_. The leaves locally applied to the breasts, as directed in Sec. 85, are stated notably to _increase the secretion of Milk_; it is worthy of a trial. More important, however, than the preceding is the alleged power of the fresh juice to _arrest Bleeding or Hæemorrhage from Wounds_. Baboo Udhoy Chand Dutt (_Indian Med. Gazette_, Oct. 1, 1874) details two cases in which a piece of lint, soaked in the juice and locally applied, at once arrested the bleeding; in one of these cases alum, perchloride of iron, &c., had been previously used without effect. He states that it does not cause pain nor act as a caustic, but seems simply to coagulate the blood, and covers the bleeding surface with a tenacious layer. Further evidence of its styptic powers is recorded by Mr. B. Evers (_Indian Med. Gazette_, March 1875), who furnishes also an interesting account of a pulsating tumour, "a varicose aneurism," situated just above the inner ankle, which was cured (?) by the subcutaneous injection of a drachm of this juice. The styptic properties of this agent seem well worthy of further trial. 302_b_. +Plantago, or Ispaghúl Seed.+ The seeds of Plantago Ispaghula, _Roxb._ Ispaghúl, Isbaghól (_Hind._), Isapghól (_Duk._, _Punj._), Eshopgól (_Beng._), Ís-mogul (_Kash._), Ishappukól-virai, Iskól-virai (_Tam._), Isapagála-vittulu (_Tel._), Isabakólu (_Can._), Isabagóla (_Mah._), Isapghól (_Guz._). 303. Ispaghúl seeds, ovate-elliptical, concave, about an eighth of an inch in length, of a greyish colour, yielding to water an abundance of tasteless mucilage, are procurable in most bazaars, and constitute a highly useful demulcent medicine.