Rottlera Tinctoria

This plant belongs to the order

_Euphorbiaceae_, and reaches the size of a small tree in the Indian

Archipelago and southern Australia. From the surface of the

trilobed capsules of this plant, which are about the size of peas,

a red, mealy powder is obtained, well known in India as kamala,

and which is used by Hindoo silk-dyers, who obtain from it a deep,

bright, durable orange or flame color of great beauty. This is

obtained by boiling the powder in a solution of carbonate of soda.

When the capsules are ripe the red powder is brushed off and

collected for sale, no other preparation being necessary to

preserve it. It is also used medicinally as an anthelmintic and

has been successfully used in cases of tapeworm. A solution

removes freckles and pustules and eruptions on the skin.