BACKGROUND
Symplocos racemosa Roxb. belongs to a unigeneric family Symplocaceae, known as lodhra in Sanskrit; is a small evergreen tree, found throughout the tropical and sub-tropical countries. Ethnobotanical literature indicates use of S. racemosa in treatment of eye disease, skin diseases, ear
One hundred and fourteen species of flowering plants, claimed to have medicinal uses, were recorded from a previously uninvestigated area of Sumatra. Of the specimens, which belonged to 51 families, 50% were used to combat fever, 33% for diarrhoea and 31% for other gastrointestinal problems.