Dita-Bark Tree
The Alstonia scholaris is a glaborus tree and grows up to 40 m (130 ft) tall. Its mature bark is grayish
and its young branches are copiously marked with lenticels
The upper side of the leaves are
glossy, while the underside is greyish. Leaves occur in whorls of three to ten; petioles are 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in); the leathery leaves
are narrowly obovate to very narrowly spathulate base cuneate, apex usually rounded; lateral veins occur in 25 to 50 pairs, at
80-90° to mid vein. Flowers bloom in the month October.
English name: Dita-Bark Tree
Indian name: Saptarna Chal
Common Names: Chatian (Hindi), Chhatim (Bengali), Dita
(Tagalong), Dita Tree, Maddale (Kannada), Milky Pine, Pala, Saptaparna
(Sanskrit, ‘seven-leaved’), Satvin, Shaitan (Arabic, ‘devil’), Yaksippala
Range
Alstonia scholaris is native to the following regions:
- China: Guangxi Yunnan
- Indian Sub-continent: India; Nepal; Sri Lanka; Pakistan; Bangladesh
- Southeast Asia: Cambodia; Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam, Indonesia; Malaysia; Papua New Guinea; Phillipines
- Australia: Queensland
It has also been naturalized in
several other tropical and subtropical climates.
Alstonia scholaris (Saptaparni in Bengali) is declared as the State Tree of
West Bengal, India.
Chemistry
The
bark contains the alkaloids, ditamine, echitenine, and strict amine.
Uses
There are a lot of uses of Dita-Bark Tree. Some of them are:
The
wood of Alstonia scholaris has
been recommended for the manufacture of pencils, as it is suitable in nature and the tree
grows rapidly and is easy to cultivate. In Sri Lanka its light wood is used for coffins. In Borneo the wood close to the root
is very light and of white color, and is used for net floats, household utensils, trenchers, corks, etc.In Theravada Buddhism, Lord Buddha is said to have used Alstonia scholaris as the tree for achieving enlightenment.
Traditional Uses
Since ancient times,
the Alstonia scholars tree has been used to make paper in India and other parts
of South Asia. The wood has also been made in to writing tablets (Miller 1985).
These things help to explain the name of the species, scholaris, and show the strong connection that this plant has
with written language and scholarship. In India, many tribal peoples believe
that the dita tree is evil and avoid it completely. They say that the tree is
inhabited by an evil spirit who will possess any individual who dares walk or
sleep beneath it. This spirit is also said to kill any individual who chooses
to sleep beneath its branches. Thanks to this belief, dita trees have been
spared much of the destruction that has faced other species of tree in India.
Richard Alan Miller states that the seeds of
the dita tree were used in Tantric sexual rituals in order to assist males in
prolonging erection and delaying orgasm. However, little more information on
this topic is available. Tantric practitioners often write magical mantras on
pieces of dita tree bark and wear them as amulets (Miller 1985).
In Australia, Aboriginal peoples use the
latex of the dita tree to attach ceremonial raiments to the skin for rituals.
However, it is unclear whether they are aware of any psychoactive properties of
the plant, or whether they utilize them (Pearson 1992 cited in Ratsch
1998, 49). It is possible that small quantities of active alkaloids are
absorbed through the skin after a period of prolonged contact, leading to mild
psychoactive effects during the ceremonial experience.
Medicinal Use
The
bark of the dita tree is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat fever, malaria,
troubles in digestion, tumors, ulcers, asthma, and so forth. The leaves and the
latex are applied externally to treat tumors. The bark and roots are boiled
with rice and eaten by girls daily for several weeks to treat excessive vaginal
discharge. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the dried leaves of the dita tree
are used as an expectorant. Members of the Alstonia genus are used around the
world to treat malaria (Voogelbreinder 2009, 77
Preparation
Traditional Preparation:
The seeds are the most potently psychoactive part of the dita tree, although many parts of the plant are medicinal. To prepare the seeds, 2 grams may be crushed and soaked in water overnight. The next day, the seed matter is filtered out and the liquid is consumed. To make a stronger brew, the seeds are soaked in boiling water. In order to appreciate the aphrodisiac properties of the plant, a dosage of 3 grams of seeds is good to start with. If this does not prove effective, the dosage may slowly be increased until the desired effects are achieved. Dosages may vary widely from individual to individual, so it is always best to start low and work up (Miller 1985).
Medicinal Preparation:
1 part in 20 for B.P.
infusion, 1/2 to 1 fluid ounce; 1 part in 8 Alcohol Tinc., B.P., 1/2 to 1 fluid
drachm. Dose, 2 to 4 grains.
The seeds of the dita tree contain alkaloids, which are known to be psychoactive. The bark also contains several alkaloids, including ditamine and echitamine. The Malaysian species A. angustifolia is also known to contain yohimbine, a well known aphrodisiac. The bark of the dita tree is said to have pronounced aphrodisiac effects. One of the indole alkaloids contained in the seeds, known as alstovenine, is also an inhibitor, which allows for the psychoactive effects of the seeds when taken orally. Dita tree seeds are said to help men to maintain an erection and to delay orgasm during intercourse (Miller 1985). The alkaloid echitamine, found in the bark, is said to kill malaria, although it is significantly less effective than quinine in this matter, and this property has never been demonstrated in Western style medical studies
The seeds of the dita tree contain alkaloids, which are known to be psychoactive. The bark also contains several alkaloids, including ditamine and echitamine. The Malaysian species A. angustifolia is also known to contain yohimbine, a well known aphrodisiac. The bark of the dita tree is said to have pronounced aphrodisiac effects. One of the indole alkaloids contained in the seeds, known as alstovenine, is also an inhibitor, which allows for the psychoactive effects of the seeds when taken orally. Dita tree seeds are said to help men to maintain an erection and to delay orgasm during intercourse (Miller 1985). The alkaloid echitamine, found in the bark, is said to kill malaria, although it is significantly less effective than quinine in this matter, and this property has never been demonstrated in Western style medical studies
Conclusion
Therefore, Dita-Bark Tree is really advantageous to us as it cures different disorders and diseases as well as used to produce stationary goods like pencils. It also has a great and significant traditional use.
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-Krishna Kumar Ram
and Uranus Adhikari
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