The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c5.s12.t7.30

c5.s12.t7.30

* It is generally known that the scraped root of *Plumbago rosea* is introduced into the mouth of the womb, for the purpose of procuring abortion. The root is sometimes put to another use, a knowledge of which is likely to be of importance in a medico-legal point of view. Many years ago I had under my treatment a married female, who had accidental abortion and copious hæmorrhage after it. On the third day after the accident, she was brought to hospital, suffering from severe pain in the pelvic region, purulent discharge and high fever. On examination I found a piece of the *lálchitrá* root, with a little rag wrapped round it, projecting into the vagina from the cervix uteri. I was told that a midwife had introduced it into the womb with the object of checking hæmorrhage after the abortion. If this woman had been a widow and had died from the effects of the abortion, and if on examination of the dead body, the root of the *lálchitrá* had been found in the position mentioned above, the inevitable conclusion would have been, that it was introduced for the purpose of procuring abortion.