Lance Health Dictionary

A leaf that is lance-shaped.... lanceolate

A small, pointed, double-edged knife used to open and drain lesions, such as boils and abscesses.... lancet

Linn.f.

Synonym: D.frondosa Roxb.

Family: Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.

Habitat: The sub-Himalayan tract, ascending up to 750 m, and throughout India.

Siddha/Tamil: Erigai, Navelangu.

Folk: Gorakh, Takoli, Bithuaa.

Action: A decoction of bark— used in dyspepsia. Oil—applied to rheumatic affections, and cutaneous diseases. Leaf—in leprosy and allied obstinate skin diseases.

Baptigenin from leaves and flowers possesses properties to treat arthritic affections and inflammations. An isoflavone glycoside of biochanin (lanceolarin) has been obtained from the root bark. Ether, EtOH and aqueous extract of leaves exhibited an- tiarthritic activity in rats.

The heartwood of Dalbergia sp. contains quinones. Bark and pods contain tannins.

Root bark gave isoflavone glycosides and lanceolarin.

Dosage: Whole plant—50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... dalbergia lanceolaria

Linn.

Family: Plantaginaceae.

Habitat: Western Himalayas, from Kashmir to Garhwal and Simla.

English: Rib Grass, Ribwort Plantain, English Plantain, Buckhorn Plantain.

Unani: Baartang, Aspaghol.

Folk: Balatang.

Action: Leaf and root—astringent, bechic, antiasthmatic, anti-inflammatory, hypothermic, diuretic. Seed—cathartic, diuretic, haemostatic.

Key application: Internally, for catarrhs of the respiratory tract and inflammatory alterations of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa; externally for inflammatory reactions of the skin. (German Commission E, ESCOP.)

Globularin and methyl ester of de- sacetyl asperulosidic acid were isolated from the plant along with cat- apol. A crude mucilage, isolated from the leaves, contains L-arabinose 26.0, D-galactose 35.8, D-glucose 21.9, D- mannose 4.6, L-rhamnose 4.6 and uronic acid 6.9%. Alpha-D-glucan was separated from this mucilage.

Leaves gave aucubin and esculetin, in addition to polysaccharides. The whole plant yielded rhamnosidoglyco- side of caffeic acid. Seeds contain 1.1% aucubin. Aucubin exhibits antibacterial activity. Hepatoprotective effect is also attributed to the aucubin content.

Alcoholic extract of young leaves exhibit antibacterial action against Streptococcus betahaemolyticus, Micrococ- cus pyogenes var. aureus and Bacillus subtilis, thus confirming their wound- healing properties.... plantago lanceolata

C. B. Clarke.

Family: Compositae; Asteraceae.

Habitat: Punjab, Upper Gangetic plains, Gujarat, Rajasthan.

Ayurvedic: Raasnaa, Rasanaa, Raas- nikaa, Rasaa, Yuktaa, Yuktrasaa, Suvahaa, Elaaparni.

Folk: Vaaya-surai (Uttar Pradesh), Raayasan.

Action: Aerial parts—smooth muscle relaxant. Stem—antiinflammatory. Pluchea lanceolata is the source of Raasnaa in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Vanda roxburghii is used as Raasnaa in Bengal. Throughout South India, Alpinia galanga is accepted as Raasnaa.

The stem and leaves contain morete- nol, moretenol acetate, neolupenol, oc- tacosanoic, hexacosanoic and tetra- cosanoic acid, tetracosanol, hexaco- sanol, triacontanol, stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol-D-glucoside.

The petroleum extract of the stem and leaves and the chloroform-soluble portion of the methanolic extract exhibited 31.9% and 54.5% antioedema activity, respectively. The triterpenes, moretenol acetate, moretenol and ne- olupenol exhibited 55.2,32,8 and 39.7% anti-inflammatory activity respectively as against ibuprofen as standard exhibiting 65.5% activity.... pluchea lanceolata

Roxb.

Family: Liliaceae.

Habitat: Sikkim Himalayas, Assam and Manipur.

Ayurvedic: Hindi Chobachini.

Folk: Shukchin (Maharashtra), Hariaa.

Action: Roots—used for rheumatic affections.... smilax lanceifolia

a classification of the *Streptococcus bacteria based on the presence or absence of antigenic carbohydrate on the cell surface. Species are classified into the groups A–S. Most species causing disease in humans belong to groups A, B, and D. [R. C. Lancefield (1895–1981), US bacteriologist]... lancefield classification