CATECHU

(Lat.), n. n., indecl. Ka2t(ka3t)'e)1-ku2(ch2u). From Hind., kate, the tree which furnishes c., and chu, juice. Fr., cachou. Ger., C., Katechu. It., catecu. Sp., catecii. 1. Of the U. S. Ph Ger. Ph., Belg. Ph., Gr. Ph., Swi Ph., Netherl. Ph., Ru . Ph., and the Fr. Cod., Pegu c., the cachou de Pegu (ou cachuttie) [Fr. Cod.], otherwise called black c. (c. nigrum) or cutch; an extract obtained by evaporating a decoction of the dark heart-wood of Acacia c. and Acacia sum a, trees of southern Asia and tropical Africa. It occurs as dark-brown, opaque ma es, which when dry are hard and brittle and show a somewhat crystalline structure. It has a slight odor and an astringent sweetish taste, is partially soluble in water, and almost completely soluble in alcohol. It consists largely of catechin and catechu tannic acid, with some quercetin. 2. Of the Ger. Ph., also the pale c. or gambir, the c. pallidum of the Br. Ph., the catecu of the Sp. Ph., the terra japonica of the older authors; an extract made by evaporating a decoction of the leaves and young shoots of Uncaria gambler (Nauclea gambir), a climbing plant of the East Indies. It forms brownish ma es of a lighter color than Pegu c., having a grayish fracture, and po e ing a bitter and astringent, afterward sweetish, taste, but no odor. It consists of catechin (which is said by some to be different from the catechin of Pegu c.), a tannin (catechu tannic acid), which, however, is in le quantity than in Pegu c., and quercitin. Both varieties of c. are used as astringents in diarrhoea, bronchorrhoea, leucorrhoea, relaxation of the mucous membranes of the throat and larynx, and hasmorrhages, and as an application to ulcers. [B, 81, 180, 2rO.] Areca c. An inferior variety of c. obtained from the betel-nut (seed of the Areca c.). It is not brought into commerce [B, 81.] Bastard c. See C. (2d def.). Bengal c. Ger., Bengalenc\ c. von Bengalen, ben gal is cher C. A variety of c. exported from Bengal. It is originally made in quadrangular cakes, but usually occurs in fragments of various shapes, of a rusty-brown externally and dark-brown within. [B, 5, 180, 270.] Black mucilaginous c. A variety of c. described by Guibourt, occurring in the form of small parallelopiped ons, black and shining interiorly, and having a mucilaginous and slightly astringent taste. [B, 5, 37.] Bombay c. Ger., C. von Bombay. A. variety of c. (1st def.) formerly described, probably identical with the c. in balls. As described by Winkler, however, it forms irregular ma es of the size of a man's fist, or quadrangular pieces of a uniform dark-brown color, and has a highly astringent taste, and this variety seems to resemble more closely the cake c. than the c. in balls. [B, 5, 180.] Cake c. A form of c. (1st def.) occurring in cakes, flat beneath, rounded above, dark-brown exteriorly and from light-yellowish to almost black within, and exhibiting a more or le porous fracture. Its geographical origin is uncertain. [B, 5.] C.-Akazie (Ger.). TheAcaciac. [B, 180.] C'gerbsaure (Ger.). SeeC'tannic acid. [B, 270.] C. in balls. C. (1st def.) occurring in more or le globular balls. Some varieties contain much sand and are po ibly a factitious product; others closely resemble Bengal c. and are perhaps the Bombay c. of the older authors. [B, 5.] C. in quadrangular cakes. See Bengal c. [B, 5.] C. lozenges. See Trochi sci c. C. nigrum. See C. (1st def.). C. pallidum. See C. (2d def.). C.-palm-tree. Ger., C'palm. The Areca c. [B, 275.] C. red. Ger., C'roth. See C'tannic acid. C's aft (Ger.). See C. C's aure(Ger.). Catechuic acid; catechin. [B.270.] C'tannic acid. Fr., acide cachou-tannique. Ger., C'gerbsaure. It., tannino di catecu. A reddish, gummy substance contained in c., and readily forming an acid, astringent solution in water. It is said to be the anhydride of catechuic acid and to have the formula C38H3.,Oi6. [B, 81, 270.] C'tinctur (Ger.). See Tinctura c. C.- tree. The Acacia (Mimosa) c. and the Acacia sum a. [B, 275.] C. von Bengalen (Ger.). See Bengal c. C. von Bombay (Ger.). See Bombay c. Compound infusion of c. Fr., infusion de cachou compo see. See Infusum c. Compound powder of c. See Pulvis c. compos it us. Compound tincture of c. See TinctO, no; O2, not; O3, whole; Th, thin; Th, the; U, like oo in too; [s. 127]