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LO NDON

Printed by A . R . Spottiswoode,

MATERIA INDICA

SOME ACCOUNT

THO SE ARTICLES WHICH ARE EMPLO YED BY

THE HIND O O S,

AND O THER EASTERN NATIONS,

IN THEIR

MEDICINE, ARTS , AND AGRICULTURE ;

COMPRISING ALSO

F O RMU LPE,

W ITH PRACTI CAL OB SERV AT IONS,

3 7 647

1. /5.

NAMES O F DISEASES IN VARIOUS EASTERN LANGUAGES,

AND A COPIOUS L I ST O F ‘ OR IENTAL B OOKS IMMEDIATELYCONNECTED W I TH GENERAL SC IENCE,

BY WHITELAW AINSLIE, M.D.

LATE O F THE MEDICAL STAFF O F SO U THERN INDIA.

V O L .T

L O NDO N

PRINTED FO R.

LONGMAN, REE S, ORME, B ROWN, AND GREEN,PATERNO STER-Row.

1826 .

Difi'

erre quoque pro natura locorum genera medicina ,

et aliud opus esse Romae, aliud in Gallia, aliud in

Egypto .

”

CELSU S MED . LI B. PRE P .

A;Ms”

;

HIS MO ST GRACIO U S MAJESTY,

THE KING,

THI S WORK

WITH PEBM I SSI O N,DED ICATED,

H I S MAJESTY’S

MOST FA I THFUL, MOST DEV OTED,

A ND M O ST OB ED I ENT

SERV ANT AND SUB J ECT ,

WHITELAW A IN/SLIE.

CONTENTS

THE FIRST VO LUME .

PREFACE .

A Table shewing the O rthography that has been adopted xu

Weights and Measures xiiiForms of Prescription xviiExplanation of the Abbreviations xviiiPostscript xix

CHAP. I .

Articles of the British Materia Medica found in India and

o ther Eastern countries . Their use amongst the nativeinhabitants, including also some articles of diet for the

sick

CHAP. II .

Metals and Metallic Substances found in India and other

Eastern countries

CHAP. III .

Formulae, with practical O bservations

PRE FAC E .

THIS publication is, properly speaking, the second

edition of that which was printed in India, in 18 13 ,

under the title O f'

Materia Medica of Hindoostan,

and A rtisans’ and Agriculturists’ Nomenclature

but as much new, and, I trust, interesting matter has

been obtained since that time, in the various branches

treated of; I have thought it advisable to give the

book a somewhat more comprehensive appellation .

The very flattering manner in which the Madrasedition was received by all the high authorities in

India, the general utility ,of which it was found in

that coun try, the subsequen t approbation it met withfrom the Honourable the Court of Direc tors, and thenumerous applications that have been made for itsince out O f print, have induced me to lay before the

public this enlarged, and, I hOpe, much improvedwork .

I t had long been a source O f regret that there was

no where to be procured a correct list of the differentarticles employed by the natives of Hindoostan i n

their arts and manufactures, nor any sufficiently fulland detailed account of their medicines. I t was witha view O f

'

remedying these evils in some measure

that the treatise was originally undertaken .

In adopting another name for it, I have, at the same

x PREFACE .

time, deemed it proper to change the arrangement,

and have divided it into distinct parts : the first of

these comprehends such of our drugs as are found in

India and other Eastern territories in it I have at

temp ted to give some account O f their different uses

amongst the inhabitants of those regions, and have also

noticed several articles O fdiet as the most proper for the

sick and delicate . In fact, it has been my study, to

the best of my ability, to supply what has lOng been

wanted, a kind O f combin ing link betwixt the Materia

Medica of Europe and that of Asia. O f the other

parts of the work I shall say but little here, as each

will have its appropriate Preface : thus much, hOW

ever, I may Observe, that in Volume II . will be Seen

a description O f those medicines which are almost

exclusively employed by the Hindoos and other

Oriental nations ; and that the remainder of the

Materia Indica will be found to treat of such articlesas are used by them in their arts and manufactures ;

and also of those vegetables which are cultivated as

food, and which will be Observed to embra ce a verynumerous list ; the natural consequence O f this cir

cumstance, that as a large proportion of the nativesof India are prohibited by their religion from eatingan imal food, they have naturally been led to seek fora luxurious variety from another kingdom.

That the volumes now with great diflidence laidbefore the British public have many defects I am

but too well convinced : that they contain matter

which may be considered as n ew in the mother

country wi ll not, perhaps, be denied : that they are

the result of long and patient investigation I myself

PREFACE . xi

feel. The path which I pursued was no beaten

track, but Winding, and Often scarcely to be’

traced ;

overgrown with innumerable useless and noisome

weeds, yet occasionally adorned by floWers of rare

beauty, and others possessing still more Valuable qualities. If I have been so fortunate as to cull a few

that may ultimately prove of real utility to mankind,I shall regret neither the time nor the labour that Ihave bestowed in the search and may then , too, be

excused for having dragged into public notice some

of Nature’

s fairest Offerings, with little to recom

mend them, bat “ a brilliant aspect and an emptyname .

A smight naturally be supposed, several of the drugsmentioned ' in

‘V O l. I . cannot be found in any of the

provinces of India in such quantities as to precludethe necessity O f regular supplies from establishedstores ; nor are they always to be met with of the

best quality yet it must be gratifying to knowwhatthose medicines are that can be procured in the

bazars, or gardens of the wealthy inhabitan ts, in cases

O f extremity .

The Sanscrit names for many articles are so nume

rous (synonyms), that there has been some difficultyin selecting ; a circumstance which it is necessary to

mention , as the reader no doubt will occasionallyfind amongst them appellations that are not familiarto him and it is also to be Observed, that, as in thew ide range O f territory in which the different lan

guages are spoken , there cannot fail to be a varietyof terms and dialects, the reader must expect,now and then, to meet with spellings and termi

xfi PREFACE .

nations which he is perhaps not accustomed to . For

such peculiarities there is no remedy . The Tamooland Tellingooadopted, are those of the

'

most learned

Hindoos of the Southern provmces O f India ; Brah

mins from the pagodas of Madura, Seringham, and

Tanjore .

A TABLE SHEWING THE ORTHOGRAPHY THAT HAS

B EEN ADOPTED IN TH I s WORK, IN CONVEYINGTHE SOUND O P THE ORIENTAL WORDS IN THEENGL ISH CHARACTER :

c'

i, as in the English word call, or French word baton .

a, as in the English wordman .

iii, as the letters wag e in the phrase saw y e‘

pro

nounced quick .

ay , as the letters ay in the words day and may .

e“

, or e’

accented thus, as the‘

first e in the wordelate, or as e in the French word cés.

ee, as cc in the word bee.

as the letters ay y e in the English phrase say

y e pronounced quick .

g , as g in the English word good, or French word

grand .

gk, as gh in the English word ghostly .

ie, as ea in the English word sea, or ie in the

French word colonic.

j, asj in the English wordjoin .

00, as oo in the English word moon , or on In the

French word lonp .

a, as a in the English words mad and sun .

PREFACE . xfii

y , as y in the English word my , or as ei in the

G erman word scbez'

n (bright).

o, as o in the English word bold, or as ean in the

French word beau, or an in mauvaz'

s.

i, as i in the English word Q?or in the Frenchword Si.

0 and 1r, indiscrlmlnately, as If in the English wordkeep , or c

.

in the English word cold .

ch, as ch in the English word charm.

812, as sk i n the English word shame, or as ch in theFrench word ckap eau.

an), as ow in the English word corn .

on, as on in the English word doubt .When p precedes b, the b is then to be slightly

aspirated, as in the word p ko’

ol (a flower, in Dukhan ie), pronounced p -kool in like manner, h followingany other consonant is to be slightly aspirated .

This mark so slanting, over a vowel, or thisdenote that it must be pronounced quick ; but when.

thus straight or horizon tal, over a vowel, it denotes that it is to be pronounced full and broad,

'

as

ii in war .

N. B . In representing Sanscrit words in Roman

letters, a and 12, z'

and‘

z‘

, are to be pronounced as by

the Italians, according to Sir W. Jones’system of

orthography .

WE IGHTS AND MEASURES .

The followrng accoun t of the weights and mea

sures in use in the peninsula of India is almost

entirely taken from Dr. Heyne’s Statistical Tracts

on India.

”

x1v PREFACE .

The weights or dry measures in India are of two

different kinds, both defined very.

accurately. The

former is called the bazar weight, and is used in the

sale of what are termed bazar articles ; such as ta

marinds, turmeric, and al l sor ts of drugs. The

latter is used for grain , both in the bazars and all

revenue transactions. The great difficulty lies in

the multiplicity O f weights employed in different

districts ; for almost every principal town or small

district has weights and measures differing widelyfrom all those O f the neighbourhood .

The general and uniform measure and weight isthe p acca seer , which is properly understood to con

sist O f slatyjbur dubs, that is, supposing each dub

to weigh four drachms ; but sometimes the dubs arelighter than that, in which case more dubs are addedto make up the seer. This measure appears in some

writings of very O ld date, for instance, in the Sndra

Both fluids and dry articles are determined byweight, with the exception of O il, for the sale of

which a kind of graduated measure is employed .

The works which chiefly treat O f the subject O f

weights and measures are the L ilavaly and the Sadra

Ganll‘

am, just mentioned : the last is written in

Tellingoo, but is said to have been translated fromthe Sanscrit ; the former is a well-known Sanscritsastrum.

The following weights are the standards for theCircars as they are derived from the San scrit, however, they may be considered as general f or Hindoo

PREFACE . X V

1 Paddy seed (grain of rice in the husk) is 1 visum

grain .

4LVisums are 1 galivinda", or 1 p atilra 2 : Q grains.

Q Gulivindas are 1 addaga 44grains.

Q Addagas are 1 chinam 8 grains.

925Chinums are 1 tsavikz r;‘20 grains .

Q Tsavilas are 1 dltaranam 440 grains.

Q Dharanums are 1 mada 12 : 1 drachm Q0 grains.

8 Madas are 1 tulam 4+ drachms.6 Tulams are 1 p aw sirn 8 ounces.

4a Pavas are 1 Sim 12 ounces.

5 Sirs are 1 visa 8l . 12 ounces.

Q Visas are 1 yetta‘

7 lbs. 8 ounces.

Q Yettus are 1 arda manngudu 15l .

Q Ardamanugudus are 1 manugadu 80 l .

5 Manugudus are 1 yadwn z: 1 .50l .

2 Yadums are 1 p andnm 300lbs.

Q Pandums are 1 p aladoo-candy 6001bs.

DRY MEASU RE .

44 Dubs weight are 1 g idda 2 ounces.

Q G iddas are~

1 arasola 4ounces.

Q Arasolas are 1 sola 8 ounces.

Dr . Heyne calls this the seed of the abras p recatorius, but in

what language I know not, as the common Sanscrit name is rac

tica, and the Hindoostanie retti : the Tamools term it coondoo

ma nny , the Tellingoos gboor ie gbinza, and the Malays teliz'

e.

The appellat ion of the plant in Hindoostanie isgancka, in Sanscrit

l l l l

goomclzie . Sir William Jones makes one of the seeds to

one grain and five-sixteenths and informs us, that the retti

weight, used by jewellers, is equal to two grains three-sixteenth .

See Asiatic Researches, vol . 11 . p . 154, and vol . v. p . 9 2 .

xvi PREFACE .

Solas are 1 tanada z: l lb .

Tavadus are l manika z . l s.

Addadus are l conclznm 81bs.

Conchums are 1 trasa z: 16 1bs.

Trasas are 1 tam S l s.

Tums are l y ad wr 1601bs.

Pandums are 1 «r zttadu 6401bs.

The following table O f weights was to me

by a Tamool medical practitioner in great repute in

Southern India, and who was part ially acquaintedwith the European Materia Medica

92 Grain s of dried paddy" make 1 grain (apoth . )

1 6 Ditto make 1 gold fanam.

1 Gold fanam makes 8 grains (apoth . )10 Gold fanams make 1 star pagoda.

1 Star pagoda makes 4scruples (apoth . )10 Star pagodas make 1 pollam.

25 Pollams make 1 seer .

40 Pollams make 1 viss.

8 Viss make 1 maund .

20 Maunds make 1 parnm or candy, we ighing500lbs.

In making a trial w ith regard to the correctness

of the above table, it appeared to me, that aboutfive grains of the dried paddy weighed two grains

and that the star pagoda was in weight,

perhaps, half a gold fanam more than ten gold

fanams .

Rice , while in the husk , is called p addy .

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xviii

Maléalie (language Malabar coast).

Mahratta.

Dutch .

Japanese .

Portuguese .

Hindooie .

H ind. Hindoostanie .

Bali (island of).

B raz . Brazilian .

Chin .Chinese .

Cock. Chin . Cochin-Chinese .

S iam. Siamese .

N Nepaulese .

PO STSCRIPT .

I cannot conclude th is short proem without ac

knowledging how much I have been indebted tomany Obliging friends, whose namesmay be seen in different parts O f this work ; but I hope that I shall beexcused if I here express my peculiar sense of Obligation to Mr . Charles Wilkins, for the valuable information so kindly commun icated to me on various sub

jects ; and also to Dr . B . and Captain

Michael, for the assistan ce they have SO readily given

me in fixing the true orthography of many of the

Tamool and Mahratta names.

F O R SUCH As MAY NOT BE CONVERSANT WITH MED ICALSUBJECTS, IT MAY BE USEFUL TO EX PLAIN CERTAINS IGNS O R MARKS USED BY PROFESS IONAL MEN :

a min im.

a fluid drachm.

a fluid ounce .

a pint.

a grain .

a scruple .

a drachm.

an ounce .

a pound weight .

X XPREFACE .

APOTHECARIES’ WEIGHT .

Pound. Ounces Drams

MEASU RE, LONDON PHARMACO PCEIA .

In the Preliminary Observations to Volume Second

(page xxxvii . ) I have expressed a notion , that In

some parts of the Travan‘core country several of

those articles of the Materia Medica, for which the

world is now indebted to America or the West

Indies, might be produced . I am much inclined to

think, that the callicocca ip ecacnanlza (Brotero) wouldthrive there as well as in Brazil . So, perhaps, mightthe convolvnlns jalap az, as well as in Mexico and

Vera Cruz.

‘

In like manner the guaiacum afi cinale

might be tried, and should it succeed most valuablewould be the acquisition to India : both the woodand gum-resin are medicines of importance ; the firstis generally given in decoction, the latter in doses of

22

Fluid drams.1024

128

fg l

PREFACE .

from grs. x . to Bi . in combination with a little Opiumand calomel, it is an admirable alterative and dia

phoretic . The atmp a belladona, I am quite certain ,

would grow well in the Mysore country, about Ban

galore ; so would the colchicum autumnale the

active principle of this plant has been found to

depend on the alkaloid termed veratria . The col

chicum autumnale is supposed by some to form the

basis O f the eaa medicinale of Huson . In all the

forms in which the meadow-saffron i s given , it is

powerfully and sometimes dangerously narcotic . Sir

E . Home has recommended the vinum colchici in

gout and rheumatism ; the dose of the powder is

gr. i. , O f the acetum fs ss. , of the oxymel fg i, of thevinum fg i. , and of the spiritus colchici ammoniatusfg i.

The author saw the dig italis p urp urea (fox-glove)growing in the botan ical garden at Bangalore some

years ago, but the plant was not robust. Could it,by any care, be made to thrive in that cool climateit would be a great point gained . The leaves andseeds are u sed in medicine . Internally, the digitalisIS given to diminish the velocity of the circulationin various maladies ; to dimin ish the irritability of

the system ; to increase the action of the absorbents * ; and to increase the discharge O f urine .

Externally, it has been applied to scrophulous i tu

mours. The dose of the powder O f the digitalis

purpurea is from gr. ss. to grs. v. , as a diuretic and

See Dr . Duncan’

s Edinburgh New D ispensatory for 1826 ,p . 336 .

1" See the same .

xxii PREFACE .

narcotic ; of the infusion from fgss. to fglj. , as a

diuretic ; O f the decoction from fg i. to f3 iiSS. , as a

diuretic ; O f the t incture from mviii . to mlxv. , as a

diuretic . The powder is best given in combination

with squills. R Pulv. digit. grs. ss. , pulv . scillae

grs. iss. , potassae supertart . gl 1ss. ; fiat pulvis, ter in

die sumendus ; in dropsy . Dr . Mossman speaks

strongly O f the powers of digitalis in obviating pneu

mon ic inflammation, by its directly sedative effect ;

but, given incautiously, it is apt to injure, I think,the constitution , and certainly is hurtful after the

purulent stage O f phthisis has come on . The late

Dr. Fowler ordered in pneumon ia 285. O f the decoc

tion to be taken twice or thrice in the twenty-fourhours ; which decoction was made by boiling two

ounces O f the fresh leaves of the purple fox-glove In

a p int O f pure water, till only seven ounces and a

half remain, and adding to it fgss. of tincture of

cardamoms.The conium maculatum (hemlock) would not, I

should think, fail at Bangalore ; the powder of

the leaves, in doses of from grs. Ij. to grs. xv . , is

narcotic and‘

sedative, so is the extract in doses O f

from gr. I . to grs. vi. , as also the tincture given tothe quantity of from f5ss. to f3 i. Whether the hop(humulus lupulus) would do well in any part of

India is a doubtf ul question ; a chemical bitter principle discovered in it by Dr. Ives O f New York, it isthought, contains the active virtues O f the plan t,Which is anodyne the dose of the extract is from

grs. iv. to grs. xv. , that O f the tincture from mxxv.

to ml .

PREFACE . xxfii

Lettuce (lactuca sativa) is common at Banga.

lore, as‘

well as other parts O f India, but I am not

aware that any O f the lettuce opium has ever yetbeen prepared from it ; a substance, for a knowledgeof the virtues of which the world is indebted to theexcellent Dr . Duncan, senior, and subsequently to

Dr . Young ; it has, though by no means in so great

a degree, the quality O f op ium without its bindingeffects ; it is sometimes called lactucarium : the doseis grs. ij.

‘

to grs. v. , that of the tinctura lactucarii

ml. to f3ss.g

The leontodon taraa'acumwould thrive at Banga

lore, O r on the Nillgherry mountams it is the com

mon dandelion ; an extract prepared from the whole

plant, which contains a bitter milky juice, has beensupposed by Pemberton to be Of use in hepatic Oh

structions and dyspepsia, but Dr . Duncan , juniorthinks it possesses little virtue : the dose is from

grs. x . to 3ss.

O f other new medicines, not O f Indian produce,I shall simp ly here men tion bismuth and the Prus

sic acid . The bismuthi subn itras is ton ic in dosesO f from grs. I lj. to grs. v The bismuthi oxydum

album, in doses O f grs. I lj. and given twice dailyin combination with grs. xv. O f compound powderO f tragacanth, is useful in dyspepsia. The Prussicacid, or, as it is sometimes called, hydrocyan icacid, is Obtained from bitter almonds and peach

and laurel leaves ; it was discovered by Scheele

in 17 89 , and first got pure by Gay Lussac ; it, is

See Edinburgh New Dispensatory for 1826 , p . 39 2 .

PREFACE .

liquid, colourless, and transparent, of a powerfully

deleterious Odour, like that of bitter almonds ; it'

is

the most deadly poison known a single drop, when

pure, destroys a dog in an instant. The medicinal

P russic acid is made by adding to the pure a'

cid six

times its volume O f distilled water : the dose O f this

is from a quarter O f a drop to two drops it has been

given as a sedative, in distilled water‘

and ;

syrup, by

Magendie and others, in nervous coughs, asthma,

and consumption . Dr. A . T .Thomson found a lotion ,

prepared with the medicinal hydrocyan ic acid, spirit'

of wine , and distilled water, O f use in impetigo .

2MATERIA IND ICA . PART I .

ACID SULPHURIC . Ghe’

ndciga Travagumg gg-rb

g a g e-f r o u g go (Tam. ) Gunduch ha uttzr fla g [5

(Duk . ) Gundd/rd ra'

sa (Cyng . ) Are’

hgowg ird

”3”

,q (Pers. ) Rookazz‘

mrug s

?”also Maulkz

’

[Wit wj g

fl lxu (Arab . ) Hcide sulp hurique . (Fr. )Schwefi lsaiire (Germ )

ACIDUM SU LPHU RICU M .

The Tamool vytians (physicran s) prepare this articlen early in the same way that we do ; viz . by burn ingsulphur (ghéndagum) with a small portion of p ottle

00pp oo (n itre) in strong earthen vessels. They prescribe it, diluted, internally, in scrofulous affections,and in cases of general debility. It is also given inan infusion of cloves in certain bowel complaints,unaccompan ied with tenesmus.

The diluted sulphuric’

acid is a favorite medicine of

the Persians, who call it Baha'

b u tf sj (Pers. )European practitioners give the acidum sul

phuricum dilutum”as a ton ic, stomachic, antiseptic,

and astringent, in doses O f from ten to twenty drops.

The anc1ents supposed acids in general to be stO

machic . (Cels. lib . ii . cap .

ACID NITRO US . Pottle ooppootra'vdgum (gu n

-L;

w w g g n m a m (Tam. ) Vediloonoorasa

(Cyng . )Shorahateezabse lf“ U”

(Duk . ) Are’

hishord

(Pers. ) Maulablrerjgml L. (Arab . ) Sterk

water (Dut) Aqua f or te (Port ) Acide nitrique(FR ) Salp eter sa

'

ure (G erm.

ACIDUM NIT-RO SU M .

C HAP . I . MATERIA INDICA . 8

This acid, the Hindoos make a clumsy attempt at

preparing, in the following manner, which must notbe rigidly criticised by the chemists O f Europe : theformula was given to me by a vytian of Trichinopoly .

Take of pottle ooppoo (salt-petre) 20 pollums

paddicarum (alum) 16 pollums

ca’

ddlay Jpoolipp oo neer i 18 pollums

Mix, and distil with an in creasing heat till the wholeof the n itrous acid 1s condensed in the coopp ie

(receiver . )The native practitioners consider p ottle oopp oo

trh'

va’

gum as a diuretic, they also prescribe it as a

ton ic when properly diluted, and order it after tedious

febrile affections.

European practitioners give the diluted n itric acidas a ton ic and antiseptic, in doses of thirty or fortydrops diluted with water.

The n itric ac id is well known to b e Obtained inEurope from the n itrous acid, by pouring the latterinto a retort, adapting a receiver, and subjecting it toa little heat, until the reddest portion of the acidshall have passed over into the rece iver, and that

which remains in the retort appears colourless. The

diluted n itric acid is no longer supposed to possess

any spec ific V irtue in syphilis, but merely to act as a

tonic it has also of late years been used for hepaticaffections in the form of a bath, as first recommendedby Dr . Scot of Bombay, in 17 9 6 : when used as a

bath, the diluted acid should be added to the wateruntil it is about as sour as vinegar ; or the bath may

The nitrous acid properlydprepared, consists O f n itrous gas

loosely comb inedWith n itrlc aci and water.

1‘ See an account of this in a note’

under acid muriatic .

B 2

44 MATERIA IND I CA .PART I .

be prepared with the n itro-muriatic acid, which is

the aqua reg ia of the elder chemists.

ha teeza'

b U s}; If (Duk . ) Loonoo rasa (Cyng. )

Acide Muriatique (FL ) Kochsalsaure (G en )ACIDUM MU RIATICU M.

This ac1d the Tamool doctors prepare in the fol

lowing singular manner

Take of ooppoo (common salt) 8 p ollums

paddicarum (alum) 6 pollums

cdddlay p oolipp oo neer 8 pollums

Let the common salt and alum be first well driedand pounded together, then add the other ingredient,and distil till the whole of the muriat ic acid is dis

engaged, and condensed in the coopp ie (receiver . )This

'

is con sidered by the native practitioners as a

stomachic and ton ic, and is prescribed in conjun ction

with an infusion of sp i ces.

The muriatic acid is an useful adjunct to gargles inthe proportion of from 5ss to g ij in gvi of any fluidIn ulcerat ed sore throat ; and is considered as ton icand antiseptic, g iven internally in typhus fever, and

in some cutaneous eruptions it is, without doubt,

The d ews of n ight falling on cloths Spread over the Bengalhorse gram (cicer arietinum) whilst growmg , are rendered slightlyac id The liquor wrung out of the cloths is called in Tamool cadu

’

lan

p oolz p oo neer, and is recommended by the vytians as a coolingdrm

.

and is otherwise used by them as a common menstruum formedical purposes . The Tellingoos call it sennc

’

zgfilu . Examined by

V auquelln ; It was found that it contained oxalic, malic , and a littleacetic acrd . (See Dr. B eyne

’

s Tracts on India, pages 28,

CHAP . I . MATERIA IND ICA .

”

5

powerfully antiseptic . The dose Mr. Thomson re

commends in his excellent London Dispensatory, isfrom ten to twen ty drops in a sufl

‘icient quantity of

any bland fluid ; or in an infusion of Cinchona bark .

But, perhaps, the most important use O f this acid isas a meansof purifying the air from contagious miasmata, by being diffused through it in the form O f

vapour. Dr . Paris informs us in his Pharmacologia

(p . that after a cop ious evacuation O f the bowels,he found this acid useful in preventing the gener

ation of worms .

AGARIC . Garikoon ag rr nqm obr (Tam. ) Agari.

[runU w J

L'

g‘

s(Arab . and Duk . ) Agaric de chene (Fr. )Feuerschwamm Ger. )

BOLETUS IGNIARIU S (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Cryptogamia Fungi . Nat . O rd . Fungi

(Lin . )Agarikoon is the appellation given to this fungus,

equally by the Tamools and Mahomitans of India. It

would appear by a passage in Dioscorides to be originally an O ld Sarmatian word, and to have been thenceborrowed by the Arabs. The little that is found in India, is probably brought from Alexandria by way ofthe Red Sea Sir William Jones tells us, that agaricis found in Hindoostanfit on a tree, the Sanskritname O f which is caraca .

The Boletus Ign iarius, a parasitical plan t which

grows upon the oak, is said_

to be the most valuable ;and is what has been so much celebrated as a styptic,

See Asiatic Researches, vol . iv. p . 311.

B 3

6 MATERIA IND ICA . PART I .

and in preparing the amadou, used in some parts of

the con tin ent Ior tinder. Another species, B oletus

p ini laricis, O r male agaric, has been gi ven in sub

stance, and 18 Obtained of the best quality from Mus

covy and Tartary .

So li ttle is yet ”

known of the fructification of the

fungi, that the characters have been h itherto takenfrom the external form ; seven species of agaricus areindigenous in Jamaica and Browne, in his Natural

History O f that island, informs us, that the agar icus

str iatus, or large white agaric, is the most effectual

application hitherto known to restrain the effusionof blood in recen t or O ld wounds, applied in small

p ieces to the extremity of the vessels. See Hortas

Jamaicen sis, (vol . ii. p . 5Q8 .)The Arabians place garikoon amongst their Maf

fettehat, a s ,“ (Deobstruen tia. )The Boletus Igniarius, when prepared, is without

smell, but has an astringent taste chemically~ examined, it was found to con tain, according to Bouillonla Grange, resin , extractive matter similar Iu its nature toan imal gelatin , and differen t salts. Mr. Eatonhas called the attention of the scientific world to thisfungus, by its peculiar flesh like property while growing if cut, the wound heals up by a sort O f firstintention , leaving not even a cicatricenor any evi

dence O f the Inci sion . (Solliman’

s Jour vi . 17 7 .

ALMO ND, PERSIAN. Parsie Vadomcottayq ‘

eg ou r-r g m t}(gee /T L Q J

Om; (Tam. Waloo

L ooway (Cyng . ) I nghoordi (Sans. Parsee Vadomnittooloo (Tel . Amendoas (Port ) B adamie Farsie


'

7

aw l-5rm, (Pers. Duk . and Hind . ) Laue»; (Arab . )

Lowzanu h

“

? (Malay ) Katep ing (Jav . ) Katap ing

(Bali . ) Amandes, douces, et améres (FL ) B ittere

and Siisse mandeln (G en )AMYGDALUS COMMUN IS . (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Icosandria monogyn ia.

~Nat . O rd .

pomaceae (Lin . ) Geneine M andel. (Nom. Triv .

Willd . ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol. 11. p . 9 82 .

A lmonds are brought to India from the sea ports

O f the Persian ‘

Gulph . Tavern ier in his Travels inPersia (book v . chap . tells us, that they grow

in great abundan ce in the territories of Yesd and

Ke’

rman ; where the bitter and sweet kinds are dis

tinguished by the names O f badam tel/ch and badam

she'

reenan) ? r

e l, gt: rat,

The almond tree is a native of Syria, Turkey, and

Barbary, but is now naturaliz ed in the south O f Eu

rope .

* I t rises to the height of twenty feet, and divides into many spreading branches ; the leaves are

about three incheslong, and the fl owers are similarin form to those of the peach, but larger.

‘

lTheH indoos do not appear to use almonds as a

medicine ; the Arabians and Persians place blanchedsweet almonds amongst their M obéhy -dl

(Aphrodisiaca) ; the bitter sort (which Mr

tells us is poisonous to many birds), they consideras lithontr ip tic, and place it accordingly amongst

their Mufiutte’

taht a t

Three species of amygdalus grow in the botan ical

garden of Calcutta ; the Amygdalus Persica, or peachtree, thrives well in cool situations in India ; its

Spain and Italy ; particularly in the kingdom of Naples, inthe territories of Bari, Lecce, and Abruzzo .

8 MATERIA” IND ICA . PART I .

Arabic name is (khookh) ; the Persian i s BLISS:

(shrfi aloo)Mr. A . T . Thomson , in his excellent London Dis

pensatory, informs us, that the two varieties O f amy r

dalus commun is, the bitter and sweet, are not distin

guished from each other by any particular appear

ance, and ‘

are known on ly by the taste O f the kernelO f their fruit ; he adds, however, that the Jordanalmonds, the best sweet almonds brought to England, are said to be the produce, not of a variety,but O f a distinct specIes of amygdalus.

A lmonds now are little used, but as food though

Bergius in his Materia,

Medica, tells us, O f theirhaving cured an intermitting feVer, when the Peruvian bark failed . Mr. Thompson found the emul

sion of service externally in the impetigo; its internaluse is~well known in cases of strangury .

Boulla'

y‘

and Proust have confirmed the analogywh ich “

had been stated to‘

exist between sweet al

monds and the human milk ; the former consistingof 54sweet p il, 24albumen , 6 sugar, and 8 gum.

The bitter almond in addition to these substan cescontains prussic acid in un ion with a peculiar volatile O il. N oy au is made with bitter almonds blanched,Z i, proof spirit bss. , sugar giv . See Paris’s Pharmacologia, p . 252 .

l

The ancients, as we learn fromPliny, had some curious notions regarding bitteralmonds, considering them as soporific, emenagogue,and diuretic . See Natural History, lib. xxiiii.cap . xviii .

ALO ES. Cdrriabb'

lum ay rfi Lu g u /T ov‘

ruo (Tam. )Catasha (Maléalie . ) M oosumbir (Duk. ) Co


sort Of aloes, common in the Indian bazars, and

which is of a very inferior quality, resembling more

what is called in Europe, Barbadoes Aloes. I t is

more dusky in its colour, has not the pleasant

smell the other has, and is extremely bitter . It is

brought from Yemen in/

Arabia to the western ports

of the peninsula, and is, in all probability,l

obtained

from the Aloe Perfoliata. (Lin . ) This species O f the

plant is common in In dia ; though I cannot learn forcertain that any O f the drug is prepared from it .

The Sanscrit name O f it is taruni’r in Hindostan ie

and Bengalie it is called ghr ita hoomaree, and is

growing in the botan ical garden of Calcutta. In

Tamool it is termed hatta'

lay g ésg n‘

gzpw and in

Canarese, ra'vana . It is the herb

’

a babosa O f the

Portuguese .

Braconnot conceives aloes to be a substance sui

g eneris, which he calls bitter resin ; others regard itas a compound of gum, resin , and extractive

—

matter.

The native practitioners of India prescribe it in

n early the same doses that we do ; from five to

twelve grains as a purge ; and like some O f the

an cient medical writers, suppose it to be less hurtful

to the stomach than any other cathartic .

“ Ideoqueomn ibus catharticis aloe miScenda est .

”(Vide Cels.

lib . ii . cap . They also apply it externallyround the eye, in cases O f chron ic ophthalmia. The

Tamool doctors administer it, when toasted, in certainbowel affections to which women are subj ect after

lying-in . Dr . Paris recommends aloes, in conjunction with assafoetida, as a purgative in the dyspepsiaof O ld people .

it This grows to the height of ten or twelve feet, with narrowishleaves O f a sea-green colour, very succulent .

‘

I~ There is a coarse kind of aloe, cal led musambram, common

in the bazars, which is, perhaps, prepared in India from th isBpGCles.

CHAP . I MATERIA INDICAo

The A rabians place it amongst’

their“Majeshyat

fi le?“ (Carminativa). The reader may find the

nature O f aloe s discussed in an Arabic book, entitled

N 1, 355 (Kanooni-file tib). It is the work

known'

in'

E urope under the name O f the Canons

of Avicenna .

Virey, ill his Histoire Naturelle des Medica-amens (page tells us

,that the agave amer icana,

yields a yellowjuice very analogous to the true aloes,

and that it is considered as sudorificin decoction .

I shall conclude what I have to say of this articleby Observing,

‘

that it. would appear to be most india

cated in diseases distinguished by a defic iency O f

bile, such as sometimes occur after a long residencein India; or when it is necessary to stimulate the

uterine vessels or rectum. It is contra-indicated inhaemorrhoidal cases. In delicate habits it is givenwith most safety when deprived of its resinous part .The ancients prepared with it a kind of eye

Vide Cels. lib . vi. p . 29 6 . 3044.

ALUM . Paddicarum (Tam.)Puttiha (Sans ) Chinaharum (Cyng,) Puttdlra

'

r ie

(gJJ H G, (Duk . ) Shebb (Arab . ) Z ay

'

belurJ JL

(Pers.) Paddicara (Tel . ) Pedrahume (Port ) A lain

(Dut . ) also Sp uticca (Sans ) A lan (Fr. ) Alaun

(G en )i

ALUMEN . Sulphas A luminae (Edinj

This article, though scarce, is found in some parts

of U pper Hindoostan , and Captain Macdonald Kin-rneir, in his very interesting Geographical Memoir of

12 MATERIA INDI CA. PART I .

Persia(p . 22 ék ), informs us,that it is to be met with‘

in its natural State, in mountains south of Kelat, in

theprovince ofMekran ; Mr. Elphinston says, it is

found in clay in Calabaugh in Cabul, but that which

is commonly U sed in India, is brought from China,and reckoned preferable to the alum O f Jeypour.

(See Elmore’

sDirectory to the Indian Trade, p .

The greater part O f the alum employed in com

merce, is prepared by a peculiar management of

schistose pyritic clays, usually called alum ores ; at

La Tolfia, where the best Roman alum is made, thealum-stone ore is used ; at Hur let n ear G lasgow, it

is from the alum slate that a large quantity O f alum

is now prepared .

The ingen ious Captain Arthur, late O f the MadrasEngineer Corps, told me that he discovered alum in

Travancore, in a soft, dark coloured, laminated, fearthy matter, which contained sulphur in the state

O f sulphuret of iron . A lum is well known “

in Eu

rope to he often found in connexion with coal, as in

Bohemia, which, however, as far as Captain Arthur

Observed, i t does not appear to be in the presen t instance . Dr . Davy found alum in the in terior of

Cey lon . (See his Account of that Island, p .

The native practitioners prescribe alum occasionally as we do, as an astringent in cases of obstinate

There is every reason to believe that the alumen of the Romans was n ot our alum, but rather a vitriolic earth ; in Pliny

’

s

time the best was the Egyptian ; it was also a produce of theisland ofMilo.

1~ Captain Arthur further said, that at certain depths in the

soil, under the laminated matter, he Observed a regular stratumof charcoal, a circumstance which led him to conjec ture that thebed in which the mineral is found, is of a vegetable origin ; andwe know that “ it has

' been ascertained by Vauquelin and others,that in what .

is termed the alum -O re of La To

‘lfa, potass is met

With In considerable quantity .

CHAP . I . MATERIA IND ICA . 18

diarrhoea, diabetes, and fluor albus, and externally In

ophthalmia. European practitioners use it externallyand internally for restrain ing heemorrhages, as a gar

gle for the mouth and throat in cases of aphthae and

cynanche, and in collyria for chron ic opthalmia. In

haemorrhages the dose isfrom grs. iii. to ai every hour,till the bleeding abates. Al um whey is made byboiling g i O f alum in a pint of milk and strain ing ;the dose is gij or giij but alum is much more com

mouly used in the arts and manufactures.

The constituent parts of it according to the ex

periments of,

Mr. Phillips, are

Sulphate of aluminaB i-sulphate of potassa

Water

The Arabians place alum amongst their Yabisatlrerouh

c ast-Ju di (Epulotica. )

Professor Beckman , as appears by his History of

Inventions, seems to think it probable that the firstalum works in Europe were established in 1459 in theisland O f Ischia, but that the most anc ien t in existence are those still carried on in the n eighbourhoodof Civita Vecchia in the Ecclesiastical States. In

England, the first alum works were established inthe sixteenth century by Sir Thomas Chaloner, near

G isborough in Yorkshire“ his Pharmacologia, informs us, that alum has the effect of re

tarding the acetous fermentation in vegetables. Its

property of clearing muddy water is well known, as

are the virtues of the alum curd f in opthalmia, thisis made by agitating alum with the white of an

egg .

1 MATERIA r’

Nnrc‘

A . PART 1.

VIII .

Amber has been foun d in the earth in the Dec

can O f a fine quality, b ut it is very scarce I have

also been informed that it is occasionally met with

in the alluvial soil in Travancore . T he greater part

O fwhat we have in India, however, is brought fromJapan , where it is called nambu ; and also occasion

ally from the Philippine Islands, where, De Comyninforms us in his State of those Countries, that itis gathered in large lumps in the vicin ity O f the island

of Samar and others named B issayas.

Blumenbach, in his Histoire Naturelle (tome 11.

p . men tions, that this substance in Europe isch iefly foun d at Palmn icken in East Pruss1a.

I t is not rarely procured atM adagascar , either fishedon the sea coast, or dug out O f the earth . It is also

frequently found on the shores of the Baltic, and

may be met w ith in Poland, Sweden , Italy, and

Sicily ; in the last named country, chiefly on the

shore of the rlver G iaretta.

Copal is occasion ally SOld in the Indian bazarsunder the name O f amber, and is deceitfully madeinto , necklaces by the jewellers a similar impositionwe learn from Mr . Brydon , is practised in Sicily .

(See artic le Copal in Part iii . of this work . )

See his work , p . 39 .

CHAP . I . MATERIA INDICA . 15

Various conjectures have been proposed respect

ing the origin O f amber, wh ich when rubbed is wellknown to have a strong negative electric virtue .

Some suppose it to be a vegetable resin or gum ;

others a mineral O il thickened by absorption O f oxy

gen . Parkinson thinks that it is inspissated mineralO il ; Patrin, that it is honey modified by time, and

mineral acids, which have converted it into bitumen .

Distilled amber yields the succin ic acid, and with itcomes over the O il of amber, a valuable stimulantand antispasmodic . O f all the varieties of this substance, what is called the wax and honey yellow, are

the most highly valued, equally because they are

the most beautiful and more solid than the yellowishwhite-coloure d kinds.

I cannot find that amber is used by the Indiansas a medicine . The Arabians place it amongst theirM ohéwydtdil jb g u’u

In Europe, the

officinal preparation s of it are, the acid and O il ; the

latter is frequently given with good effect in cases

O f epilepsy and hysteria, in doses O f from ten to fif

teen drops combined W1th water by means of mucilage. The acid is produced, as above stated, bydistillation ; when purified and crystalized, it is fusible ;and volatile, when heated ; along with the succin icacid, there distils over a quantity of volatile O il of a

light brown colour, and called the O il O f amber.

IX .

AMBERGRIS . M in ambir Lg bgbrmm u vf

(Tam. ) Amber ”3; (Duk . and Hind . ) Shahbo‘

oi

For the notions O f the Persians respecting amber, the reader

is referred to a celebrated Persian work by Mohammed Mehdy,

written in 1756 , entitled a lefi Ju m or Mine of Experience .

1 6 MATERIA IND I CA . PART I .

(Arab . and Malay. ) L’

ambregr is (Fr .

AMBRAGRI SEA (Waller. )

This is a solid opake, generally ash coloured and

brittle, fatty, inflammable substance, variegated like

marble, very light, and has when heated, a fragl an t

and singular Odour ; its spec ific gravity ranges from

7 80 to 9 26 , and it con sists, according to B ouillon la

Grange, of adipocere, a resinous substance, benzoicacid, and charcoal . Ambergris is sometimes foundfloating in the Indian seas, or adhering to rocks inthe Eastern Islands, and is an article O f commerce

from New Guinea, and is also to be met with on the

Shores of A rabia Felix, the Maldives, and the Phi

lippine Islands, from which last place, Mr . Crawford tells us, in his History O f the Eastern A rchie

pelago (vol . iii . p . it constitutes an article inthe commercial returns to China. M . Turp in in his

H istoire de S iam,

”informs us, that he found it in that

country ; but it would appear that it can be no where

procured O f so fine a quality as on the coast Of Ma

dagascar.

In Hindoostan , ambergris is chiefly used as a per

fume , a drop or two of the essen ce mixed with a

large'

quantity of lavender water, adding much to its

fragrance . Dr. Fleming , in his Catalogue of the

Indian Plants, however, tells us,that the native

physic ians in Bengal, consider the substance itself as

aphrodisiac . The name min ambir has been givento ambergris by

‘

the Tamuls ; and we know that

See O bjects in teresting to the English Nation , by Elias Ha

heschl, Count Gika (p . also Tavern ier’5 Indian Travels.

18 MATER IA IND I CA . PART I .

(Guz . ) Satap husp ha (San s.) Souf b e,” (Duk . )Anison

L9 3‘W ‘3l Arab . ) Rcizy aneh roomze ‘l ejb

(Pers. ) Any s (Dut . ) An is (Port ) M ung]? (Jay . )also aa

’is manis (Jav . ) Kaa

’is Zl/I an is (Bali. ) Graines

d’

anis (Fr . ) Anis (G en )PIMPINELLA AN ISUM (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Pentandria Digyn ia. Nat . O rd . U m

bellatae (Lin . ) Anis bibernell. (Nom . Triv. Willd . )See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . i . p . 147 3 .

Dr. Fleming gives this article a place in his Ca

talogue of I ndian M edicinal P lants and Drugs, but

I am inclined to think, that the greater part of what

is found in India is brought from Persra. The plan t

is properly a native O f Egypt, but is much cultivatedin Spain and Malta . It is delicate, and rises abouta foot on ly ill height, the leaves rOundisll , lobed, and

toothed, the flowers small and white .

The aromatic, sweetish, warm tasted seeds, are

Often confounded by the natives with sweet fennelseeds, and the Tamools then give -them the name

‘

of

p er insirag um. Anise seeds grow in Java, and are

there called adas manis the plant is in the botan ical

garden O f Calcutta, and is there termed mahooree

(Beng . )The n ative practition ers prescribe an ise seeds as

we do , in cases of flatulency and dyspepsia ; com

mouly made in to p ills, the dose from eight grains toa drachm and a half.

The A rabian s place this article amongst their M o

fl ’shya

'

t (Carmin itiva. ) See notions respectingit in a medical work, en titled cas t}; 3 V W ‘

CJS by

Nafis Ben Aviz . Celsus notices an ise amongst hisdiuretics, U rinam autem movent o cilnum, men tha,hyssopum, an isum, 85C . (lib. ii. p .

CHAP .

‘

1 . MATERIA IND I CA . 1 9

ANTELO PE . See ar ticle Deer .

ARROW RO O T, EAST INDIAN . Koodmaoo

g m r m rrm (Tam . ) Kooa/ra neshdsteh ga la; U s;(Duk . ) Tilclzztr

fi g; (Hind ) Kboa (Malealie . )also Kooghei .

CURCUMA ANGUSTIFOL IA (Roxb . )

C l. and O rd . Monandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd .

Scitamine ae (Lin . )An excellen t kind of arrow root, if it may be so

called, is now p repared in Travancore from the root

of the curcuma angustifolia O f Roxburgh, no way in

ferior to that Obtain ed from the maranta arundinacea

in the West Indies. So much O f it has beenmade of late years on the Malabar coast, where the

plan t grows in abundance, that it has become a con

siderable Object in trade, and is mueh prized in England.

Thisplant was found by H . T . Colebrooke, Esq. ,

in the forests extending from the banks O f the Sonato Nagpore, and was by him brought into the

botan ical garden of Calcutta. I ts bulb is Oblong,with pale Oblong pendulous tubers on ly ; leaves petioled, narrow lanceolar flowers, longer than the

bractes. (See Flora Indica, edited by Dr . Carey,p .

The name kooa is given to most of”

the curcumas,

amomums, and lccemp herias on the Malabar coast .

The root O f the curcuma angustg'

folia had long beenan article O f food amongst the natives before itwas particularly noticed by Europeans. The finely

c 2

20 MATER IA IND ICA . PART I .

powdered flour boiled a little in milk, is an excellentdiet for sick or infants.

The arrow root O f the West Indies is there con

sidered as aler ip harmic, and powerful to resist poi

son s ; the plant is a native of South America, and

was first discovered by P lumier. The maranta arun

dinacea has lately been brought to Ceylon from the

West Indies, and thrives well at the Three Kor les,

where arrow root is now prepared from it, reckonedof the finest quality. O n that island a n ew spec ies of

maran ta has lately been discovered and called ma

ran ta pan iculata : the root is a medicine of the natives,and termed by the Cyngalese g e

’

t -olua .

For an account O f the comparative quantities ofamylaceous matter yielded by different West Indianvegetables, the reader is referred to vol . vii. of Dr.

Simmon’

s Medical Facts and Observations.

ASSAFCETIDA . P érungyum

(Tam. ) I ngoova (Tel . ) H inga also hing oo (Sans )H ingalso g rm (Duk . and H ind . ) Angoo ,K.;l (Ma

lay . ) H ilteet a fxl b (Arab . ) U ngoozeh sk i -li (Pers. )H inghoo (Cyng . ) Dui'velsdreclc (Dut . ) Assafiztida

(Port ) I ng u (Jav. ) H ingu (Bali . ) Assafcetida (Fr .)S tin/render asand (G en )

FERULA A SSAF CETIDA (Lin .)

Cl. and O rd . Pen tandria Digyn ia. Nat. O rd . U mbellatae (Lin . ) Teufelsdreck seclcenlrraut . (Nom.

Triv . Willd . ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . (vol. i . p .

I am inclined to think, however I may differ fromD’Herbelot, that the Hindoostanee andMalay names

CHAP . I . MATERIA IND ICA . 2 1

of this article are Persian , as it is in Persia only that

assafoetida is produced, in the provin ces O f Korassanand Laar, from a plant there, called diruhht ung oo

zeh m y), the Arabic name O f which is hashem

FT“ Another Arabic name for the plant 1s s g gs

anjedan , that of the root av

s fi mehroot . (See

Avicen . 130, p . 2 1 1 . For an excellent accoun t of theappearance of the plant, the reader is referred to

Mr. Thomson ’

s London Dispensatory . I t would

appear to r ise to the height O f n in e feet, with a roundsmooth stem surrounded with six or seven radicalleaves, nearly two feet long .

Captain Macdonald Kinneir, in his G eographicalMemoir O f Persia *

,informs us, that assafoetida is

a staple export from Herat in Korassen ; he also

mentions, that the leaves of the plan t are eaten likecommon greens, as is the root when roasted . The

plant, it would appear, grows also in India. (See Re

marks on the Husbandry and Internal Commerce of

Bengal, p . This gum resin is Obtained fromthe roots O f the plants when four years O ld ; the stalkshaving been previously twisted O ff, the tops O f the

roots are wounded, and from the orifices thus made,

a juice exudes, which being exposed to the sun

hardens into assafoetida.

Moomina, in hisM oofurdatf, tells us, that he con

ceives this medicine to be of so heating a nature ,

that if admin istered to a pregnan t woman , it will

kill the child In the womb .

A ssafoetida is much used by the Brahmin s agalnst.

flatulence, and to correct their cold vegetableo

food .

See pages 182, 183 of the Memoir. See also Pottinger’

s

Travels In Beloochistan .

See list of Persian books at the end ofPart 11. of this work .

C 3


(See A romat . Hist . G arcia ab HortO , p . The

Tamool practitioners hold it in high estimation , and

prescribe it as we do in cases O f weak digestion", and

as an antispasmodic and emmenagogue, in doses‘

of

from six grains to half a drachm .

The A rabian s place assafoetida amongst their M o

be’yat (Aphrodisiaca), and M bse’

be'

tat (Hypnotica. ) See n otions respecting it in a celebratedmedical work, en titled

efiu

pfis sby Ismael

Ben Hussen W1 Itten in A rabic .

The seed O f the unjea’an

g l ib -ll they place amongst

their stimulantsd'

ARTICHO KE . H irshuf um)> (Arab . ) Kun

ghir Kg)“

(Pers. Ar tichaut (F1 . A lcachqfa (POIt . )CYNARA SCOI.YMU S (Lin . )

Cl . and O rd . Syngenesia Polygamia ZEqualis. Nat .

O rd . Flosculosae. Gemeine artischoc/fe . (Nom. Triv.

Willd . ) See Spec . Plan t . Willd . Vol . iii. p . 1 6 9 1 .

The artichoke does n ot thrive in the Carnatic, butin the Mysore coun try, and in the northern provincesof India it succeeds tolerably well, and may cer

tainly be considered as one O f the most nourishing

Particularly in that dyspeptic affection they term azirna nai

voo, the leading symptom of which Is flatulency .

1‘ Dr . Duncan , jun . i n h is valuable Edinburgh D ispensatory,

informs us, that the ferula assafoetida plants which were sen t to

Dr. Hope by Dr. Guthrie from Pe tersburgh , produced healthyseed in the botan ical garden of Edinburgh . A ssafoetida, accord

ing to B rugnatelli, con sists of gum, 60 ; resin , 30 ; and essen tial oil,10 parts . Dr . Paris informs us, that In coughs attended with pul

monary weakness it is beneficial, and that Ino

flatulent cholic In the

form of enema, it acted like a chalm. (Pharmacologia, p .

CHAP . I . MATERIA INDICA . Q3

and best of'

all vegetables. The ancien ts prized arti

chokes highly, and had a strange idea that the juiceof them had the power of restoring the hair of

'

the

head when it had fallen off ; it was a standing dishat the Roman suppers, and Pliny tells us (book xix.

chap that it was the dearest of all the gardenherbs, so much so, that the lower classes of Rome

were prohibited from eating it . The modern A ra

bian s cultivate this plant with great care , and con

sider the root as a medicine of some value as an ape

rient ; they call the gum of it kunkz’

rzua’

“2’n and

place it amongst their emetics. The receptacle of

the flowers of'

the onopordum acanthium, or cotton

thistle , may be eate n like artichokes ; the plant itself;according to Withering, the ancien ts thought was a

specific in cancerous cases.

XIV .

ASARABACCA . M ootr icufiayvz’

e Q fifi

g g fis /‘m

g og g cn fl (Tam. ) Asaroon

L1) :J ,“ (Arab . and

Duk . ) Clzépp oo lam/coo (Tel . ) O op ana (Sans )Tuckir (Hind ) Asgard (Fr . ) H aselwur tzel (G en )

ASARUM EU RO PfEU M (Lin . )

Cl . and O rd. Dodecandria Monogyn ia. Nat . 0rd .

Sarmentaceae. E urop iiz’

sclze Haselwurz . (Nom. Triv.

Willd . ) See Spec . Plan t . vol. ii. p . 838 .

The appellation asaroon , which has been given tothis

’

article by the A rabs and Mahometan conquerorsof

'

India, Moomina informs us, was first bestowed on itby the Syrian s, in whose coun try the plant at one time

plentifully grew, and whence the dried root and leaves

Q4 MATERIA IND ICA. PART I .

are now in all probability brought in small quantitiesto India.

A sarabacca is but little used in medicine by thenative practitioners of Lower Hindoostan , though Ifind that the Tamool vy tians occasionally prescribethe root as a powerful evacuant ; they also employthe bruised and moistened leaves as an external application round the eyes, in certain cases of opthal

mia but I cannot learn that they ever use them as

an emetic or as an errhine, for which they are so

much celebrated in Europe, where they are also ad

ministered as a stimulant in chron ic opthalmia and

lethargic affection s, in doses of from three grains tofive, repeated every n ight till the full effect is produced .

The plant grows in many parts of Europe, and of

a good quality in several of the northern coun

ties of England . It is. perennial, flowering in May ;root creeping, fleshy and fibrous ; leaves en tire, oppo

site, of a kidney shape, and on foot stalks three in cheslong, they are somewhat hairy, and of a deep shininggreen colour.

The A rabian s place asarabacca amongst the irM ufiuttemt Q ua” (Lithon triptica), and M ohelz

'

lat

Q iMS w (Discutientia. ) For their n otions‘

respecting

it, the reader may consult an A rabic medical work,entitled 53;mg} by Abul Fazil Ben Ibrahim of Tabriz .

ASPARAGU S. Nakdo'wn (Hind ) Yercimyaf

(Arab . ) M arg eeah 3 9 3i)“(Pers. )A SPARAGUS O FFICINALIS (Lin . )

26 MATERIA INDICA . PART I .

ever, to use it as a medicine . This plant is now seldom

employed except as a tea and diluent in fevers.

The melissa Qfi cinalis was growing in the botan ical

garden of Calcutta in 1814, in troduced from Europe

in 17 9 9 .

XVII .

BALSAM OF G ILEAD . A lcooyeeliisémoonrooJ

mie A, (Arab . ) B oghe’

n bulsiinc) e

(Pers. ) B alsamier de lamecgue (Fr . )AmYRI s G IL IADENSI S (Lin . )

C]. and O rd . Octandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd .

Terebintacem (Juss. ) Giliadisclzer [id lsamstrauch

(Nom. Triv. Willd . ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . ii .

p . 884.

This liquid gum resin and odoriferous cosmetic, Ihave never seen in India, but I understand that it issometimes to be met w ith, and I see it has a place

in the U ! as w iy eh . We are told by Alpinus,that the tree grow s wild in A rabia, and there onlyon the other hand, we learn from Mr . B ruce

*that it

is a native of U pper Eth iopia, and was thence at an

early period, transplanted into the southern provincesof A rabia. It appears to have been cultivated inJudea 17 30 years before Christ ; and it was from

G ilead in Judea, that the merchan ts brought its resinous product in early times to Egypt it is to thisday, there called balesscm according to Bruce ; thoughI perceive by the H ortas B engalensis, that the Amy ,

ris G iliaden sis is growing In the botan ical garden at

Calcutta, in troduced by Dr.

"

Berry in 17 9 8 .

See Bruce’

s Travels, vol. v. App endix, p . 17 .

Cj

HAP. I . MATERIA IND ICA . 27 ,

I think there can be little doubt but that the namebalsam is taken from balessan or bulsan whichare appellations given , not to the produce but to the

tree itself, the gum resin being in Persian , rog lzen

balsam. The fruit of the tree Is called by the Ara

bians hubul bulsiinL’JL‘A ’J I“ ; and by the Pers1an s

télcém bulsc'

mb u t, c

g ; by both of whom it is con

sidered as attenuant, cardiac , and detergent . Fromit the carp obalsamum was supposed to have been

prepared, though Virey is of opinion that this is the

fruit of the plan t . The ancien ts, we are told, held

the balsam of G ilead in great esteem ; in Egypt it isnow considered almost as a panacea, and prescribed forbad wounds, ulcers, poisonous bites, in n ervous and

pulmon ic affections, and also against sterility in women . (See V irey

’

sHistoire desMedicamens, p .

The Arabians of these days reckon it a Valuable sto

machio, and p lace it accordingly amongst their Advi

y a/zeezek “ As“ ,g In Turkey it is chiefly used as a

cosmetic by the ladies.

N ieblzur , in his Travels (vol . I I . p . informs

us, that the tree which p I oduces this article in A ra

bia, grows in abundance betwixt Mecca and Medinathat In most parts of A I abia they only burn the woodas a perfume, but that in the province ofH edsjas

they collect the balsam and export itmm Mocha.

For a very distinct accoun t of the Amy/ris ;Giliadensis,

the reader is refe l l ed to Mr . Thomson ’

s LondonDispen satory. I shall only he I e observe, that it risesabout fourteen feet in height, that thewood Is light

and open , that the leaves me thinly scatteI ed small,

composed of one or two pair of opposite leaflets, withan odd one ; these are obovate, en tire, veined, and

of a bright green colour ; and lastly, that the flowers

28 MATERIA ‘ IND I CA. PART I .

are white, three on one stalk, but two generally dropoff ; one only produces fruit.O ur article with eight other spec ies of amyris, grow

in the botanical garden of Calcutta, all oriental plants.

(See Hortus Bengalensis, p .

BARK,PERU VIAN. See ar ticle Febrifuge

Suietenian .

XVIII .

BEAN. Faba (Latin .) Kuo t g (Greek )The Windsor bean , vicia faba does not

thrive in any part of India, but it is not missed, as

there is one of a superior quality which succeeds ad

mirably, the vellore or duffin bean as it is called inthe southern provinces ; it is about the size of the

Windsor ‘bean , but flatter, and of a more delicatetaste, and highly nutritious it was brought to Indiafrom the Mauritius, and is

‘

the phaseolus lunatus

or more properly speaking a variety of it,

not known for culinary purposes in Europe . The

common country bean , as it is termed by the English, is very inferior to that j ust mentioned, thoughalso a phaseolus lunatus. There is a great varietyof the pulse kind in India, many of them excellent,and to be noticed in another part of this work . The

kidney or Fren ch bean , phaseolus vulgaris, grows wellin India, where it is of course an exotic ; Mr. Phillips,

‘

in his very curious and interesting work on Cultivated Vegetables, tells us, that the old French name ofth is bean wasf éve de Rome, and that it had the same

name in England in the time ofQueen Elizabeth and

We know thatPliny speaksof it in hishistory (chap. xii

CHAP, I . MATERIA INp ICA . 29

under the appellation of phaseolus. The Ara

bian s hold several kinds of beans in high estimation ;the beilce

’

la they suppose to be in its nature, hot,

dry and astringent ; the loobeeyci If”; they reckon

diaphoretic ; the g umboot QM which the Persians

call is most eaten . The great or buzar

beanfdolichos cultratus is a n ative of India,and common on the Coromandel coast, called in

Tamool tambatang iii, in Dukhan ie M1“ in

Tellingoo, tummalcdia, in the Hort al. bammareca,kosap ulla (San s ) ; when young it is eaten whole,

when full grown the seeds only are used . For some

truly classical information regarding the bean , faba,the reader is referred to Mr. Phillips

’

s work abovementioned. The inhabitants of Affganistan livechiefly on different kinds of pulse, which, perhaps,contributes to make them the strongest, and handsomest race in the world .

BDELLIUM . Koo/tool g g g w (Tam. ) Goo

g ooloo (Tel . ) Googula (Cyng . ) Afl atoon g ) gas351

(A rab . ) M ulml (Pers. ) Googul kg ; (Hind )B dellium (Fr . )

BDELLIUM.

This gum resin is semipellucid and of a yellowishbrown or dark brown colour according to its age,

un ctuous to the touch, but brittle ; soon , however,softening betwixt the fingers ; in appearance it is

not unlike myrrh, of a bitterish taste and moderatelyThe ancients preferred much beans to pease, ex legumini

bus valentior faba quam pisum.

”(Cels. lib. ii.)

30 MATERIA IND I CA. PART 1 .

strong smell in burn ing it sputters a little , but can

not be said to explode, as Herman Valentine reports.

Two kinds have been distinguished, the op ocalp asuin

of the an cients, which i s thick like wax, and the

common dark sort . Dr . Alston in hisM ater iaM edica,

says, some make the word bdellium to be originallyHebrew, others G reek ; it appears, however, by theU lfaz w iyeh that it is taken from the Syrian wordbudleey oon. Dioscorides has sufficien tly well de

scribed the article, and has moreover told us, that it

has got the names of madelcon and bolckon . All

of this gum resin found in India, is brought fromA rabia, where the tree is called datum

(35 it would

appear that it also grows in Persia, where it is calleddérukht mukul 355, (See a work entitled

9 11 31 3I lelztiaral i B edia w Ag r lzaz

d l Tibb, in 2 vols, by the authors Aby Ben Hussein ,and Ismael Ben Hussein al Jorany . ) U nder the

name de’

rulfhl malfal it is mentioned by Avicenna,and we have the authority of Kampher for saying,that the bdellium is got from that tree . (Vide Amoe

n it : The Tamool practition ers occasionallyprescribe

‘

bdellium as a purifier of the blood in de

praved habits : they also use it externally for cleans

ing the foul ulcer they call alie p oomi oo, and for dis

cussing tumors in the joints. In Europe it has

been consIdered as diaphoretic, diuretic , cathartic,

and also pectoral, and administered in doses of froma scruple to a drachm : it is now however but littleused .

An ounce ofpicked bdellium, afforded Newman when

triturated with water, six dramchs, two scruples of

gummy extract, and afterwards when triturated with

Vide Historia Rei Herbariae Sprengelei, tom. i. p . 272.


alcohol, two scruples of resin ; two scruples remainingundissolved .

It is a lamentable fact, that the actual tree from

which bdellium is procured has not hitherto beenclearly ascertained by botan ists ; Woodville, in hisMedical Botany, takes no notice at all of the article ;

Seniai, in his Travels in Egypt, informs us, that

it is nothing more than common myrrh in an imperfect state, (see work, p . 558) Sprengel, in his His

toria Rei Herbariae,”tells us, that damn

(35 is the

A rabic name, according to Forskahl, of the borassus

flabelliformis, and it i s from that tree, according to

the testimony of both Kmmpfer (Amoen : and

B ump kins (Amb . i. that bdellium,Is procured .

A s the reader may n aturally wish to satisfy himself

respec ting so singular an assertion , he may find it in

the work above mentioned Historia Rei Herbarim,

vol . i. p . on the other hand, it has been saidthat the tree which yields the bdellium is no otheI

than the chamaerop s humilis 0 1 dwarffanp alm of Lin

naeus ; and Mathiolus (p . assuI es us, that he

himself saw at Naples this bdellium bearing dwarfp alm of Linnaeus. (See HistO I ia Rei HerbaI iaI, same

page and vol . as those just quoted . ) Virey, in his

H istoire Naturelle des Medicamen s, (p . in

forms us, that it is got fIom a species of amyris, the

n iouttoutt of Adan son , which according to FO I skahl,resembles myrrh . (Mat . Med . A rab . p .

The modem A rabs believe afiatoon to be attenu

an t and p ectoral , but seem chiefly to employ it as

an external application , and place it amongst theirM ohelilat Q IALS K, (Discutien tia. ) I perceive that

googal is on e of the substances thrown into the fireby the Hindoos at their trial by ordeal. (See A siaticResearches, vol . i. p . 400. Calcutta edition . )

32 MATERIA IND I CA . PART I .

BEEF. Caro babala .

Bos TAURUS .

This, though generally speaking it is inferior to

the beef of England, yet when the ox has been pro

perly fed, which is now almost always the case at

the chief stations in India, it is exce llent, and is cer

tainly, with the exception of mutton , the most nou

rishing and easily digested of all kinds of butchermeat . The oxen of India may be distinguished fromthose of Europe by the hump on the shoulder (whichwhen dressed is extremely delicate and tender), and

the singular declivity of the os sacrum, peculiaritieswhich have obtained for the variety in natural his

tory, the appellation of zebu they are in other re

spects not quite so large as the domestic cattle of

Europe . The oxen of Guzerat are con sidered as

the most valuable ; and much has been said ofM al

wak, H ansi, and Harr ianali oxen . Cattle are ex

ported from India to countries lying farther north,

such as Nepaul, where those called the rajepoot are

much prized . The bullock being a sacred animalin India, there is not seldom a difficulty in procuringbeef at out stations. The Mahometan s are fond of

beef, and know well how to make its various preparations, beef tea (infusum carnis bubulae), 8m. 8m.

The beef of the bull and cow they rarely eat ; vealthey consider as the lightest and safest food for sick,and frequently prescribe the broth (jus vitulinum).The flesh of the gyal is said to be very agreeable tothe taste ; it is an an imal betwixt a buffalo and do

mestic bull, commonly found betwixt the Bram

84 M ATERIA IND I CA . PART I .

There are two sorts of benzoin distinguished inIndia, the finer and deare r of which the Tamools

call malacca samhranie, and the M ahometans, loobanie

and ; it is the head benzoin of commerce ; to the other

kind, the Tamools have given simply the name of

sambranie, and the Mahometans that of and th is is

thefool benzoin of commerce, and is sometimes calledthe Cafres head .

The finest kind has a very fragran t odour, but little or no taste ; the mass is white or yellowish, some

what translucent and brittle this is the sort that is

obtained by wounding the bark'

of the tree n ear the

origin of the lower branches : the inferior kind, and

that which I have called above the second sort, is of

a brownish colour, is harder, and is mixed withimpurities .

This very fragrant, but in sipid balsam, is broughtto India from Sumatra, exported from Achaea ,

which has occasion ed it sometimes to be called bythe Tamools Ach

'

ie p awl samhranie ; it is also a pro

duct '

of S iam,

Jr of Laos, and of Java, and we learn

from Baron’

s description of Tonquin , that it is to be

procured in the coun try of Laos, where the tree

grows.

The less valuable sort is burnt by the Malays and

A rabs to perfume their temples and houses ; the bet

ter kind is used by the Hindoos in medicine, parti

cularly by the Tamools, who prescribe it internally indoses of from four to fifteen grains in hshy am, wh ich

is consumption , and saviisa ehsham (asthma ) In

Europe it is now seldom ordered in practice . .The

96 See Marsden’

s Sumatra, p . 123 .

+o

See Turpin’

s Histoire de Siam . Mr . Crawford, however,an MS I nd i an Archip elago, says, Borneo and Sumatra are the onlycoun trIes that produce it . (See work , vol . i. p .


products, B rande obtained by distillation from 100

parts of benzoin , were, benzoic acid, acidulatedwater, butyraceous and empyreumatic oil,

charcoal, and a mixture of carburetted hydro

gen and carbonic acid, parts. The tree which

yields benzoin is tall, with many round branches, itsleaves are alternate and pointed, and the flowers arein compound axillary clusters, and n early as long as

the leaves.

Mr. Thomson , in his London Dispensatory, has

given an excellent botan ical description of the plant ;

it is said now to thrive well at Prince ofWales’

s Is

land, at Bourbon, and also, by Mr . Colebrooke’

s

account, in India. It is growing in the botan ical

garden at Calcutta, introduced by Dr . Lumsdain from

Sumatra in 18 12 ; also the species serrulata a nativeof Chittagon , in troduced in 18 10.

The ancients employed much the . common styrax

(styrax officinale), as a resolvent . Alvum moliri

videtur, concoquit et In ovet pus, purgat, discutit.”

(Celsus, lib . iii. cap .

XXII .

BEZ OAR. V1.9t hulloo (fi g m cakesov m (Tam

Visagul (Cyng . ) Z a’

he’

r morah (Duk . and Hind . )Fadaj 8 55 A I ab Padzehr hanie

£5i

jmf

'

u (Pers.

Golcha lei; (Malay ) B ezoarsteeh (G en ) B azar

Port . ) Gorochand T HU G ? “(San s ) B ezoard

(Fr . ) also Koroshanam (Tam. )BEZ OAR ORIENTALE .

See Remarkson the Husbandry and Internal Commerce of

Bengal, p . 205.


This is a concretion found in the stomach of an

an imal of the goat kind it has a smooth glossy sur

face , and is of a dark green or olive colour ; the

word bezoar, however, has lately been extended to

al l the concretion s found in an imals ; such as the

hog bezoar , found in the stomach of the wild boarin India ; the bovine bezoar , found in the gall-bladder of the ox, common in Nepaul ; and the camel

bezoar , found in the gall-bladder of the camel ; this

last is much prized as a yellow paint by the Hindoos,and is called by the Tamools wootay ho

’

rdshannm

nay, P ennant tells us, that a very valuable kind is

got in Borneo, from a species of monkey ; it is of a

bright green colour,‘

and has a finer lustre than the

goat bezoar . (See Lockyer’

s Accoun t of the Trade

of India, p . It is a fact, that from Borneo*and

the sea-ports of the Persian G ulph , the fin est bezoaris brought to India ; the Persian article is partien

larly sought after, and is said to be procured in the

neighbourhood of I’

ll ount B drsi, from an imals of the

goat kind, cap ra gazella (Lin . ) Christophorus a

Costa ILobserves, that a factitious sort is made at

Ormus ; the same author men tion s, that a bezoar issometimes obtained from pigs.

This substance appears to have been first used as

a medicine by the A rabians ; Avenzoar gives us a

wonderful account of it ; and Razis, in his Continens,

describes it fully, and extols its good qualities as asudorific and alexipharmic . I t was formerly given .

in doses of a scruple ; Schroder, however, did not

admin ister more than from three to twelve grains.

See Dr. Leyden’s Sketches of the Island of Borneo, vol . VII .

Tran sactions of the Batavian Society .

1‘ See Fasciculi Amoen itatem Exoticorum, ab

’

A’

uctore Eng le

bertoKaempfeeroett , M .D. pp . 39 8 . 410.

CHAP . I . MATERIA IND I CA . 87

I t is no longer ordered in practice in Europe . The

Hindoos suppose it to possess sovereign virtues, as

an external application in cases of snake bites or

stings of scorpions ; and its various oriental names

imply that it destroys poisons .

The Persians are well acquain ted with its absorben tnature, and prescribe it in conjun ction with a little

b lack pepper in the cholera morbus, which they call

M mhay zet, very wisely conceiving Ihat that disease

is occasioned by an acid'

in the first passages, whichrequires but to be n eutra lized to be removed ; and I

perceive by a Tamool sastrum of Tunmundrie V aghadum

, that he recommends for the same diseasekoroshanum, or cow

’

s bezoar. Dr . Davy, on examin ing what are called the snakes stones of India,which are supposed to have great virtue in curing

snake bites, found them to be simply bezoar, and as

such, could have no real virtue in such cases. I shall

conclude this article by observing, that another A rabicname for bezoar is hajer-atis m y;fi g) signifying lite

rally g(roar stone ; and that in Arabia Petrrea, a kind

of bezoar, called In A rabic terzac-ul—hy l e’

M y; d b);

is said to be found in the corner of the eye of a

mountain ox . In the centre of the orien tal bezoar,which is composed of smooth concen tric laminae of

an olive colour, not unusually is found in a n ucleus,

small p ieces of straw , or ston es or seeds, but most

common ly the pod of a particular kind of fruit . Whatis called the occ iden tal bezoar is much more rough

in its surface than the other, and has sometimes beenfound in the camel tribe . The specific gravity of the

first is that of the last is

D 8


XXII ] .

BISHO PSWEED, SEED OF . Womam 63m g )

(Tam. and Tel. ) Ajam'

o'

dam also B rahmadar

bhd amid} (San s ) Assamodam (Cyng .) Amoos

uwyo l (Arab . ) Nanhhah gue sts (Pers. ) Ajoowan

(Duk . and Hind . ) Amy zaad (Dut . ) Ameos

also Saldr ie’

(Port . ) Aymaddvum (Can . ) Sison (Fr. )SISON AMM I (Lin . )

Cl . and O rd . Pentandria Dygin ia. Nat . O rd .

U mbellatae (Lin . ) Kleines sison . (Nom. Triv . Willd )See Spec . Plan t . Willd . vol . i. p . 1487 .

This is a small, warm, aromatic seed, resemblinganise seed in its virtues, and much used by the nativedoctors as a stomachic , cardiac , and stimulan t ;

‘

and

given in doses of from ten grains to two scruples.

O II showing it to Dr . Rottler, he made no hesitationin declaring it to be the seed of the sison ammi

‘

b f

L innaeus. It is, however, the same seed which Dr .

Fleeming calls (ajawain) in his Catalogue of IndianMedicinal Plants,

”and which , Dr . Roxborough says,

is the produce of a species of lavag e, named by him,

ligusticum aja'wain, which in Bengalie is called java

nee : the plan t, he tells us, is annual, erect, leavessuperdecompound, with filiform l eaflets, ridges and

furrows of the seeds distin ct and scabrous.

”By

Forskahls account, the plant is named in Egyptchazlle . (See hi s Flor. Egypt . A rab . ) The seeds are

much employed by the veterinary practitioners inIndia, in diseases of horses and cows. The Persians

place them amongst their M nfi n‘

ekat $15 1“ (Deob

struentia. )


There is a plan t which grows wild in the Coimbatore coun try, and which I believe is a variety of

the sison ammi the natives call the seeds of it co’

odr ie

womum which sign ifies horse womum ; and

suppose them to be an efficacious remedy for the gripes

in horses. The ligusticum ajauain , with another spe

c ies, the ligusticum diffusum or bun ajouan , (Hind )grow in the botan ical garden of Calcutta. (SeeHort . Bengalensis, p .

XXIV .

BITUMEN PETRO LIU M, or ROCK O IL .

.Munty lum ( Q QDN gS-

Lg m l s (Tam. ) B oomie ty lum

(Sans. and T el . ) IMinnia tanna (Malay )‘

Ippoo

(Sumatran . ) Késosonoabra (Japanese . N efi L155“;

(Arab . ) Mattie ha tail j” LS”

( 5M (Duk . and H ind . )

also Kufier aliehood B itume de

Judee (Fr . )BITUMEN PETRO L IU M .

The bitumen family, as Mr . Nicholson justly ob .

serves, Includes a considerable range of inflammable,mineral substances, of an oily or resinous nature ;

burning with flame in the open air, without beingconverted in to an acid like sulphur, or into an

v

oxide

like the metals : they are of different consistence,

from a th in fluid to a solid .

The bitumen nap tha is the most fluid when found

pure, as it issues out of white, yellow, or black clays

in Persia and Media ; it is a fine, white, coluurless,

thin , fragran t oil, inclin ing occasionally to a pale

brown tint . It is also brought to England of a veryD 4


superior quality from Mon té Ciaro, n ear Piacenza in

Italy. Analyzed, it is ascertained to consist of carbon ,

hydrogen ,

and a little oxygen ; it is very inflam

mable, and dissolves resins and the essen tial oils of

thyme and lavender . A much less pure article, and

properly speaking the mineral oil, or bitumen p etro

lium of the shops, is procured from Mon te Festino,not far from Modeno, and is, I presume, n early thesame in its nature and appearance as our Indian article, which is brought to India fromAva,

* the Sooloo

islands, Japan , Sumatra, and B orneonLI t is of a red

dish or somewhat dark brown colour and unctuousfeel,with rather an unpleasant odour, and pungent, acridtaste ; it is not soluble in alcohol, and looks like thatfiner sort of petrolium naptha rendered thicker and

browner by exposure to the atmosphere ; it burnswith a blueish flame , and is composed of carbon , hydrogen , and oxygen . Both species combine withfat, resins, essen tial oil and camphor ; with alkaliesthey fbrm soapy compounds, and sulphuric and n itricacids change them into solid resms.

The bitumen p etrolium is called earth oil, also rockin India, from the circumstan ce of its having

been found dropp ing from rocks in wells in the

B irman domin ion s. I t is also a product ofArmen ia, as

Capt. Macdonald Kinn eir i has stated, and accordingto Hanway,§ is an export from Bussora, procured

from Baku, on the west coast of the Caspian Sea ;

it may also be obtained from a lake in the Island of

Trin idad . Capt. Macdonald Kinneir“speaks par

See Symes’

s Embassy to A va, vol. iii. p . 26 3 .

“

t In Barunyan in Borneo , (see Dr. Leyden’

s Sketches of Bor

neo in the 7 th volume of the Transactions of the Batavian Séciety .

1: See his Geographical Memoir of Persia, p . 319 .

SS See his Travels in Persia, vol . i . p . 26 3 .

ll See his Memoir, pp . 38, 39 , 40.

4x2 MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1 .

He found it colourless as water, its specific gravitywith exactly the same taste and smell as the

article made at home ; the two bitumens in fact, the

professor observed, to resemble each other in all

their chemical qualities, but he could not get that

mad e from the coal, to be quite so light as the Per

sian naptha. (See Annals of Philosophy, No .

The ancien ts, and espec ially Celsus, would appear to

have considered bitumen as possessing medicinalqualities similar, or nearly so, to those of common

storax . (See Celsus, lib . iii. cap . In Fran ce, according to Alibert, petrolium has occasionally been ad

min istered for the removal of ascarides ; in Egypt,the same author says, it is given in cases of taen ia.

(See Nouveaux Elemen s de Therapeutique, ovol . i .

p .

It would appear, that in a late improvemen t madein the steam engine by M. De Mon tgomery, _ purifiedbitumen after having served in the form of vapour,is turned to the double purpose of serving

'

as a com

bustible substance . In the improvemen t alluded to ,the fire-place, the pipe, and mechan ism, are containedinside the boiler, which is itself enclosed in a doublecase . The vapour may therefore be raised to a veryhigh degree of tension , without danger ; and th isadvan tage renders the bulk of

'

this n ew machine from40 to 50 times smaller than that of the presen t steam

engines of equal power.

XXV .

BOLE ARMENIC . Simie hiivihdlloo gib

ggsm e

'

;

Bi n—

M GI BS'

CfiDOAQ/ Ghildrmenie jy


(Pers. Duk . and Hind . ) S imic havi rdi (Tel . H ejrarmenic (A rab . ) also (A rab . )Goorookatta (Sans. B ole d

’

armenie (Fr )BO LU s (Waller. )

The bole that is commonly met w ith in India, isbrought from the PerSIan

,Gulph, and is that known

in Europe by the name bole armeniac, it being a pro

duct of Armenia ; it is soft, feels greasy to the touch,

adheres strongly to the tongue, and is very frangible ;it is generally of a yellowish brown colour, though

sometimes it is seen of a fine flesh red, and that sort

is most prized by the native dyers and painters, who

call it ségdp oo ha'

vihul or red bole ; it wouldappear to be tinged by an oxide of iron .

The Tamool practitioners prescribe bole armeniac

as an astringent in fluxes of long standing, and sup

pose it to have considerable eflicacy in correcting the

state of the humours in cases of malignan t fever, and

particularly in allaying what they call vi/chil (hiccup . )I ts constituen t parts are, silica alumina

magn esia lime iron water

Mr. Jameson has"

made bole the fourth species of

the soapstone family, and in speaking of its chemicalcharacters, says, when immersed in water, it breaksin p ieces with an audible noise, and evolution of air

bubbles before the blow-pipe it melts into a green

ish grey-coloured slag . The F rench bole, which is

of a paler red, is still retained in the IWater ia M edica

of the London College.

The red babe of Constantinople (argile rouge), of

which the Turks make their p ipes, and also that va

riety called in Bengal the patna ear th, with the other

ingredients, contain a portion of silex . Some savage


nation s, such as the O tamaques of America, are in

the habit of eating boles to relieve them from the

pain s of hunger ; and it is remarkable that they donot thereby become lean , at least according to the

testimony of F ray Ramon B ueno, a missionary .

B aron Humbolt observes, however, that they do

not eat every kind of clay, but select such earths as

are un ctuous and smooth to the feel. The same dis

tinguished writer assures us (as is quoted by the au

thor ofColumbia, vol . i. p . that Labbillardiere

saw in the Indian Archipelago, little reddish cakesexposed for sale, called tanaamp o these were of

clay slightly baked, and which the natives eat with

pleasure . M . Leachenault has pub lished some curious details on the tanaamp o of the Javanese, which

by his account, these people only take when they

wish to become thin , and to have a slender shape . Ishall conclude this article by remarking , that the in

habitants of New Caledon ia to appease their hunger,

eat great p ieces of a friable lap is ollaris, which byB aron Humboldt

’

s account, on being analysed byM . Vauquelin , was found besides magnesia and silex,to contain a small quan tity of oxide of copper. I II

G ermany, the workmen employed in the quarries of

Kifiluenser , spread a very fine kind of clay on their

bread instead of butter, and which they call stein

XXVI .

BORAX . Velligarum also Venga'

rum (go—

g mex t r a

-

go (Tam. ) Lansipooscara (Cyng . ) Sohag a

(Duk . and Hind . ) Patte’

r ie (Malay . )

CHAP. I . MATERIA IND ICA . 45

B uruk a» , (Arab . ) Tun/rarULi ig; (Pers. ) B oras

(Dut . ) B orax (Port . ) also P ig er (Malay . ) P iger

(Jav . ) P iger (Bali. ) Tunhana (Sans ) Chaula'

ry a

(Nep . ) B oraa'

(G en ) B orate alcalinule de soude

(Fr . )SU B -BoRAs SODJE .

This is a natural salt, found dissolved in manysprings in Persia ; and Abbe Rochon informs us, in

his Voyage to Madagascar and the East Indies,”

that it can be p rocured of a superior quality in China,but it is much more plentiful in Thibet, where previons to its being refined by the Dutch, who keepthe process a secret, it is called tin/cal, and hence its

Persian name tin/tar . Tin/ral is got from the bed of

a lake in Thibet, about fifteen days journey fromTissoolomboo it is many miles in circumference,and the water of it, we are told, n ever freezes. It

is‘

dug up in large masses, and sent to Europe in

c rystals of a green ish white colour, but mixed withsand and other impurities .

Borax is too well known to require being particularly described here . It is without smell, and has a

cool, styptic, and somewhat alkalescent taste . The

native doctors of India consider it as deobstruent anddiuretic ; the vytians especially, seldom fail prescrib

ing it in cases ofwhat they call ma’

gh'

o'

drum (ascites),and mootrayhritchie They, like some of

of -the Writers of old (Schroder, p . admin ister

it to promote delivery and also occasionally employ it

See Turner’

s Embassy to the Court of the Tisho‘

ohama,

p . 406 .

1 It is not now given internally in Europe the borac ic acid wasformerly used as a medicine , und er the name of Hombe rg’

s seda

tive salt .

46 MATERIA IND ICA .f‘

PART I .

as we do in apthous affection s. Borax is sometimes

adulterated with alum and fused muriate of soda.

The Arabians and Persians, as we learn from the

U lfaz w iyeh, place borax amongst their M ulittifat

(Attenuentia. ) This substance consists, ac

cording to Bergman , of 84acid, 17 soda, and 49water . It will be further noticed in that part of thiswork which is applicable to the arts.

Xxvn .

CABBAGE . Kirnub U s; (A rab . ) Ke’

lum(If

(Pers. ) Gar ten kohl (G en ) Chou (Fr . ) Kop ee

(Hind . and Beng . )BRASSI CA OLERACEA (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Tetradynamia Siliquosa. Nat . O rd.

Cruciferae.Cabbages grow well in every part of India, and

are esteemed as perhaps the best of all the pot herbsin that coun try, but the seed is brought regulaflyfrom the Cape . _ Various kinds are cultivated, butthe small sugar loaf has the preference . Cabbage isconsidered as of a flatulent nature, and is therefore

gen erally avoided by such as have weak digestions,but I believe in this there is a good deal of fancy . The

an cients, G reeks as well as Romans, believed the cabbage to possess peculiar virtues, the first peoplecalled it xopaja é

’

A-q; the Latin name brassica, Mr . Phillips ingen iously supposes to come from the word

praeseco, because it was cut off from the stalk ; thequalities above alluded to are, that it prolonged life

and cleared the brain when intoxicated with wine !

properties very different indeed from those givenby Lunan in his Hortus Jamaicensis, vol . i .

"

p . 180.

CHAP . I . MATER IA IND ICA . 7

The Arabians and Persians prize cabbage highly as

food, and besides, con sider it as powerfully suppu

rative ; the seedss—J’JQL? they believe to be sto

mach ic . Turn ip cabbage grows admirably in India,and is a great delicacy at the tables of European s i itis the brassica congylodes (Miller). The red cabbage

(brassica rubra), brocoli (b . botrytis cymosa), and

cauliflower (b . florida), are also cultivated in India,but the latter on ly thrives in the more northern p ro

vinces or in elevated situations, such as Mysore .

Twen ty-four spec ies of brassica have been noticedby Wildenow: (Spec . Plant . vol. iii. p . In the

botan ic garden of Calcutta, four of these grow.

Three kinds appear to have been only mentioned

by the most ancient G reek writers, the selinas or

cr isp ed, lea, and corambe . (Vide Pliny, book xx . c .

also Phillips’

s Cultivated Vegetables, a work I can

not sufficiently call to the attention of the curious .

XXVIII .

CACAO-NU T . THEOBROMA CACAo .

Cl . and O rd . Polyadelphia Decandria. Nat . O rd .

Column iferae. Walvier caca . (Nom. Triv. Willd . )This article, properly speaking, should not have

had a place here, but that I understand the tree,

which is peculiarly handsome, with lanceolate ob

long leaves and a brown bark, grows well at Bourbon , whence its p roduce is an export and we learn

from,

De Comyn in h is State of the Philipp ineIslands,

”(p . that it is now much cultivated in

those countries, and the chocolate made from the

nut, particularly in the island of Zebu, is esteemed


even superior to that of G uayaquil, in America. In

Java there is simply sufficient grown for the con

sumption of the European colon ists.

The cacao or chocolate tree might in all probability thrive well in sheltered situations in LowerIndia, and would no doubt be a great acquisition . I

p erceive, by Dr. W. Wright’

s Observations on the

Medicinal Plan ts of Jamaica, that it now grows well

in all the French and Span ish islands. There is this

peculiar to the theobroma cacao, that it is the only

plant of its class and order .

Cacao is of two kinds, that made from the whole

nut, and that from the shell ; they are both muchlighter, though perhaps a little less nutritive than

chocolate . The cacao prepared from the shell, Ihave known to agree w ith weak stomachs when many

other things were rejected ; both this and that pre

pared from the whole nut, should in such cases be

made thin and clear. Chocolate, Mr . Tweed in hisObservation s on Regimen and Diet, informs us, is

a safer drink for such as are subj ect to flatule I—

fce

than,any thing prepared of farinaceous substances.

(See his work, p . I t is a kind of paste pre

pared w ith the triturated nut, after having beenroasted, and several other ingredients, the chief of

which are Van illa sugar and r a little cinnamon . Most

foreigners prefer the Span ish chocolate ; but the English is made with more care and is much less oily.

XXIX .

CAMPHOR; Cdrpoorum also Soodan a d jwU ni ) (Tam. ) Cdp ooroo (Cyng ) Kdfimruy u

’

(Arab .


Malays call kafoor or kapur-baros, ) is"

reckoned verygdod, but that of Borneo, Dr. Leydou says, is the

finest in the world ; and which is brought, according to Mr . Hunt

’s account in his Sketch of Borneo,

from the Morut country. The method of obtain ingit is well described by Pé re d

’Entrecolles in his

Amoenit . Exotic . p . 7 7 2 .

Mr. Macdonald, in his A ccount of the Productsof Sumatra (in vol . iv . of the Asiatic Researches), in

forms us, that the tree fromwhich camphor is there oh

tained differs con siderably from the laurus camp hora .

Indeed,Kaempher (Amoen . Exotic . p . had long

ago suggested the idea,[

that thearticle brought toEurope from Sumatra and Borneo, was not procuredfrom the laurus camphora ; and thanks to the enlightened research ofMr. H . T . Colebrohe, it is now fully as

Certained to be from a tree of a different genus, the dryobalanop s camp hora, which grows to a great height in

the forests on the north-eastern coast of Sumatra, and

especially in the vic in ity ofTap anooly . (SeeAsiatic Researches, vol . xii . p . To procure the oil, which is

even . more esteemed than the camphor itself in eastern

countries, it is only necessary to woun d and piercethe tree, when it exudes from the orifices so made .

To get the concrete camphor, the tree must be cutdown , when it w ill be discovered , in small whiteflakes, situated perpendicularly In Irregular veins, inor near the centre of the tree

Camphor, it is now well known , may be procuredfrommany d ifferentp lants

", such as thyme, marjoram,

ginger, sage, 8 m. There is a Species of the last common in India, Salvia B engalensis (B ottler),

Sir Humphry Davy’

s Elements of Agricultural Che,

p . 9 9 also sé e V irey’

s Histoire Naturellemens, p . 175.

CHAP. I . MATERIA IN'

D‘

ICA . 51

of which smell so powerfully of camphor, that theyhave got the Dukhan ie name of kafoor ha p aint, or

camphor leaves ; there is no doubt but that theycontain a great deal of camphor. The Cyngalese

sometimes prepare a kind of camphor from the roots

of the cinnamon t Iee ° M1 . Thomson ,In his new

London DIspensatO Iy, has given an excellen t botan ical account of the laurus camp hora, as Well as the

dry obalanop s camphora, and has described the varIousqualities of the article itself. Correa, In hisAccount of

Borneo, tells us, that the shorea robusta of Roxburgh

(Cor . Pl . vol . iii. fig . yields a camphor superior‘

to that ofJapan or China ; which is noticed also, I see,byVirey, in his

“H istoireNaturelle des Medicamens,”

(p . T he camphor tree is growing in the bo

tan ical garden of Calcutta, in troduced by M. Cerein 1802 ; its San scrit name is hurp oora .

Camphor is prescribed by the native Indian praetitioners in doses of fromthree to fifteen or twenty

grains. Amongst European practitioners in that

country, it is chiefly valued for its Virtues in obv‘

iatl

ing the irritating effects of mercury, and at the same

time , I

endering it more certainly efficacious other

wise it is employed as In Europe with indefiniteeffects, in typhus fever, gout, rheumatism, and hys

teria. I shall conclude this article by observing;that a substan ce has lately been prepared artificiallyby M . Kind, a G erman chemist, which seems to re

semble camphor in most of its properties ; it is‘

m‘

ad‘

e

by passing a current of muriatic gas through the oil of

turpentin e . (See Dr . Brewster’

s

t

Edinburgh Encyclo

pedia, vol. xi i i . part i . p .


XXX .

CAPILLAIRE, SIRUP OF . Sirop de cap illaire

(Fr. )ADIANTUM CAPILLUS VENERI S .

Cl. and O rd. Cryptogamia, Felices (Lin . ) F rau

enhaar b u llfizrrn . (Nom. Triv . Willd . ) See Spec .

Plant. Willd. vol. v. p .449 .

This sirup, which is brought to India from the is

land of Bourbon , is prepared w ith the leaves of thead . cap . ven . , but at the same island it is also madewith the leaves of another species of maidenhair, thead.

'

caudatum, which grows on the Courtalum billsin the southern part of India, also on Ceylon both

plants are natives of Coch in China, but do not appearto be there considered as medicinal . The first isalso found at Amboina, and is the micca miccan ultan

of Rumphius. (Amb . lib . t . It is also to be

met with on Java, as Dr. Horsfield informs us. The

adian tum cap . ven . is the m pmxokas. Xowov of the

modern G reeks, who employ the sirup of it in chest

complaints ; it is no doubt pectoral and slightly as

tringent, though its decoct ion , if strong, is a certainemetic . Sirup of capillaire is much prized amongst

the French and Portuguese inhabitan ts of India, as a

medicme In catarrhal complaints, but is little sought

afler by the English .

XXXI .

CARDAMOM, LESSER SEEDS O F. Yaydersie gy m-

ne o

? (Tam. ) Yay lah‘

ooloo (Tel. ) E u


sal (Cyng . ) E bil (Arab . ) Kakele’

h séghdr J ig“,

“h is (Pers.) Cap alaga EMU -3°

(Malay. ) E6 5] (Sans )Eelc

'

ichie Al (Duk . ) Cardamomos (Port . ) Carda

momen t .) E lettar i (Rheed ) Kap ol (Jav . )Gujarati elachi (Hind ) also H eelbuya (Arab . )Petit cardamome (Fr. ) Kleine hardamomen (G en )

ELETTARIA CARDAM O MU M .

Cl . and O rd . Monandria, Monogynia. Nat . O rd .

Scitamineae Maton . TraI'

Is. of the LinnaeanSociety, vol . x . part ii.

The plant which produces the lesser cardamom seed,

has lately occasioned the establishing of a new genus

(elettaria), and which has been so named from the

Mdléalie word, elettari, the appellation given to the

plant on the Malabar coast, where cardamoms are

produced in great abundance, and are in common

use amongst the native practitioners as a warm and

agreeable carminative and stomachic, prescribed indoses of from eight grains to half a drachm in con

junction w ith other medicines.

Cardamoms are also a product of the Wynad moun

tains, of Cochin China, of Siam, of Camboja, and

Cey lon . E lmore, in his Directory to the Trade of

India, speaks of three sorts of cardamom, the first

(he says, the greater), grows in Africa, and the secondin Java, the pods of which are rather long, and more

triangular than round ; his third sort is our present

article ; the grains of it are small, hot, spicy, and

pleasant to the taste .

The ek ttar ia cardamomum is described by Rheedin vol . ix . of his Hortus Malabaricus ; and a gooddescription of it has been given by Mr . Thomson inhis n ew London Dispensatory . O n the Malabar

Coast the plant is called ailam cheddy .

E 3

54 MATERIA INDI CA.

. P ART I .

The A rabians p lace cardamoms amongst the irI’

ll oh'

ezty at-dil (Cardiaca). I II Java the plan t grows

wild in the woods, and is there called l 'dpdlfiga but

its produce is~much inferior to the cardamoms of

Malabar . There is a wild kind of cardamom, the

amomum aromat icum found on the eastern

fron tiers of B engal , where it is called mor ung elachi,

the fruit of which is used as a spice and medicin e bythe natives. (See Flora Indica, p . For a se ientific accoun t of th e cardamom of the Malabar coast

by Dr. D . IVhite of the Bombay establishmen t, the

reader is referred to the l oth vol . of the Linn tean

Tran sactions . There is now growing in the botan ical garden at Cal cutta another amomum, the amo

mum maximum the seeds of which possess

a warm, pungen t, and aromatic taste, by no means

unl ike that of the true cardamomum. The amomum

cardamomum or what Rumphius distinguishedby the name of cardamomum minus (Amb . 5. p . 152 .

t . is that species , the seeds of which come

the n earest in taste and virtues to the ofli cinal article,

a nd whi ch are used as a substitute for them by the

Malays ; the plan t is a native of Sumatra and o ther

islands to the eastward of the Bay of Bengal, and

was sen t, as Dr . Roxburgh informs us, from Ben coo

len to th e botanical garden at Calcutta, where it blossoms in April. (Flora Indica, p .

XXXII .

CARDAMOM, GREATER SEEDS or . Ka

hails b bar Lé A13 1; (Arab . ) H i] Irelan o us M(Pers. ) B ar r ie eela

'

tchy f ur (Hind ) or Desi

CH AP . I . MATERIA IND ICA . 55

elachi (Hind ) Cardamongoo Kap ulaga

(Malay, JaV . and Bali.

AMOMUM G RANU M PARAD ISI (Lin .)

Cl . and O rd . Monandria, Monogynia: Nat . Ord .

Scitaminaz (Lin .) Paradies ingwer . (Nom. TrIv.

Willd . )What has been called the grains of paradise seeds,

or g reater cardamoms, are much larger than the fore

going, more pungent, and less aromatic ; they are

rarely exported from India or Ceylon .

I n what respects the plant producing the greatercardamoms differs from the elettar ia cardamomum,

Icannot say . Willdenow, in speaking of the amomum

g ranum p aradisi, says, Scapo ramoso laxo, foliisovatis, planta etiamnum obscura habitat in Mada.

gasear, Guinea, et Z eylona, in umbrosis uliginosis ad'

radices mon tium.

”(Spec . Plant . vol . i. 4. Dr.

Fran cis Hamilton , in his Account of Nepaul, speaksof a large kind of cardamom he found there, as yet

not described by botan ists. (See his work, p .

The dose of the tinctura cardamomi is from one to

three drachms, that of the tinctura cardamomi comp o

sita from one drachm to half an ounce .

The Arabians place cardamoms amongst theircardiaca.

XXXIII .

CARP, COMMON. Say l kunde’

(BE N GGJ‘

GU'UF

59 ; (Tam. ) Say l Jew (Duk . ) Tambara (Malay.)

See Syst. Lin . Cur. Willdenow, vol. i. part i. p . 9 .


Suh'

ree (Hind ) Ghénday lamp a (Tel . ) Rahoo

(Sans ) Kool (Arab . ) Carp e (Fr. )CYPRINUS CARPIo (V an )

This species of cyprinus“ is to be met with in

many of the slow running rivers and ponds of LowerIndia, and is much prized both by European s and

natives in sp ite of its numerous bones. The carp is

noticed by Dr. Pearson in his Materia Alimentaria,as being at once sweet and nutritious : it is beststewed Dr . F. Hamilton, in his Journey through

Mysore, Canara, and Malabar, informs us, that he

found in a clear stream, called the Vedaivati, near

the village“

of H er iuru, three species of cyprinus

(carp), whichhe sc ientifically described f Theirnames,1 . Karmulca cyprinus carmuka

2 . Kincla minu cyprinus ariza thisin Telingoo is arija, and in Bengalese bangan batta

3 . B endelisi cyprinus bendelisis (Buch .) Thefirst of these is about three feet long, the second a

foot long , and the last not longer than the finger.

The cyprinus was well known to the ancients, andis noticed by Pliny . (Nat. Hist . lib . xxxh . cap .

The physicians on the Continent recommend brothmade of carp fish in consumptive cases.

XXXIV .

CARROT. Cc'

irrot htilung

(Tam. ) Gazerrag e’

dda (Tel . ) Gajar fi ts (Duk .

Beckman seems to have clearly proved that our carp was theéyprinus of the ancien ts ; he supposes that this fish was first foundin the southern parts of Europe , and conveyed thence to other

coun tries . It was b all accounts not known In England In thee leventh cen tury . (Ilistory of Inven tions, vol. i ii. p .

1 Se e his wmk, vol. ii i pp . 344, 345.

58. MATERIA IND I CA: PART Ar.

X XXV

CASSIA LIGNEA, or CASSIA BARK. L a

Seleeheh (Arab . M 53 (Hind ) Darchinie

(Duk . ) also M ata darchinie (Duk . ) H out

hassle (Dut. Cassia lenhosa (Port . Kay ii-manis

(Jav. ) Kay u-leg i (Malay . ) Kayu

-ma'

nis (Bali . )S ing rowla (Nepaul . ) Casse (Fr . ) Casia (G en )

LAURUS CASSIA (Lin .)

Cl . and O rd . Enneandria, Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd.

Oleraceae (Lin . ) Cassien lorbeer . (Nom. Triv .

Willd . ) See Specu Plant . Willd . vol . II . p . 47 7 .

This bark, the odour of which is very like that

of cinnamon , but fainter, 1s a favourite medicine of

the Mahometan as Well as Tamool medical praetitioners, who consider it as a grateful and useful

stomachic and cordial ; and the bark of the root is

little inferior in aromatic virtues to cinnamon itself.Great part of the cassia bark that is met with in India, is brought from Borneo from Sumatra (chieflyproduced in the Batta country, in land from Tapp a

nooly ), and from Ceylon it is also a natural productof Lower Hindoostan , as the tree grows in the woodsof Canara

’r and M alabar , in which first-mentioned

country it has got the name of ticay and Dr. Eu

chanan thinks, that with cultivation. it might be ren

dered equal to the China article .

See Capt . D . Beckman’

5 Voyage to Borneo .

1“ See Dr . Buchanan ’

s Journey through Mysore, Canara, and

Malabar, vol. i i i . pp . 59 . 16 1, &c .

CHAP .

‘

I . MATERIA IND ICA

Colonel Kirkpatrick/

saw the plant thriving in Ne

p aul, where it is called sing romla ; it is‘

common on

Ceylon , and was there distinguished by B urman bybeing termed Cinnamomum

o

perpetuo florens, foliotenuiore acuto . I t IS the carua or carna of Rheede

(Mal. i . p . and grows to the height of fifty or

sixty feet, w ith large spreading horizontal branchesalmost as low as the earth, and leaves triple-n erved

t

and lance olate . It would appear that it has lately beenfound growing on the Himalay a mountains.

Cassia barh may, g enerally speaking, be,

knownfrom c innamon by being thicker in substance, lessquilled, it breaks shorter, and is more pungen t to the

taste . Avicenna tells us,that the best in Arabia is

considered to be the red ; the worst, the black ; theleaves the Arabians call sadudg e 6

5h" (See Avicen .

and place them, with the bark, amongst their

M ohervy at-dil (Cardiaca . ) The narrow-

pointed eliptical leaves of the laurus cassia, as well as the oblong,

ovate, shin ing leaves of the c innamon tree, are soldin the Indian 'bazars under the names of lamangupa

tery/ and tejp at (Hind ), from a n otion that

they are only the leaves of the laurus cassia . Theyare, when dried and powdered, prescribed by the na.

tive doctors, in cases requiring stimulants and cordials. In commerce these leaves are called F olia I ndicaor Malabathra, a name, however, which more espe

cially applies to the leaves of the laurus cassia. Dr.

F . Hamilton ,in his excellent A ccoun t of Nepaul,

informs us, that he found In that coun try the leavesof the laurusjap onica of Rumphius, sold under the

name of tej—pa'

t : they were aromatic ih taste and

smell, but differed widely from the tej-p c'

it of Rang

p our . (See his work, p . The tree is the sin/raurz‘

of the Hindoos.


Chssia buds have got the following names in IndiaLawanga thooler also Sirnagap oo (Tam. ) Naghé

chéraloo (Tel . ) W T: (Sans ) Tejp at Ira

honp ul (Hind ) Kubab-chinie’r LI )

”(Duk . )

Kassielblomen (Dut . F lores dc cassia (Port .They are of a dark brown colour, and somewhat

resemble a nail in Shape, with a roun d head sur

rounded with the hexangular calyx, which graduallyterminates in a point . With them the vytians and

hakeems (Mahometan doctors), prepare astomachicinfusion, one of their favourite remedies in manycomplaints.

This speciesi of laurus, with seven others, are

growmg in the botan ical garden of Calcutta, all ori

ental'

plants, but two of them only natives of IndiaO f the essential character of the genus, Willdenowsays, Cal. 0 . calycina, 6 partita. N ectarium glan

dulis tribus, bisetis, germen cingentibus. F ilamenta

interiora glandulifera. Drup a, 1 . sperma.

XXXVI .

CASSIA FISTU LA . Konnehai also Sardkonné

kai Ga wmm ggg rr gu (Tam. ) Amaltas

(Duk . and Hind . ) Khyar she’

mberW Jug , (Arab . )

Khyar chémber (Pers.) Dranguli (Jav. )also Toong

-gooli la-lcaid (Tel . ) M entas

Malay. ) Suva’

rndhciHalli-55(Sans ) Cahay (Can . )

A name probably taken from Sirinagar, the capital of Cashmere:

1 The same name Is gIven in Hindoostanee to Cubebs.

1: Both Pliny and Galen (De Med . Simp . peak of cassia as

distinct from c innamon ; the first especiallymentions, that it growsin moun tainous situations, and alludes to i t crassiore sarmento .

’

(See lib. xii. cap .


Ahilla (Cyng . ) Py hassie (Dut. ) Cassia p urgante

(Port. ) Sonali (Beng. ) Casse (Fr. ) Rohnhassie

(G en )CASSIA FI STIJLA (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd Decandria, Monogyn ia. Nat. O rd;

Lomentacem (Lin . ) Rohrenjruchtig e cassie . (Nom.

Triv . Willd ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . ii. p . 18 .

The cassia fistula pulp is considered by the n ative

practitioners of India, as a most valuable laxative,and is prescribed by them in the form of an electuary,

(in doses of two or three drachms), in cases of habitual costiveness. The beautiful, long, pendant, yellow,

fragIant flowers of the tree, are also given in

decoction , in certain affection s of the stomach . The

fruit (which is common in most bazars), is a brownish-coloured pod, about the thickness of the thumb,and nearly two feet in length it is divided into nu

merous cells (upwards of forty), each contain ing one

smooth , oval, shib ing seed . The pulp of the fruitis somewhat viscid, and of a sweet mucilaginoustaste .

The tree is a native of India and also of Ceylon .

(Flor. Z eyl. In U pper Hindoostan it is calledsundaraj (Hind ) It is the conna of Rheed (Hort .

mal. i . p . 87 . t . and rises frequently to the heightof fifty feet, with leaves pointed, and of a singular

pale green colour, and flowers of a golden tinge,placed on long pendant, terminal spikes. The reader‘may find it well described by Rump hius. (Amb . 2 .

p . 88 . ta.

Cassiafistula appears to have been long known In

eastern countries. Avicenna speaks of it under thename of

(if? (p . and we find it mentiohed

by Serap i o, under the appellation of

6 62 MATERIA IND ICA -PART'

I .‘

P rosp er A lp inus*

notices the tree in his work De

P lantis Egyp ti,”

and at the same time Speaks of its

sweet-smelling flowers. The modern'

Arabs placecassia fistula amongst their M ooszlat su

'

fra

(Cholagoga ) Virey , in his Histoire Naturelle

ile‘

s Medicamens,”(p . 27 6 . observes that the cassia

‘

emarg inat’

a of the Antilles, and the cassia mar ilandica,

both purge like senna, and that the root of the cassia

occidentalis ofAmerica, is aperient and diuretic . No

less than thirty-four species of cassia were growrng In

the botan ical garden at Calcutta in the year 1815, allof which (six or seven excepted), are oriental plants.

XXXVII .

CASTOR. Ash-butchegdn QJLI S ’ w t (Arab.)

”

Goondbeg/dustee M AM M ; (Pers. ) B eeverg eil (Dut . )Castoreo (Port. ) Castoreum (Fr . Kastoreum (G en )

CASTOR . Fiber . (Joust . Quadr. p .

Castor appears to be known only by name to the

Mahometan doctors of the lower provinces of India ;in the more northern tracts of Hindoostan , it maybe presumed, that it is occasionally met with, as I

perceive it has a place in the U lfaz U dtviy eh . The

Arabians consider it as hot, dry, attenuant, and dia

phoretic, and sometimes call it{344 04° jild

mister .

Castor 1s procured from the beaver, an amphibious

quadruped common in the northern parts of Europe,Asia, and America, and is contained in the two

largest of four follicles, Situated betwixt the anus and

external gen itals of the an imal : it feels Slightly unc

‘f Cap . I I. lib . c .

CHAP . T . MATERIA INDICA .

tuous, and is of a dusky brown colour, havrng a

heavy but somewhat aromatic smell, not unlikemusk, and a bitter, nauseous, and sub-acrid taste .

It is con sidered as antispasmodic and emenagogue,

and has long been recommended in Europe in lowfevers, ep ilepsy, hooping-cough, hysteria, and ner

vous affections (in doses of from eight grain s to‘

a

scruple). C elsus prescribed castor and pepper com

bined in cases of tetanus. (Vide Cels. lib . iv. cap .

Pliny informs us, that in his. days the best .castor

was brought to Rome from Galatia and Afri ca ; and

that it was con sidered as a useful medicine in sooth

ing and procuring sleep, and in cases of tetanus.

(See his Natural H istory, lib. xxxii. cap. iii. p . 894.

also lib xxxii . cap . viii. p . Celsus recommendsit as one of the things that might be smelt to rouse

from lethargy, and also proposes it as one that maybe poured into the ear in cases of deafness. (SeeCelsus, lib . vi. p .

XXXVIII .

CATECHU . Cutt (Can . and Hind .) Cachou

(Fr. ) Katecka (G en ) Catch (Port . )A CAC IA CATECHU

. (Willd . )

Cl. and O rd. Polygamia, Monoecia.

\

Nat .. O rd .

Lomentacem (Lin . ) Catechu acacie . (Nom. Triv.

Willd. ) See Spec . Plant . Willd vol. iv. p . 107 9 .

This extract was formerly known by the. name of

Ter raJap onica, . and was supposed to be . an e arthysubstance brought from Japan , a . mistake that , has

been corrected by Mr. Kerr who ascertaine d t hat

SeeDr . Fothergill’

s works (vol. II . p . also Dr. Buchanan’sJourney through Canara, &c . , vol. iii. p . 17 7 .

64 MATERIA IND ICA . .PART I .

it was obtained by boiling and subsequent evapor

ation , from the brown-coloured and inner part of the

wood of the acacia catechu, -which grows in the fo

rests of Canara and in B ehar in the first mentioned

country the tree is called hheirie, and in B ehar , hdira,also khag er (Hind ) In Coorgh it has got the name

of cagali ; the Sanscrit appellation of it is khadira ;

the Cyngalese, hhe’

hiree and the Tellingoo, p odael

maun .

There are two sorts of catechu now exported fromIndia to Europe, a pale kind from B engal, and

another of a yellowish brown colour from B ombay ;

the first being the produce of Canara, the secondof Behar. I t would appear from experiments madeby Dr. Davy, that there is but little differencebetwixt the two varieties ; e ither is almost entirelysoluble in the mouth, their solutions in water

- inodor

ous, and slightly red in tincture of litmus. From200 grains of the Bombay catechu, Dr. Davy pro

“

cured 109 of tann in, 6 8 of extractive matter, 18 of

mucilage, and 10 of earths and other impurities.The same quantity of Bengal catechu afforded 9 7 of

tann in , 7 8 of extract, 16 mucilage, and 14impurities. Besides these two sorts of Indian catechu, Imust observe that this extract is also, by ColonelKirkpatrick

’

s account, an export fromCatechu is well known to be a very valuable medi

c ine : its taste is more or less bitter and astringent,with at the same time a certain mawkish sweetness.

I t has long been considered in Europe as one of our

best and safest astringents, and employed with ad

vantage in cases offluor albus, g leet, dysentery, and

diarrhoea, in doses of from ten grains to two scruples

or more .

See Col . Kirkpatrick’

s Account ofNepaul, p . 205.

6 6 MATERIA IND ICA . PART I .

the catechu .. I t grows in great abundance in the

Woods of Kanhana, and seldom exceeds twelve or

fourteen feet in height, covered with a rough, thickbark, and towards the top dividing into numerous

branches, on the younger of which the leaves are

placed alternately, and are composed of fifteen or

thirty pairs of pinnae , about two inches long, each

having nearly forty pairs of leaflets beset with small

hairs : the flowers are hermaphrodite and male, and .

the fruit a lanceolate, compressed, smooth pod.

XXXIX .

CHALK. Simic chzindmboo f w m é fi dfio‘

rg

L4(Tam. Velditie chunna I3

ma soonum (Tel.) Tyn abyaz ”a“: (Arab . )Gil sjid m yr (Pers .) Khurrie muttie (Hind )B atta boonoo (Cyng. ) Cap oor engrees (Malay. )Craie (Fr . ) Kreide (G en )

CARBONAS CALC IS . CRETA ALBA (Edin . )

The chalk that ismet with in India is brought fromEngland, or perhaps from some of the islands of the

Mediterranean Sea, where it isfi und. Dr . H eyne’r

tells us, that he observed a chalk of a yellow colour

in his tour from Samulcotah to Hy drabad, which ef

fervesced strongly with acids but‘

did not stick to thetongue, and was too h ard to mark with, having therefore, it would seem,

little affin ity with the red chalk

got in H essia and U pper Lusatia, so valuable formaking crayons, and which we know, is reckonedamongst the iron ores ; it is the reddle of Jameson

and the roethel of Werner . I have been informed

It is found in Crete (Candia), and hence some Suppose itsname is derived (See Jameson

’

8 Mineralogy, vol . Ii. p .

1 See Heyne’

S Tracts on India, p . 272.

CHAP. I . MATERIA IND ICA . 6 7

that a sort of red chalk is occasionally picked up in

the upper provinces of India, a nd that the Sanscritname of it is g eirey a. Chalk will be farther noticedin another part of this work .

In speaking of creta, Celsus says, Simul reprimitet refrigerat, sanguinem supprimit .

”(See Cels. lib . ii.

p . 9 8, also lib . v .

CHA‘MOMILE FLOWERS. Chitmaindoo p oo

g mmmgwg lc b (Tam. ) B aboone

’

hap hoolM:

(Duk . )Q

EhdahlmirzieGSI AIJ IAQ (Arab . ) B aboo

neh gaze) ,U‘

Camomille Romaine (Fr. )Camomilla Romana (Ital . ) Roemische hamiller (Ger)Avflsp ag (G reek . )

ANTHEMIS NeEIL I S (Lin . )

Cl . and O rd . Syngenesia Superflua. Nat. O rd.

Compositae Discordeae (Lin . ) Romische chumille .

(Nom. Triv . Willd. ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . iii.

p . 2 180.

Chamomile flowers are occasionally brought to

India from Persia, where they get the name of babu

neh t from growing near the village of B abuniah In

Irac Arabi they are also occasionally cultivated inHindoostan in the gardens of wealthy Mahometans

but they do not appear to be used medicinally by thenative practitioners. The A rabians and Persians

give them a place amongst their Muluttfizt Q uick ,

(Attenuentia), Al udorrat (Stimulantia), and M ohelz

tat (Discutientia). The herb Is the aubewg of Dioscorides, and the a véep ov of Theophrastus.

See Bibliotheque O rientale par D’

Herbelot, p . 147F 2


The pleasant smelling, bitter, aromatic, and Slightlywarm flowers of the anthemis nobilis, wh ich is too

well known to require a description here, have longbeen considered as a valuable medic ine by the medical men of Europ e . They are supposed to be ton ic,

carminative, and to a certain degree anodyn e, thougha strong infusion of them operates as an emetic ; the

ancients considered them to be diuretic and useful

in nephritic complaints . They have been chieflyemployed in in termitten t fever, dyspepsia, chlorosis,and flatulen t cholic, and also in prepar ing an tisep ticfomentations and anodyne inj ections. The infusionan d extract are supposed efli cacious

'

in cases of ob

structed menses ; the dose of the latter is from ten

grains to a scruple ; the powdered flowers have been

given in doses of from half a drachm to a drachmand a half.

There was but one species of anthemis growingIn the botan ical garden of Calcutta in 1814, the an

themis cota , a n at ive of Sou thern Italy . Dr . R .

James has written quite an eulogium on the virtuesof chamomile . Boerhaave considered it is as highlyefficacious in worm cases ; and Mr . Phillip s seems

to be of opinion, that no Simple of the Materia Me

di ca, is possessed of a quality more friendly to theintestines. (See his work on Cultivated Vegetables,vo l. i . p

“

.

CHARCOAL . Addp oo Curr ie s mu g s m p

(Tam.) s p e anghooroo (Cyng . ) P oi-bog ooloo

(Tel . ) Khoy lu Us},

(Duk. and Hind . ) A rang

EU (Malay ) F ull?”C’wbie9 9 ? (

S’

(Arab .) Z e

CHAP . I . MATERIA IND I CA .

'

9

gal chobie Au) (Pers. ) Charbon de bois p urifie

(Fr. ) Reine hohle (G en ) Carbon de lena (Span . )CARB o LIGN I (Lond )

I cannot find that charcoal is used as a medicineby the native Indians

“

; like other nations they em

ploy it in the preparation of gunpowder, and havesome singular notions resp ecting it, supposrng that

obtained from particular trees, to be best suited for

particular purposes ; for instance, the goldsmiths inLower India prefer the charcoal got from the ossilin

mdra’

m and avary mdrdm (cassia auriculata) ; the

blacksmiths in the northern circars, say, that the bestfor their work, is that prepared from the sanra chettoo

a species of mimosa, and which in all probability, differs little from that made from the p aramba

of the Canarese, mimosa tuggula which theblacksmiths of Mysore commmon ly use . In the

Carnatic, the charcoal in the greatest request amongstthe blacksmiths, is that of the haroovelum

,

mtiraim

(acacia Arabica), p oollium mdrdm (tamarindus Indica), and vum-ma

’

ray mdrdm, Swietenia chloroxylon

(Roxb .)Charcoal has been found to correct the foetid odour

of putifrying an imal and vegetab le substances, and

destroy the odour, taste, and colour of others. I t

i s no doubt an an tiseptic, and IS sometimes prescribedinternally to correct the putrid eructations of some

kinds of dyspepsia it has also been advantageouslyemployed, when mixed up in powder, with boiledbread, or linseed meal and water, in preparmg a

poultice for foul ulcers and gangrenous sores. Charcoal will be found further noticed in another part of

this work .

70 MATERIA INDI CA . PART I .

XLII .

CHINA ROOT. Pdringay p uttay'

u mrmaf '

g

L_ IL (Tam. ) 07205 (Duk . and

Hind . ) China alla (Cy chinygit—te

(Pers. E squina (Port . ) China wor tel (Dut . ) Khasbsinie w (Arab . Squine (Fr )

SMILAx CHINA (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd . Dioecia Hexandria. Nat . O rd . Sar

mentaceae (Lin . ) China smilax . (Nom. Triv . Willd . )See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol. iv . p . 7 7 8 .

This is a large, tuberous, knotty root, of a darkreddish, brown colour on the outside, and reddishwhite w ithin . The native Indians, like the Japanese,suppose it to have con siderable efficacy given in de

coction in old venereal cases ; the first especially,believe it to be of great use in what they call may

gum vaivoo, a complaint in which the limbs are stiffand contracted . What is found in the bazars of thePen insula is brought from China, where it grows in

great abundance in the province of Q uansi . The

plant, however, I believe, is now cultivated in U pperThe Abbe Rochon , in his Voyage to

Madagascar;

and the East Indies,” informs us, that

the Chinese often eat this substance instead of rice,and that it contributes to make them lusty .

The China root has of late years been much neglected by European practitioners, though Woodville tseems to think favourably of it, from its containing ,

See Remarks on the Husbandry and Internal Commerce of

Bengal , p . 205.

1‘ Medical Botany, vol . iv. p . 6 7 .

2 1


a considerable share of bland nutritive mat ter ; byA ikin’

s account, a proportion amounting to half

the weight of the root. Dr . Fleming, from his own

experience in Bengal, says, that e ither as an auxiliary to mercury, or for improving the general healthafter the use of that remedy, he believes it at least

equal to its congenor sarsaparilla .

Two drachms of the root have been given twicedaily in a decoction of the same root, in cases requiring antiscorbutics and diaphoretics.

The smilax pseudo-china, muheisa (Hind ), is

growing in the botan ical garden of Calcutta, introduced from Silhet, by Mr. M. R. Smith, in 1810. It

is the cum-hong-cunn of the Chinese who frequently

use its roots in place of the true China root .

Ten other species are growing In the same garden .

Before concluding, it may be proper to add, that

according to Willdenow, the generic Character of

smilax is,Masculi, Cal . 6 partitus. Cor. O

Feminei, Cal: 6 partitus.

8 fidus. B acca. 8 locularis infra. Sem. 2 .

Browne, in his History of Jamaica, informs us,

that the plant is common in the more cool, inland

parts of that island rising from a thick porous root,and climbing by a rather slender rigid stem to the

top of the tallest trees ; the root, which is often as

th ick as the arm, is crooked and jointed, with knotsat each joint ; and is held in great repute in Jamaica,where it is

'

observed to be not inferior in quality tothat

'

off the East Indies ; it is considered as of a verysheathing nature ; sometimes it is found to yield a

guru, which the natiVes call tzitili, and which theychew to fasten the teeth . The reader is referred to

Aikin’

s LewisMateria Medica, vol . II . p . 331.

F 4


the work above ‘

men tioned, and to Barham’s Hortus

Americanus, (pp . 40.

CINCHONA , or PERU VIAN BARK, substi

tutes for,CINCHONA LANC IFOLIA (Mutrs. )

See article Febrifuge Swietenian in this chap ter .

XLIII .

CINNAMON. Kdrrzi'zod p attag fi g m g u ;

gy m (Tam. ) Kulmie darchinieGag ) , (Duk . )

Darchinie (Pers. and Hind ) Karundu

(Cyng . ) Tel . ) Kdimanis (Malay . )D arasita (Sans ) Cancel (Dut . ) Canella (Port . )Darsini (A rab . ) Canelle (Fr . ) Kanohl (G en )Kwaft ou (G reek )

LAURU S C INNAMOMUM (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Enneandria Monogynia. Nat . O rd .

Oleraceae. Z imml lo‘

rbeer . (Nom. Triv . Willd . )See Spec . Plant . Willd. vol . 11. p . 47 7 .

This fragant, pleasan t tasted, and pungent aroma

t ic bark, is a favourite medicine of the native p raet itioners of India, who consider it as ton ic, cordial

,

and stimulant, and give it in doses of from eight

grains to a scruple .

From the bark there is prepared by macerationin sea-water and then distilling with a slow fire, an e s

sential oil, which on Ceylon is considered as of great

efficacy as a rubefacient in cases of sprains.

The greater part of this aromatic bark which is

brought to India, is . the produce of Ceylon , whereit grows in great abundance in many parts of the

island it is also now an article of trade from several

74. MATERIA IND ICA . PART I .

cies of laurus, which in taste is an agreeable aromaticmixture of the clove and cinnamon ; the best comesto Java from the Moluccas.

I t would appear that cinnamon was in former

t imes not confined to Asia, much less to the islandof Ceylon . Pliny informs us (lib . xii . cap . that

it grew in Ethiopia, and we know that Vespasianon his return from Palestine, dedicated to the God

dess of Peace in one of the temples of the capi tol,

garlands of cinnamon inclosed in polished gold ; and

that in the temple built on Mount Palatine by theEmpress Augusta in honour of Augustus Caesar herhusband, was placed a root of the cinnamon tree set

in a golden cup .

”(See Phillip

’s History of Culti

vated Vegetables, vol . i . p . Celsus recom

mends that it should be given“per potionem.

”

(lib . v. p . In the Philipp ine Island there is a

tree called calingad, the bark of which tastes exactlylike cinnamon . (See De Comy n

’

s State of those

Islands, p .

XLIV.

CLAY, POTTER’S. Kali munnu 65m

(Tam. ) Chichnie mattie93x.

91g, (Duk .) B anha

munnoo (Tel . Kr ishnamirtiha aim (Sans.

ARGILLA F IGUL I (V an )

This is found in several parts ofLower‘

India, but

is more common in the higher tracts of Hindoostan ;and is used for nearly the same purposes by the na

Hippocrates notices cinnamon , lib . ix. cap . 5. Theophrastusin h is Hist. Plantar . lib . ix. cap . 5. So does Dioscorides, lib. i .

cap . 13.


tives that it is in Europe . It varies in colour, beinggreyish, green ish , and sometimes of a blue cast, re~

sembling in a great measure what has been calledthe earthy p otter

’

s clay , which is the erdig er topfizrthen ofWern er . It feels a little greasy to the touch,and adheres strongly to the tongue : a finer kind of

it, a sort of p ip e clay , is also to be met with, an d is

what the differen t casts of Hindoos emp loy for making the distinguishing marks on their foreheads ; and

moiste ned with water, they often too apply it round

the eye in cases of op thalmia, as well as round brokenlimbs, to keep them In their proper forms till thebon es are knit . The Indian names of p ip e-clay are

the following : namam hhurrie

smé td mritiha “a? m (Sans ), mule/cool matie

(Cyng . ) The slaty variety I have not seen in India.

The English p otter’

s ear th analysed by Kirwan, consists of silica alumina and that of the

best quality is found in Dorsetshire .

XLV.

CLOVE . Crdumboo e‘

f‘

é pm (Tam.) Laong

(Duk . and Hind . ) Warrala (Cyng . ) La’

va’

ngd

m (Sans. ) Chanhe’

e (Malay . ) also B uah la'wang

Malay . ) Lawangum (Tel . ) Kerenfi tl (Arab . )My khéh (fig s-o (Pers. ) Cravos da I ndia (Port. )Kruid nagelon (Dut . ) Thenghio (Chinese ) Woh

hayu lawang (Jav. ) Eu-wah-lawang (Bali . ) Cloua'

de g irofle (Fr. )EUGENIA CARYO PHYLLATA (Lin . )

7 6 MATERIA IND I CA . PART 1 .

Cl. and O rd . Icosandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd .

Hesperideae (Lin . ) Gewurznag lein tambusenbaum.

(Nom. Triv . Willd . ) See Spec . Plant. Willd . vol . ii .

p . 9 65.

Cloves, which are the unexpanded flowers of thetree quickly dried, are brought to India chiefly fromAmboy na, H onimoa, and M oussalaut ; they are also

a produce of the island of Celebes but those of

Amboyna are reckoned the best ; though small and

black, they have a strong fragrant, aromatic odour,and a warm acrid and aromatic taste . The cultivationof the clove was in troduced into Sumatra, by Mr .

I . Lumsdain’

s A ccount, in 17 7 8 ; but it would not

appear to be well adapted to that island . (See A siaticJournal for November,The native doctors of India employ cloves in such

cases as require stimulating aromatics, in doses of

from three to twelve grain s. The clove tree, whichwas originally Confined to the Molucca Islands, isn ow cultivated in many of the western parts of the

Archipelago of India, where, according to Mr . Crawford, five varieties are distinguished . Rumphius,in speaking of the clo

’

ve tree’

r, says,“ it appears

to me to be the most beau tiful and precious of all

known trees ;”in form it resembles somewhat the

laurel, with a smooth bark like the beech, and straighttrunk he adds, that it is not partial to large islands,and does not answer well at Gelolo, Ceram, and Cclebes. Cloves, within the last fifty years have grownat the . Mauritius, but of an i nferior quality . The

Eugenia caryophyllata is now thriving in the botan ical garden of Calcutta ; its Bengalie name is chota

See Beckman’

s Voyage to Borneo.

f Herbarium Amboi. tam. ii. p . 1 .


rendering the body corpulen t. By scrap ing downthe ripe

- kernel of the cocoa nut and adding a littlewater to it, a white fluid is obtained by pressure,which very much resembles milk in taste, and maybe used as a substitute for it . The cocoa nut tree

is common almost every where within the tropics,

and is certainly one of the most valuable in the world .

I t grows to a great height, the stems being composedof strong fibres like n et-work, which lie in severallaminas over each other, out of which come the

branches or rather leaves, which grow twelve or fourteen feet long ; but we w ill not en ter into a minutedescription of the cocos nucifera here, but refer our

readers to Roxb . Corom . I . p . 52 . t. lxxiii . O f the

genus, Will denow says,“Masculi, Cal. triphyllus.

Cor. tripetala. Feminei, Cal. 2 phyllus . Cor . 6 pe

tala. Styl . 0. stigma fovea. Drup a fibrosa.

”O ur

species is distinguished by inermis frondibus pinn atis, foliolis replicatis ensiformibus.

”

Its n ames in eastern countries are, Wndrilre

'

la tayuga (gam es fl'

n

‘

u nar il

My; tenkaia tdn g hd (Maléalie),calapp a (Rumph . Amb . I . p . tenga (Rheed, Mal. I .

p . halap a also ny or (Malay), narjible

(Pers. )A ccording to Sprengel, in his Hist. ReiHerbariae,

the first particular n otice taken of this tree is in “I tine

rar io Abuzeid”(Avicen . Relat. p . 2 . wherein

is espec ially observed the great variety of uses to

wh ich the different parts of this palm are applied.

(See Hist. Rei, &c . , pp . 26 8,

With regard to the oil of the cocoa nut (which inTamul is taynga unnay , in Dukhan ie nar il ha tay l,

s

In Tel . tenlrazmonay , and In SanscrItm afia nc'

ir i

CHAP . I. MATERIA IND ICA . 7 9

kailc‘

i). I have to observe that the vytians employit in preparing certain plasters, and for soften ing thehair. In some parts of the Indian Peninsula it is

used for culinary"

purposes. In the more northern

and eastern districts, it is chiefly employed for burning in lamps. In the Indian islands it would appear

fromMr. Crawford’

s account, that it is for the pulpof the nut this palm is particularly grown , the oil

'

made from it being there too expensive for burn ing,is almost entirely used for eating . The dried kernelof the cocoa nut (copra), is a great article of exporttrade from Canara. For cocoa nut toddy, see article toddy in this chapter . For some account of the

nar, or fibrous husk of the cocoa nut, the reader isreferred to Part ii . of this work .

XLVII .

CO CHINEAL . Cochineel p oochie Ggg rr gzgaqgo

N u g é zfi (Tam. ) Kcrmz'

zz’

fi ringhz’

c

(Duk . ) Conchcm’

b’

e (Dut. ) Cochenillza (Port . ) Co

chcm'

lle (Fr. )Coccus CACT I .

The inferior sort of cochineal now prepared inIndia, was mtroduced by Capt . Neilson in 17 95, whobrought the insect from Rio dc Janicro it was not

at first known which insect it was, whether that producing

~the grana fina cochineal, or that which produces the grana silvestra. O n discovering, however,that the little an imal would ne ither eat , the cactus

coccz'

nellgfer nor cactus tuna, but voraciously devoured

* ' It is then prepared with great care by boiling the bruisedkernels in water for other purposes the oil is simply expressed.

80 MATERIA IND I CA .

“ PART I . x

the cactasficas I ndica ndgatcillé-lcullz'

it was ascertained to be that from which the inferioror grana silvestra IS prepared . The g ranafina in sect

is‘known (or rather supposed) to feed on ly on the

cactus coccinellifer. This, however, is much doubtedby Baron Humboldt; at least he

“

thinks the g rand

j n

'

a made by the Indian s of O axaca may not be from

that plant. The g ranafina insect is n early doublethe size of the grana silvestra t , and con tains almost

twice the quantity of colouring matter .

Cochineal has a heavy faint odour, and bitter aus

tere taste ; it has lately been recommended in Europe as an - antispasmodic and anodyne in h00pingcough, but I fear its virtues in that respect are not

great . Scarlet was till of late years, produced ex

clusively with the colouring matter of cochineal, the

nature of which, Mr . Brande informs us, has beeninvestigated by M. Pelletier,

~‘

who found it un ited inthe insect with a peculiar an imal matter, fat, and

some saline s ubstances, from which, bya chemical

process, they succeeded in separating it, therebyprocuring the pure colouring matter, which Dr. John

hasproposed to call coccinellz'

n . The silvestra cochin eal of Bengal when compared with the grana fina

sort of South America, as to the relative quan tity of

colouring matter, was from 9 or 1 1 to 1 6 . (See Tenant’s Indian Recreations, vol . ii. p .

I mentioned above, that till of late years scarlet

could only be produced bymeans of the cochinealinsect ; but it would appear that a more beautiful and

‘

See Baron Humboldt’s Political Essays on the Kingdom of

New Spain , vol . iii. pp . 7 0, 7 1 , 7 2 . Eng . Trans.

1 O f late years, I understand, but little coch ineal has beenprepared in India, and no carmine has ever been yet -made fromit, the plants having been nearly all devoured by the insects.

82 MATERIA IND ICA . PART J ;

is extremelyb eautiful the leaves are from three to

five inches long and about two broad, opposite, ovatelanciolate, with waved borders, and of a singular

glossy appearance the flowers which are white, are

produced in clusters at the ba'

se of the leaves, and

have a pleasant odour. O ur article, with two other

species aregrowing in the botanical garden of Cal

cutta.

The Mahometans of India use a great deal of eoffee in the same way that we do, with this exception ,that they take no milk with it ; they believe it tohave the effect of soothing and allaying nervous irri.tability, and prescribe it to stop vomiting in dank

lugna ULI SQ ; (cholera morbus) for a similar pur

pose it is often employed by the Spaniards atM anilla,

and with the greatest success. There are variousaccounts of the first discovery of the virtues of oof

fee, and its introduction into use in eastern countries.Nz

’

eblzar says it is a native of Yemen Abbe Raynal,

in his History of the East and WestI ndies, (vol . i .

p . informs us, that it was first noticed in U pperEthiopia, and that aMollaclz named Ckaa’ely , was the

fortunate man , who found out its virtues in raisingthe spirits, tranquillizing the mind, yet keeping ofl

'

sleep , and dissolving crudities in the stomach .

Coffee, by some medical men, is supposed to bemore especially suited for those who are advanced in

years. The abuse of it impairs digestion , and when

too strong, it stimulates, heats, and produces watchfulness. A s a medicine, it has been found useful

in asthmatic affections, diarrhoea, and intermittent fever (see Dr . Pearson’

s Materia Alimentaria, p .

and some imagine it to possess the power of counteracting the n arcotic effects of opium. (See Fischerde Potus Coffee U su et Abusu . ) My a own opin ion

141


i s, that taken in moderation ,not too

"

st'

rong, and

without milk, it aids digestion , comforts the stomach,

and calms the sp irits. B an-karma i s the Bengalicname of a wild kind of coffee, coffea Bengalensis,

it is an erect shrub, flowering in the hot

season, and yielding its fruit in the cold season . V a

rions substitutes are used for coffee in India, perhapsthe best is toasted rice . In Europe, Mr. Gray in

forms us, that the seeds of the yellow water flag (iris

pseudacorus), come nearer the . real article than

else that has yet been tried . (See his Supto the Pharmacopoeias, p . Murray,

pparatus Medicaminum, notices as substi

coffee, common barley, the root of the ci

chori, or scorzonera, (vol . i . p . 564, Latin edition . )Within the last few years a great many people in

England have had recourse to parched wheat and

rye as substitutes for coffee : these were first, I believe, particularly recommended by Mr. Hun t ; theyare in their nature and qualities very similar to the

article prepared with rice . As a beverage for thedyspeptic, those kinds of coffee, 1f they can be so

called , are altogether safe, and I have met with several delicate women, who assured me that theyfoundthem agree with them better than the Turkey cofl

'

ee .

*

XLIX .

COLOQU INTIDA . Peycb’

omutz’

lcaz also Varrz'

e

cfiomutz'

e [tat g u w g g a w mw mm esa rrun

It appears from the Archives de Descouverts, that a method

has lately. been discovered at Ven ice , of composing a fine nu

changeable emerald green colour ; a precipitation by means of pures‘

oda from a decoction of"

decayed'

coffee in river water ; the greenthus ob tained resists the action of acids, light, and moisture .

G 2

MATERIA INDICA . PART" . 1 .

(Tam. ) M alt:

hal (Bengalese ) P ootsalra'

ia“

(Tel . ) Indravaruni

{Eta-

gmalso Vishala fame“(Sans ) I ndrazn

(Hind . ) also I ndraini (Hind . ) H ans il

(Pers. and Arab . ) B itterapp elen (Dut . ) Colo

gaintidas (Port . ) Titta commodoo (Cyng . ) 5M

also Dakak (Egyp t ) M air/cal (Ben . ) Coloquinte

(Fr . ) Cologainter (Dan . )CUCUM IS CO LO CYNTHIS (Lin . )

Cl . and O rd. Monoecia, Monodelphia. Nat . O rd .

Cucurbitaceae (Lin . ) Colo‘

guinten g ar ice . (Nom.

Triv . Willd .) See Spec . Plan t . Willd . vol . iv. p . 6 1 1 .

The plant which produces the coloquin tida may

be found in many parts of Lower India, particularlyin sandy situations in the n eighbourhood of the sea ;

the fruit is a greenish striped gourd or pepo, which,however, on

'

ripen ing becomes of a pale yellow co

lo'

ur, and is about the size of an orange .

I t would appear from What is‘

said of this articlein the M oofara

’atee Secunder ,

”that coloquintida

is a Syrian word ; the author speaks highly of the

virtues of the medicine in cases of su/rkata (catalepsy. ) The vytians prescribe the bitter pulp of the

fruit, dried, in cases requi rl ng brisk and powerful

cathartics. The A rabian s and Persian s place it

amongst their M ooselat belgke’

m (Phlegmago

’

ga. ) To the pulp of the the A rabians

have given the name of skékemkanzel

Persians that ofmagkz kanzel 55“simple

dried fruit the Arabians call hudij(49 ; the Persians

hunzel khaosk Dr . R. Pearson th inks

colocyn th is of so drastic and irritating a nature, that

it is scarcely applicable in any other cases besidesmelancholy, lethargy, certain dropsical affections,

MATERIA INDICA .

Murray; in his Apparatus Medicaminum, (vol. i .

pp . 587 , recommends colocynth in the form

of tincture in cases of gout, rheumatism, violent headaches, and palsy, in doses of fifteen drops mor ningand

COLUMBA ROOT. Columboo wag/r Gai f r dUTLo

146 51 ) e (Tam. ) Kalamboo kboo (Cyng . ) Colum

bakejur ) e.sa (Duk . ) Kalamb (Mosambiquée . )

Colombo wortel (Dut . ) Raiz de columba (Port . ) Co

lomba (Fr . )CALU MBJE RADIX (Lond.)

MENI SPERMUM COLUMBA (Roxb . ) P’

r

The plant of which this is the root, was long sup

posed to be a native of Ceylon , and it was Thunberg jwho first declared that it was not so, but was broughtto the town of Colombo from the coast of Malabar

there is no doubt but that its proper M osambigae

nameKalamb, having been mistaken for Colombo on

Ceylon ,has led to this mistake .

I t has been ascertained that the plant grows naturally, and

‘

in abundance, in the thick forests that aresaid to prevail about O bio and M osambigae, on the

Z anguebar coast of Africa ; a d1scove1y we owe to a

Mr. J. F . Fortin , a F1 euch gentleman settled at Ma

dras; who brought to that place With him from Mo

We are told by Vauquelin l n the Journal of Science , Literature , and the A rts (No . xxxvi. p . 400. that colocyn th treated

with alcohol yields the bitter substance he has called the colocyn u

tine which 18 slightly soluble l n water.

1 See Hort . Beng . p . 7 2 .

1; See his Travels, vol. iv. p . 185.


sambiq'

ue, in September; an'

entire o ffset fromthe main root of a larger size than usual, from whicha plant was raised in Dr . Anderson ’

s garden at

Madras but the genus could not be determined froma want of female flowers. From a drawing in the

possession of the Linnaean Society, it has been con

jectured to be of t he natural order of menospermze ,

but I understand that Willdenow, .from accounts

he had received, supposed it to be a bryon ia, and it

is a certain fact that the rbot of the B ry onia ep ig cea

(Rottler), resembles it much in its natural qualities.

(See article kolung kovay'

kalung in Part ii . ofthis work . )A plant discovered some years ago in Amer1ca by

Mr. Wm. Bartram, and termed F raseri waiter i hasbeen found to possess similar virtues with the Mada

gascar plant ; the root being a pure and powerful

bitter, without aroma ; it is of the class tetrandria,and ord. monogyn ia, and nat . ord . gen tianas ; he hasnamed it American Columba. (See Barton

’

s V eget

ab le Mat. Med . of the U n ited States, vo l . ii. p .

Columba root is very subject to decay“

and become

perforated by small worms ; when "good, it breakswith a starchy fracture, looks bright and solid, and

has a slight aromatic odour and bitter taste . I t is

considered as a powerful antiseptic and ton ic, and

to possess astringent qualities, which have occasionedit to he often recommended in diarrhoea, general debi

l ity, cholera morbus, and in certain stages of phthisis ;it has also been supposed to be efficacious in allayingnervous irritability, and strengthen ing the digestiveorgans. It is no doubt an excellen t medicin e, and

may be given in powder, in doses of from fifteengrains to half a drachm, though we t h

‘

ink the infusionis the best preparation ; this is very mucilaginous, a


quality to which, perhaps, the ~root owes much of its

virtue . For further particulars see Dr. A . Berry’

s

accoun t of the male plant, which furn ishes the medicine called columba root in England, as it appearS

'

in

the ten th volume of the Asiatic Researches.

I perceive by the Hort . Bengal . (p . that the

plant whose root is the officinal columba root, was

growing in the botanical garden of Calcutta in 1814,under the scientific name of menisp ermum columba

cl . and ord. dioecia, pentandria. Columbaroot is not unfrequently employed by the French and

Portuguese in preparing the famous droga amara

when the cre’

y at plant cannot be procured . (See ar

tiele Creyat in this chapter. )

CONESSI, or OVAL-LEAVED ROSEBAY.

Ve’

ppc'

ile’

i (Sou u u mw am (Tam. ) d ag ci pala

(Mal. ) Pala codija also M anoopala (Tel . ) Caray ia

also Caraija (Hind . ) Clzeeree also Kataja

(Sans ) Conessie (Fr . )NERIUM ANTIDYSENTERICU M (Lin . )

C]. and O rd . Pentandria, Monogyn ia. Nat. O rd.

Contortaa (Lin . ) Rubrstillender O leander . (Nom.

Triv. Willd . ) See Spec . Plan t . Willd . vol . 1. p . 1286 .

The bark of the oval leaved 1osebay having latelybeen admitted into the B 1itish Materia Medica, nu

der the name of conessi bar/r, I have been inducedto give the conessi a place here . The bark 1s called

p alap atta on the Malabar coast by the Hindoos, andcor te-de-p ala by the Portuguese both of whom have

long considered it as a valuable ton ic and feb1 ifuge.

90 MATERIA IND I CA . .PART I .

‘GoollieGU (Duk . ) M oonga Ii

i

,» (Hind .) Be’séc

‘

l

(Arab . ) M erjdn £913

0 7, (Pers. ) Vidr iima,

also Prc‘

ibalc‘

i g ates; (Sans ) Koralen (Dut . )

Coral (Port . ) Corail (Fr. )CORALL IUM .

I t has been said that red coral, the only kind

employed in medicin e in Europe, was no where to

be found, but in the Mediterranean sea : it wouldappear, however, by Thunberg

’

s account, that it is

common in Japan ,and there called sangaa

’in, and I

believe it is also found on the west coast of Sumatra ;where corals ofmany differen t colours growwith greatrap idity the yellowish white however, is met with

in the greatest plen ty . A s an ornament the black,

is most esteemed . De Comyn says, in his State of

the Philippine Islands,”(p . that bo th the red

and black coral are found n ear the islands Samarand B issayas (see Travels, vol . ii . p . The red

sort is the gorgonia nobilis, which according to

Brande, is composed of a cartilaginous matter withcarbonate a nd phosphate of lime, (see his Manual

of Chemistry, vol . iii. p .

We learn fromNiebhur (see Travels, vol . 11. p .

that the A rabian Gulf is almost filled up with coral ;

in Europe the most profitable fisheries are those of

Majorca and Minorca ; on the coast of Sicily ; and

on the shores of Provence, from Cape de la Couronne,to that of St . Trop es. Coral has sometimes beenemployed as an absorbent. The Tamool practitioners prescribe it when calcined, in cases of N eer

This, according to Brande , consists entirely of carbonate of

lime , w ith a minute quan tity of gelatinous matter. See hisManual

of Chemlstry , vol. iii. p . 214.

CHAP. r. MATERIA INDICA. 9 1

Alivoo (Diabetes), and moola c

'

ranie (bleeding p iles).The Arabians place it amongst their Kabizat g umu

(Astringentia,) and M oire’

wyat-dil (Car

diaca.)Tavern ier, in his Indian Voyages(book 11. chap . xx .)

tells us that there are three places where coral is fishedon the coast of Sardinia ; viz . at A rguerre, at Boza,

and at St . Peter there are also fisheries on the coast

of France, Sicily, Catalon ia, and Majorca. Celsusnotices corallium amongst those substances whichharden the body, Veratrum, album et n igrum,

corallium, cantharides, pyrethrum, adurun t.”(Cels.

Lib. v . p . The corallium album, a hard, white,brittle, calcareous substance; is the n idus of the madrep ora

‘

oculata, class vermes, order lithophyta ;

it is sometimes exhibited as an absorbent earth . The

corallium rubrum, already mentioned, is a hard,

brittle, calcareous substance, resembling the stalk of

a plant, and is the habitation of the isis nobilis, class

Vermes, order Z oophyta it is given as,

an absorbentin powder, to children . What is called the corallina

Corsicana, or Corsican worm seed, is thefucusbelmintbocorton of de la Tourette . This plant has gota great name for its power in destroying intestinalworms, and, according to Mr . U re, the pharmacop

‘

ce ia

of G eneva directs a syrup to be made of it.

LIII .

CORIANDER SEED . Céttamillie (Sam-

5 5mm m (Tam. and Tel .) M eta; Malay . ) Cotum

buroo (Cyng . ) Dung/a (Hind . and Beng . )i

Dbun

nianb ay (Duk . ) gra na,

" Dbc‘

inya'

lra’

(Sans.

9 2 MATERIA . INDICA . PART ,1 .

Kezereli 3 of (Arab . ) Kis/zneez M (Pers. )D lu

‘

tna (G uz . ) Coriander (Dut . ) Coentro (P01 t )Cottimbiry (Can . ) Cor iandre (Fr . ) Koriander

Saamen (G en )CORIANDRUM SATIVUM (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Pentandrla, Digyn ia. Nat . O rd .

U mbellatae (Lin . ) Gemeiver cor iander . (Nom. Triv.

Willd . ) See Spec . Plan t . Willd . vol i . p .448 .

This is an annual, with an erect stem about two or

three feet in height, having compound leaves, andwhiteor reddish flowers. The fruit is too well known to‘

requ1re a description here .

The plan t grows in abundance in many parts of

India, where the seed is used by the natives as a

carminative, grateful stomachic, and gentle stimulant ;the dose from a scruple to a drachm. In Nepaul the

plant is common , and is called danga . In Egypt,to which coun try it is carried from India, it is termedlaurbara shamie Celsus, speaking of corian

d1um, says, co1 iandrum refrigerat, urinam movet .

(See Cels. lib . ii . p . 9 0, Murray l n his Appal atus

Medicaminum, vol . i. p .406 , recommends an infu

sion of the seed, in cases of quartan ague ; be f urther

adds, non spernendum ad flatus discutiendos, sto

machum roborandum et diaphoresin movendam.

COWHAGE . P oonay /cdlie g m g g n‘m

(Tam. ) P eeliadug oo/rdila (Tel . ) Kircdcb (Hind . )Kauncl

ilroor ibébing e 439

23 3

313,

(Duk . )a

v

fmzrgrAtmagup ta also Efifqefié

' Kapz/tacblzu (Sans )

94, MATERIA IND I CA . PART I .

effect that the hairs above mentioned act in worm

cases ; for asMr. Murray has justly observed, “neque

tinctura, n eque‘decoctumc inde paratum, eundem

effectum pra estat . (Appar . Medicam. vol . 1. p .

CRAB , SEA . Kdddil Na'

ndoo $ g m g m ®

(Tam. ) Dewip dgburoo (Cyng . ) Cdta’

n (Malay . )Gndndd (Mal . ) Samudrap oo Nandrakdia (Tel. )

S indku’

Ka’

r lrdtd/rd fi gfi fia—

fi (Sans. ) D iry alra

keynkra BTL-

M1519) ; (Duk . ) Keynkra (Hind . )S irtan (Arab . ) Kbe

’

rcbéng ai m); (Pers. )

B ras de crevisse (Fr . ) Kiaua an Krabbe (G en )Ma

'

undoo (Maléalie .)CANCER PAGURUS (V an )

The crab that is commonly met with in Indiadiffers considerably fromwhat is called the blackclawed crab in England it is smaller and the claws

are not sodark-coloured ; yet at the proper season

the crabs on the Coromandel coast, are excellentand much sought after by Europeans ; no part of thecrab is used by the natives in medicine . The Per

sians, it would appear, occasionally employ crab’s

eyes,”but more properly called crab’

s stones, as an

absorbent, and give them the name of cheshm sirtan

but whether they are exactly the same with those of

the shops in England, which are concretions foundin the stomach of the crawfish, (cancer astacus) I

This is more p roperly speaking the Arabic name for t hec‘

rawfish . To the sea crab the Persians not unfrequently givethe appellation of ad ,

(f f? punj-p b

'

iyeb.

MATERIA IND ICA .

cannot say . The crab ’s stones are said to be pro

cured in the greatest abundance at A stracan .

CRESSES, GARDEN. Halim Hm (Duk . )Re

’

sbdd (Arab . ) Cluinserju g? (Hind . ) Turéb

tezuk (Persian ) H alim (Beng . ) Cre'

sson

(Fr. )LEPID IUM SATIVUM (Lin . )

Cl . and O rd . Tetradynamia,”

Siliculosa. Nat . O rd .

Siliquosse (Lin . ) Gar ten irresse . (Nom. Triv. Willd .)See Spec . Plan t. Willd . vol. 111. p . 485.

G arden cresses are rarely cultivated by Europeansin India ; the common water-cresses, sisymbrium

nastur tium are much prized and sought after

by the Mahometans, who call them in Dukhanie

loot p utiab. Three species of lep idium grow in the

botan ical garden of Calcutta, our article and the

Miami and bonar iense . The thlasp i is, I believe, thelep . perfoliatum (Willd . ) Spec . Plant . vol . iii. p .48 1 .

Water-cresses, we are told by Mr . Crawford, weresome years ago introduced into the eastern islands bythe English, where they thrive in a most extraordi

nary manner, not only in the hills, but in the hottest

plains. The European vegetables, he adds, whichsucceed best in that Archipelago, are peas, artichokes,and cabbages carrots which grow so well in India,there do not thrive .

The Arabiansplace the seed of the garden cresses,

which they call harrif JP amongst their M okerclzat

rag g a, (V esicatoria)

9 6 MATERIA IND ICA .

“ PART I .

LVII .

CREYAT . Kata; g amu a a g) (Tam.and Can . )

Cre'

at 5 14mm.) Kairdtd 5313 3 (Sans.) cczap .

natb (Hind. ) Kala-meg ]: (Ben . ) N ella-vemoo (Tel . )Attadie (Cyng . ) Create (Fr. )

JUSTI C IA PANICU LATA (Vahl)

Cl . and O rd. Diandrla, Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd..

Personatae Lin . ) Risp enblutige justicie. (Nom.

Triv. Willd . ) See Spec . Plan t . Willd . vol . 1. p . 89 .

This plan twas first brought to the southern parts ofthe Indian pen insula, from the Isle of France, whereit is highly prized as a stomachic and tonic, and

forms the basis of the famous French bitter tincture,called drogue amerefi

“ Dr. Fleeming, however, in hisCatalogue of Indian Plants, informs us, that -it is

also a native of Bengal . The whole of the plant is

used in medicine, and is intensely bitter, a qualitywhich it yields equally to aqueous, vinous, and spi

rituous menstrua ; it is the cara caniram‘

of Rheed.

(See Hort . Mal . ix . p . 109 . tab . and is now cul

tivated with success in Tinn evelly, as well as in some

more northern districts, where it occasionally gets

the name of nella-vaymboo.

fi I t seldom rises higherthan a foot and a half; and is stiff and four-corn eredVahl tells us that it may be distinguished from all

This is much esteemed by the Portuguese inhabitants of

India as a stomachic and tonic, a par ticular accoun t of itmay befound in an old work on the Diseases of Southern In dia, by a

“

Portuguese writer F ra Paolino da can B artolamee, it is there

particularly recommended in the disease called, he tells us, sbani,or mordexin , also n icomber, and which would appear by its symptoms to correspond with the spasmodic cholera of this day . The

droga-amara is composed of mastic , thus, common resin , myrrh ,

aloes and creyat-root, for which last

“

sometimes columba-root issubstituted . Proper proportions of these being taken , the wholeis steeped in a due quantity of brandy for a month together in the

sun in dry weather, and then carefully strained and drawn off.

9 8 MATERIA . IND1CA. PART J .

are the dried p edicelled berries, . which grow in

clusters on short, peduncled, solitary spikes, theyare cal led dum/ce mercbie in Dukhan ie, from the

spiky tail that is at the end of each grain . This

pepper"

resembles the black p epper in size, but issomewhat wrinkled ; in colour it is not quite so dark,and has less pungency, but not less of an aromaticodour.

Cubebs are used by the Indian p ractitioners as a

grateful stomachic, carmin itive, and seasone 1 : the

A 1abians place them amongst their 5 59 43“ Mudorrat

The Mahometans not unfrequentlyemploy them in cases of gle ,et and it would appear

tha t of late years in Europ e, this medicine has beenconsidered as powel fully eflicacious l n gonorrhaea .

Mr. Henry Jeffieys has written on the subject ; his

work”

is‘

entitled, Practical'

O bservations on the U se

of Cubebs in the Cure of Gonmrhaea. He speaksh ighly of the virtues of cubebs, though they wouldappear in some habits to occasion headache and

n ausea they are given , he thinks, W1th the g1eatest‘

succ'

ess 1n the more inflammatory forms of the disease,

n or is their use followed by any of those bad symptoms which occasionally succeed to other modes oftreatmen t . He conceives the agency of cubebs to

resemble in a great measure that of the balsam of

Copaiva ; they moderate, he adds, inflammation , and

suppress the quantity of the discharge in a shorter

time than any other remedy he is acquainted with.

The c ommon dose about half a drachmror even a

drachm ormore, three times in the day, in the‘

form of

See Edin . Medical and Surgical Journals, for January, 1818,and January 18 19 , by Messrs . Crawfo1d and Adams.

CHAP . r. MATERIA INDICA . 9 9

powder. Mr. Crawford in his History of the IndianArchipelago, says, that they are given in Malay

coun t1 ies with success in much larger doses, three

drachms, and repeated during the day, for six or eighttimes. Ten species of p ip er grow in the botan ical

garden of Calcutta, all orien tal plants.

Besides the virtues of cubebs in gonorrhma, it

would appear to have been lately discovered to be a

most usef ul medicine, administered in cases of in

flammation of the mucus membrane of the intestinalcanal, given in conjun ction with oxyde of bismuth ;also in cases of eb1on ie inflammation of the E SO

phagus ln un ion with carbonate of soda. See Com

munication s by D1 . J . Fosbrooke, in Number" 102 of

the Medical Repository, and in that fo1 December,1822 . In Number 100 of the same useful publication ,

p . 847 , the l eader will find an accoun t of the anas

lysis of cubebs, by M . Vauquelin , by Which theyappear tocon tain , 1 . a volatile oil, which is nearlysolid : 2 .

'

resin,resembling balsam copaiba : 8 .

‘

a

quantity of another coloured resin : 4. a coloured

The G erman and other physicians on the conti

nent, at the time that Murray W1ote, (at G ottingenin do not appear to have been at all aware of

those virtues which cubebs have since been foundto possess. The distinguished w1 iter just men tioned,thinks they may prove serviceable 1n certain dyspepticaffections, and the vertigo consequent on such com

plaints. (See Appar. Medicam. vol . V . p .

See his work, Vol . i . p .46 5.

100 MATERIA IND ICA . PART

Dooroo (Cyng . ) Jeera (Beng . ) Z ira (Duk .)Z ira (Hind . ) Kemun

(J ar-f (Arab . ) Z e

’

reh

n (Pers. ) J intan (Malay . ) Gilalcara (Tel . )

J i m/rd Eff or djq‘

q’

i (Sans ) Jeerdga

Can . ) Komyn (Dut . ) Cuminbo (Port . ) Cumin

(Fr. ) Ramisclzer Kumui (G er. ) Kummen (Dan . )CUMINUM CYMINUM (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd . Pentandria, Digynia. Nat . O rd.

U mbellatae (Lin . ) F einblattriger kreuz/rummel.‘(Nom. Triv . Willd . ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . 1.

p. 1440.

Cumin seeds are in very general use amongst

t he native Indians, equally as a grateful stomachicin cases of dyspepsia, and as a season er for theircurries : they have a peculiar heavy, strong odour,and a warm bitterish taste . The plant is an annual

which seldom rises above eight or ten inches high ;1s, properly speaking, a native of Egypt, but is cul

t ivated n ow in India, though I am inclined to think.that the greater part of the seed found in the bazars,i s brought from the sea ports of the Red

'

Sea. The

plant, however, is growing in the botamcal gardenof Calcutta,

’

introduced from Persia.

In Malta, where cumin seed is very common , it

is called cumino aig re, to distingui sh it from aniseseed, which they term cumino dolce . Celsus tells us,that it is g iven with advan tage in cases in which thespleen is affected, praecipue ad id valet vel trifoliisemen, vel cuminum, vel portulaca.

”

( See Celsus,

102 MATERIA INDI CA . PART

as much as one seed may be administe1ed as a dose

though it may be safer to begin with a much smaller

quan tity, g iven ,

intimately, blended with a little

honey . My friend, Dr . Ingledew,informs me, that

he gave this medicme in upwards of five hundred

cases in the Mysore count1y, and found it a valuableand safe purgative his dose was seldom more than

one grain , combined with two of camphor . He

would not recommend it as a safe purge for children

under seven years old, n or for very old people, or

delicate women . In the first edition of this work ,

published ‘

at Madras, in 18 18o , I gave the sentlments

ofDr ..W

'

hite, and Mr . Marshall, of the Bombay es-ftablishment, regarding the purging croton ; and,

perhaps,“

I cannot do better than repeat th em newDoctor White observes .

Take the seed of the croton tiglium, afte1 hav‘fi ing been each enveloped in a small ball of fresh

cow-dung, about the si ze ofa sparrow’

s egg, put them“on some burningcharcoal,

‘

and allow themto remain

till the cow-dung 1s burnt or toasted dry, then re

‘5move them, and taking off carefully the shells fiom“ the seeds, pound the nuclei, and divide in to pills,making two out of each grain ; two, or at most three

‘5 of which are a sufficient dose for an adult ; half a

‘5drachm ofhoney, to two drachms ofthemass proves‘

a

“conven ien t medium for un iting it . The advantagesderived from the above mentioned process, are, in .

c the first place,‘

it facilitates the removal of the shell‘5 secondly, it renders the nucleus more fit for

'

pound

in c and lastly, the gen tle torref'

action it undergoes,o

corrects in a great degree the natural acrimony of

In that first edition I was at particular pains to call the at

ten tion of the medical men of the East to th is medic ine , fromfinding that it was highly prized by the Hindoo doctors, andex tolled m various sastrums. See Work, pages 9 5. 29 2, 29 3, 294

MATERIA ‘

IND ICA’:

the nut. Thei

Tamool, Canarese, and San scrit

names“

of this nut, express its quality of liquefyingthe con tents of the in testines. An intelligentI ogui from Bena1es, tells me, that in h is coun try;they boil the seeds soft in milk, stripping the

’

iri

first of their shells after which they pound them,

“ forming the mass by means of lime juice, at the

rate of one p ill from each seed ; two of these makingan ordinary dose . A mode 1n Guzerate 1s still more

simple, consisting merely l n pounding the ’

kernels,

Without any prev1ous operation , and forming, bymeans of honey, two pills from each nucleus, one

of which generally suffic es for a strong purge ; at

the same time directing a gill of warm water to be'

taken immediately after swallowing the pill .

this p 1eparation the inherent acrimony of the

kernel, makes up for the smalln ess of the dose,

and the water drank ‘

above it ensures its speedy “

operation ;

The foi lowing directions are from“

a learned

Persee vydia, of Surat .

After having removed the shells from the seeds,tie the kern els m a small p iece of cloth, like a bagthen put this into as much cow-dung-water as willcover the bag, and let it boil secondly, whenboiled, split the kernels 1n two, and take a small

leaf (filimen t) from them, whi ch is said‘

to be poi

sonous ; and thirdly, pound the whole into a mass“to which add two parts of frat/2a (catechu), that is,to one drachm of croton , add tw of katba, and

divide into p ills of two grain s each two of whl ch

are sufficien t for one

“

dose . The addition of th e

[rat/ta 1s said to co’

rrect its acrimony altogether,

and to prevent any g11p1ng fiom ensuing .

(Signed) D . WH I TE, M .D .

H 4

104 M ATERIA IND ICA. PART

Mr . Marshall’

s sentiments on this subject,‘

a re the

followingA s far as the employment of the croton nut, in ,

about two hundred instances, authorises me to

speak of its powers, I offer the following remarks

as the result of my obseryation the cases were all

those of European soldiers.

Two pills, in each half a grain of the mass, .

given to a man of ordinary habit, produce a full .

5‘

purgation , such as is n ecessary in usual practice,“ in the beginn ing of fever ; I esteem this dose a

equal in power, to half a drachm ofjalap, or to sur e

grains of calomel, The Operation is attended withmuch rumbling of the bowels ; the stools are invariably watry, and cop ious. In about one case in

4“ten , the medicine caused grip ing , and in about .

one 1n thirty, nausea but it is very probable thatsimilar effects would have arisen in these cases

from the operation of any other purgative of equal ;

power. If the patient be weakly, one p ill often

produces the effects above mentioned ; but in a

healthy subject, the operation of one pill seldom5‘ affords a motion in less time than six, eight, or

more hours . In a case of general torpor and coma,I produced numerous stools (and not very watry)with three pills. The chief advantage of this ,

purge is, the smallness of the bulk necessary to.

obtain‘

the desired effect . In the case of coma,just noticed, it would have been n ext to impossibleto get the patient to swallow a suflicient quantityof almost any other purgative . None of the

drastic purges are more cel tain , none so rap id intheir action , nor, I think, so little distressing by»

griping or nausea. I found the dose of one grains

very useful 1n diseased spleen, where the patients23

106 MATERIA 1111310 11. PART'

ofMalacca g rains: Rumphius informs us, that the

1 oot of the plant is supposed, by the inhabitantsofAmboyna, to be a useful drastic purge, in cases of

d10psy, given rasped m doses of a few grains, or as

much as can be held betwixt the thumb and finger*

and the same writer quotes a letter from Ar tus Geygels, one of the G overnors of Amboyna, expressive of

similar virtues in the root, in such affections. The

last mentioned gentleman thinks, the best w ay of

givingO'

the dose above men tioned, is the followingRadix autem haec radenda est, quo subtilin s eo

melius ac mane cum vino vel potu arack adsumenda

est .

” O n Java, the eroton nut 1s well‘known ,

h ighly valued, and called by the Javanese c/zeralren .

Rheede, who speaks of the plant under the name

ca’

a’e’

l avdndczi, says, that the leaves rubbed and

soake d in water also are purgative ; and when driedand powdered are a good external applicatlon m

cases of bites of serpenta i‘ V irey in h is Histoire

Naturelle des Medicamens,”

tells us, that the

French call these grains, g raines de filly , and t hat

the light wood of the small tree, which they term‘

p avane, is of a bitter quality, gen tly emetic, and verypowerfully sud0 1ific . i

O f the essential characte1 of the genus, Willdenowsays.

“ Masca li, cal: cylindricus. 5. den tatus. Cor .

5. petala. S lam. 10 . 15. F eminei, cal. polyphyllus.

Cor . O .“

Styli 3 . bifid . Cap s. 3 . locularis. Sem. 1 .

(Spec . Plan t. vol . iv . p.

O ur article is a small tree, with a few spreadingbranches, Willdenow observes of it, Foliis ovatis

acuminatis serratis glabris~basi biglandulos1s, pe a

O r it may be given l n infusion l n arrack .

1 Rheede , Hort . Mal. ii. p . 6 1 t . 33 .

1 See his work, p . 301

CHAP . I . MATERIA 107:

‘f tiolis

fl

fol io brevioribus, racemis terminalibus.

”fThe

F lora Z ey lam'

ca, informs us that it has“ leaves ovate,

‘f Smooth,

'

accuminate, serrate, with an arboreous‘f stem. The flowers are . in erect, simple, terminating racemes, scarcely the length of the leaf ; the

lower ones female, the upper male, and pale co

loured . The c roton tiglium 1s a native of China,Cochin China, and India, and has been noticed byLaureiro and Gaertner, as well as those writers al

ready mention ed.

No less than’

fourteen spec i es of croton have beendiscovered in

”

Jamaica, three of which, according toLunan appear to be there considered asmedicinal,viz.the prof. liniare (the powder of the dry leavesof which, Barham says, is a specific in colic and cold

watry indigested humours) ; croton humile (whichBrowne says, in his History of Jamalca, page 817 .

c . 2 . is of a very hot and pungen t nature, and is fre

quently. used in baths, and fomentations for nervousweakness) and lastly, the croton e luierz

'

a (the barkof which is well known to be the cascarz

'

lla bark of

the shops ; one of the most valuable, if not the most

valuable, of all our light aromatics and tonlcs, fo‘

r

delicate people, with weak digestions).The croton seeds and oil, have of late years at.

tracted much atten tion amongst the practitioners ofEurope. The following notices are amongst the

best . By Dr. John Gordon in the London 'MedicalRepository, for January, 1822 . By W

'

. T . I lg’

fi; inthe same work and Number, page By the same

in the .Number for December, 1822 . This last men

tioned gentleman ,has analysed the kernels and oil,

and found that one hundred parts of the first con

See his Hortus Jamaicensis, vol . 11. p . 290, 29 1, 29 2 .

108 MATERIA IND ICA . . PART

tained twenty-seven of acrid principle, thirty-three

of fixed oil, and forty of fa1inaceous matter. The

oil itself IS composed of forty five of acrid principle,and forty

-five of fixed oil. Dr. Nimmo ascertained‘

that the alcohol solution was the best vehicle for ad»

min istering the active principle of the c roton oil, and

gives the following formula.

alcohol . croton . 3 ss.

syrupi simpl .

muc-il . gum. arab . aa 513.

aquae distillat . gss. misce .

Dr . Carter has given us some excellent chemicalexperiments, on the effects of the croton oil, whichmay be found in number 9 8 of the Medical Repos itory, page and in the Number 102 , for Junethere is a paper I am sure the reader will be much

pleased with, entitled, A S/retch of the B otanical

Literature of the Croton Tig lium, by John Frost,Esq. ; by which it appears that the first correct account of this plant, is given in Jacob Robart

’s work

called, Plantarum Histor ia O xoniensis U niversalis,”

published in 1649 .

By an in teresting commun ication which I havelately received from India, fromMr. Robert Daly of

the medical store department ofMadras, I learn that

the croton seed had there proved to be in a singular

manner emmenagogue when p rescribed by Mr . U n

d erwood, -in upwards of fifteen cases of obstructedmenses, in the female asylum, it in all of them had

the desired effect, of bringing on the catamenia.

110 MATERIA INDICA: PART I.

doostan ; where the seeds, called sometimes by theBrahmins of Lower India, M ishi are fre

quen tly sold in the bazars for caraway -seea’s, but

they are considerably broader and . flatter, and not

quite so long. The anethump anmoriam has

a strong resemblance to the an . fcenicalam, and is

common in Bengal ; it is a warm aromatic, and IS

called in Hindoostan ie mayurz, and in San scrit mad ’

hurica .

DEER, SPOTTED . Pollee maun Lflm oxf

‘

Lo f‘

ro'

or (Tam. Sriraga (Can . Cheetal (Duk .

B oop ie (Tel. ) Z abbee (Arab . ) GoazanL1); 3;

(Pers. )CERVUS Axrs (V an )

This beautiful species of cervus, is very common

in many parts of India, and is sometimes called bywriters on mazology, the gangetic stag it is com

monly about three feet and a half h igh, of a pale,

rufous brown colour, spotted with white the hom s

are round, slender, erect, with bifid or trifid summits”

as ven ison , it is not worth much , unless when caught

young and fed properly, then the flesh is delicious.

The other species of the genus, to be met with 111

Lowei India ; are , 1 . the cervas mantjac (Lin . ) or

iib faced deer, this has horns rising from a cylin

drical hairy base, three-forked, andb

the upper forkhooked ; 2 . the

.

ceife des sardermes of Bufl'

on ; and

8 . the cervus cadaba (Buch . MSS. ) which the Ca;

narese call condag zirzivi from its being usually foundin mountainous situations.

CHAP . I . MATERIA I ND ICA.. 11 1

O f the antelope species. O ne, antelop e or ientalis

(V an ), is verycommon in many parts of the lower pro

vinces of India, and is, I believe, not rare in U pper

Hindoostan ; it iswhen full grown, anoble andbeautifulan1mal, with spi1al or lyre shaped ho1 ns, body 1 ufous

above, andwh1te ben eath with longish ears, and tail terminating in a tuft of hai1 in its form otherwise, it ap

proaches to the a. scripta of Pallas ; T urton has calledit a . coromandce liensis. A s venison, it is tough and

insip id in Sanscrit it is INTmr iga . Mann (Tam.

Ginka (Tel . Ahoo3M (Pers. Harn (Hindi), also

tar iy a'

. Another species often‘

seen l n the Mysorecountry, is, the a . gazella, distinguished by its straighthorn s, which are tapering and wrinkled. A thirdspecies is the ny lghau or White footed antelope, it is

the a . p icta commonly about four feet inheight or more and partaking in its appearance, ofa

'

mixture of the ox and deer tribe ; it is found in thein terior tracts of Hindoostan ; in Tamool it is

hadambéi, N eelghaa LU“ (Duk . ) A fourth spe

cies to be met with, is the a . areas or elk

antelope, of a grey CO lO ll l , with tapering horns,

Spirally carinated . A fifth species is the a. traga

camelas (Lin . ) or Indostan an telope, also grey, withalong flocky tail . and dorsal protuberance, it is very

The musk deer, moschus moschiferus, is to be

found in the S irmoor or Nahan country, in U pper

India. The beautiful sm'

all species m. pygmwas isicommon in Lower India

if I t is n ot larger than a domestic cat ; bf a bay colour withslender legs, and has a head large fo1 the rest of the body ; itsaspec t is mild, and hab its gentle the English m India sometimescall it improperly hog deer : it has l arely been known to survivea voyage to England . Mr. Elphinston , m h is excellent Account of

MATERIA INDI CA . PART I .

Lxm .

DITTANY OF CRETE . B achlutalgezal 519 11513,

(Arab . ) Dictame de Crete (Fr. )ORIGANUM DICTAMNUS (Lin .)

Cl . and O rd. Didynamia, Gymnospermia. Nat .

O rd . V erticillatm Lin . ) Dip tam dosten . (Nom.

Triv. Willd.)The dittany of Crete, I have never seen in India

and have merely given it a place here, from findingthat though now in a great measure exploded fromour Mat . Med . it is still esteemed by the A rabians,and Persians, who class it amongst the ir M olcewyat

meoaa'eh "andMadorrat (Sti

mulantia. ) It is a perenn ial plan t, with a hairy stalk, ofa purple colour, seldom more than n ine inches high,and having thick, round, wh ite, woolly leaves. The

an cients prized it highly, and amongst others, Virg il

sang its praises, and Cicero notices it in hiswork,De N atara B ecram.

” Celsus reckoned it em

menagogue, and alexipharmic the leaves have been

given in substan ce from half a drachm to a drachmand in infusion, to the quan tity of half an ounce for

a dose . Dr . Thorn ton seems to think that the real

Cabul, says, that the most remarkable animal of the deer kind hesaw in that country, was there called p awzun LL‘JL‘

distinguished

by the great size of its horns , and the strong, but not unpleasant

smell of its body . See his work , age andDr. T . Hamilton ,in h is Ac count of the Distric t 0 Paraniya , says, that he there

met with the ceifi a’es sardennes of Buffon, MSS.

For the opinion of the Arabians on this subject, the reader is

referred to an Arab ic medical work, entitledM C)“

IH MATERIA -INDICA . PART

nitoo’

roo (Tel. ) Catalcamrigarahta mam(Sans) Damula

'

khwainutF Xh" (Arab . and Duk . )

also idarz'

tmie (Arab . ) Khanisyawashan

(Pers. ) H eradahy (Hind . ) Sang

dragon (Fr. Jaranang (Palembang .

CALAMUS DRACO (Willd . )

Cl. and O rd . Hexandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd .

Tripetaloideae (Lin . ) Drachenblatg ebender rotang

(Nom. Triv . Willd . ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . ii.

p . 203 .

This dark-red coloured, inodorous, and insipidresin , would appear to be often confounded withkino by the native doctors of Lower India as both,on being presented to a hakeem, get the name of

damalaclc'way n , and both,'

O u being shewn to a vytian ,

are called handamoorgar ittam they mutually con

sider it as astringent, which, however, Dr . Duncan ;

jun ior, tells us, the true dragon’

s blood is not . I am

inclined to think, however, that genuine kino is but

partially known in the pen insula of India.

It would appear that different trees yield dragon’s

blood . Mr. Thomson , in his London dispen satory,’

informs us, that it is got from the p terocarp us draco

which is a native O f South America it also

exudes from the ling oa which is the

p terocarp us indicas and there is no doubtbut that it is obtained from the calamas draco“

?Of the

eastern islands, by wounding the bark of the tree .

The dragon’

s blood which is met with in Indianbazars is brought from Kang Kow, and also from

It appears by Dr. Horsfield’

s account of Java medicinalplants, that the pterocarpus draco also grows in Java, and 18 there

called hayu-sonno or ansan ; the bark IS an astringent .

1 It 18 the palmijuncus draco (Rumph . amb . 5. p . 114. t . 58.

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA 1NDICA .

’

115

Passier , on the coast O f Borneo , where Mr. Elmore *

says it is procured O f a finer fluality than in any other

part of the world also from Macassar f on Celebesbut ch iefly manufac tured, Mr. Cravirford tells us,

at Jambi, Palembang , and B anjarmassin ; at the se

cond mentioned of these places it is called I aranang .

Langsdorff in his Voyages and Travels, p .

Observes, that the tree'

which produces the dragon’s

blood is a native of the Canary Islands and Nieb

hur mentions it as growing in Hydramaat, a provinceof A rabia Felix . (Travels, vol. ii . p .

Dragon’s blood having been ascertained not to be

astringent, has been discarded as a medicine by European practitioners. Alibert in his NouveauxElémens de Therapeutique,

”(vol . i . p . says,

Toutefois il faut l’avouer sa reputation est un peu

d’echue . The Tamool doctors recommend a

solution of 1t in a1rack as an external application to thehead and temples:mcases of syncope . It 1s occasionally used m the arts in Europe for stain ing marblered, and may be distinguished from kino by beinginflammable and fusible, and emitting an acid vapourlike that of benzoin .

Q

The dalberg1amonetaria a shrub and nativeof Surinam, yields a resin very s1m1lar to dragon

’

s

blood .

The Arabians g1ve dragon’

s blood a place amongst

their Kabisal Q u a; (Astringentia), and Avicenna,

(p . tells us that its Arabic name sign ifies theblood of two brothers

See his Directory and Guide to the Indian Trade, p. 29 .

1 See Beckman’

3 Voyage to Borneo .


LXV .

DU CK. Waat 9 859 14301 17 5 5] (Tam. ) B atO O

(Tel. ) B adah (Duk . ) M arg iib (Pers. )Awaz s (A rab . ) Varatti at ? (Sans. ) Canard

(Fr. )ANAs DOMESTICA .

The tame duck in India differs in nothing fromthe same an imal in Europe as food, it is con sideredas nourishing and stimulating, too much so, perhaps,

for such as are in delicate health . O f the wild duckthere are many spec ies

" in eastern coun tries, severalof which, I am inc lined to think, nay know, have not

h itherto been scientifically described the most prizedin the Carnatic for the table , is a small variety of the

anas boschas, distinguished by much blue in the

wings, and by being rarely in the slightest degreefishy to the taste ; its names are the followingNeerwaat (Tam. ) Neela batoo (Tel . ) Jang alibaa

’alc

0 31,gig } and Sarhha

'

h (Pers. ) Whatis called the hrahmingj clack by the English on the

Coromandel coast, is nearly as large as the Muscovyduck (anas moschata), but is a much more beautifulbird, being in colour a brown ish yellow, spottedw ith black, though this I have found to vary ; it isseldom brought to tab le, being somewhat strong in

flavour. The'

Mahometans term it (fi x , it is in

Tamool, pdp drcittirci t i lt, and in Tellingoo brip cinafi

17617 00 . The vytians suppose that the flesh of ducks

Dr. F. Hamilton found in the P araniya distric t, the followingspecies; songkas (anas clypeatus), dig/l ongs (anas acuta), and

salmurzya (anas ferina .) MSS.

1 18 MATERIA IND ICA. PART 1 .

clarifying liquids, and when beaten with alum, forms

the alum used for inflamed eyes and lastly the

yolk, which consists of an O il of the nature of fat oil,

and which is used for rendering resins and 0113 diff

fusible in water.

LXVII .

ELDER, COMMON. U lctee also

Khama'

nC )“ (Arab . ) Sareaii ordinaire (Fr . )

Fliederblamen G er. ) Sambaco (It . ) S abaco (Sp . )SAMBUCUS NIGRA (Lin . )

C1. and O rd . Pentandria Trigynia. Nat . O rd.

Dumosae . Gemeiner hollander . (Nom. Triv. Willd . )See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . 1. p . 149 414.The elder tree is little known in India, though

I percelve that it was growing in the botan ical gardenof Calcutta in 1815. The Arabians and Syriansappear to be well acquainted

’

with'

it, and considerthe inner green bark O f its trunk as aper1ent and

deobstruent ; the same part O f the tree in the days ofSydenham, was given by the practitioners O f Europe,in w ine, in doses of from ten grains to half a drachm,

in cases requiring hydragogue purges.* The sam

bacas'

nigra is a native O fmany parts of Europe and

also O f Japan . Dr. Horsfield, in his account of JavaMedicinal Plants, informs us, that a species of sam

The berrieswere in former timesgiven in fevers,also in gout andrheumatism. The flowers, which have a peculiarly faint and sicklyOdour, are chiefly used in fomentations and cooling ointments .

A libert recommends them.

in -infusion at the commencemen t of

infla

inmation O f

‘

the throat . Elemens de Therapeut ic, vol. ii.

p . 2 3 0

CHAP . I . MATERIA "

INDICA . 19

bucus grows in that island , and is there called p atr iwula

'

n ; the natives use it as a diuretic . I ~

‘

perceive

byM ichele’

sDella Corcirese F lora, p . 39 , that another

species of sambucus, (s. ebulus, ) common at Corfu, issupposed to possess virtues similar to those of the

s. n igra, and to be more especially indicated in dropsical c ases.

The el‘

der tree is very bushy,'

with numerous

branches, seldom rising higher than sixteen feet,

with opposite leaves, unequally pinnate, and cream

coloured, sweet scented flowers.

LXVIII .

ELECAMPANE . U ssalztlrasan(WW-lw l (Arab . )

B ehhizanjab’

z’

lishamiwuw fié g (Pers. ) I nale

aalnée Fr. ) Alantwarzel (G er. )INULA

Cl. and O rd. Syngenesia Superflua. NatJ’

O rd .

Compositae discoideee .

~ See Spec ; Plant . Willd.

vol. ii. p .

«2089 .

The Arabic and Persian names here g1ven ,'

are

those O f the root, the only part of the plant that is

used in medicine ; it does not appear, however, tobe at

“

all known to the Hindoo ‘doctors. The Ara

bians place it amongst their Adviy aheezeh G al-259 3 9

(Stomachica. ) It also seems by Thunberg’

s account

(Travels, vol . iii . p . to be considered as sto

machic by the Japanese .

Elecampane root has an aromatic and slightlyfetid Odour ; when chewed, the taste is at first dis

agreeable, glutinous, and somewhat resembling rancid1 44

120 MATERIA IND I CA. PART I .

soap, and then aromatic, bitter, and hot. Formerly itused to be prescribed in dyspepsia, pulmonary com

plain ts, and palsy, in d oses of from a scruple to a

drachm O f late years it is n early discarded from the

British Works on the materia medica. The ancients“

considered it as alexipharmic, and ordered it in

putrid fevers. Dr. Pearson is O f op inion , that it is

the least efficacious of all the bitters. The Frenchof these days, prepare with it awine f (vin d

’aulnée),

which they occasionally give as a stomachicThe inula helenium, is a perenn ial plant, with a

leafy, round stem, and seldom rises higher than threefeet,

‘

having large, ovate, serrated leaves, solitary,

golden coloured flowers, and a thick branched root

of a greyish colour.

LXIX .

EU PHORBIUM. Shadray hz'

tllie p aal-5;

a m m u u rrm (Tam. ) B ontajemmodoop aloo

(Tel .) Saynd ha doocl (Duk . ) Ahal nafiah

M i ) An alsofi rfiy fin LJ 34“? (Arab .) Da

loolcgahehherry also according to FOrskhal,gholalc and hala yr; (Arab . ) Nara-Shij (Hind .

and Beng. ) Eup horbe (Fr. ) E up horbium (G er. )Vr

‘

tjraltshlrd W WI vtyrfikdfl ffikfi m m(Sans. )

EUPHORB IA ANTIQU O RU M (Lin .)

This plan t, according to Pliny (Nat . H ist . lib . xxi. cap .

first sprang from the tears of Helena. It is supposed, by his account, to preserve beauty and make the skin fair, and also to procure ml rth and make the heart merry !

1" See Manuel des Plantes U suelles, vol. i. p . 29 1 .

122 MATERIA INDICA. PART I .

the height of twelve feet, and sending out numerous

irregular, spreading, twisting branches, in , general

three-cornered; but having some two, and others four

angles ; at their e xtremities are several very minuterou

’

ndish leaves, or rather tubercles,Which soon fall

O ff; and near these, come out now and then ,“

a few

crimson-coloured flowers, which have five gib us,

thick, truncated, whitish petals. The plant is the

Schadidacalli of Rheede ( Hort. Mal. ii . p . and

the Sadaszidzi of the Malays : one Sanscrit name O f

it in Lower India is Tidhara, and the Arabic one

Z ékoomp

a) it is common On Ceylon (Flor . Z eyl .

in Bengalie and Hindoostanie it is called

Euphorbium used formerly to be admin istered byEuropean practitioners in dropsical cases, and Shro

der informs us ( p . 7 80. that he gave it in doses offrom 5 to 10 grains ; but owmg to its violent effects,it is now exploded or nearly so diluted with any inert

powder, it is supposed to be an excellent errhine inlethargy, amaurosis, palsy,

J &c . O rfila places eu

phorbium amongst his poisons.“ The Arabians rank

this substance amongst their M oosilat balgham

(Phlegmagoga) and M oherehat g ymSee a Persian medical work intitled

w l>Js

J ’ Tejur Jamasp Hawkim. The

French writer LoiseleurDesLonchampsf gives no lessthan six species O f euphorbia which might be usedas substitutes for ipecacuanha ; the best Would appear

Caesar ; the Juice of the plant m those days was considered as a

valuable external application to the crown of the head m cases of

bites of ser ents. Nat . Hist . lib. xxv. cap . vii .

See “I'Iraite des Poisons (vol . ii. part . i. p .

1 See“Manuel des Plantes U suelles, &c . vol. ii . p . 10. Premier

Memoir.

CHAP . r. MATERIA INDICA. 123

to be the euph . gerardiana, the powdered root of

which vomits easily in doses of eighteen or twenty

grains. Virey“, in his H istoire Naturelle des

M edicamens,”

says that the euphorbia heptagona O f

Ethiopa is a mortal poison, and that the natives ofthat country poison their arrows with the juice of it .

For an account of the chemical analysis of the

famous American emetic euph . ipecacuanha, the

reader is referred to B arton’s

“Vegetable M at .

Med . of the U nited States,”vol. 1. p . 263 . appendix.

O rfila supposes the poison O f euphorbium to . havea local action , c apable of exciting inflammation , andequally operating on dogs and men . See his workvol. ii . p . 35.

LXX .

FEBRIFU GE, SWIETENIAN, or BARKOF THE RED WOOD TREE . Shemmdram

GG’LO LD /T LO (Tam. ) also W'

O omce mdrnm (Tam. )Soimido (Tel. ) (Hind. S teamy (Can . ) Pd

tra'

ngtt 113131”

(Sans. ) Rohan (Beng . )SWIETENIA FEBRIFUGA (Roxb . )

Cl. and O rd . Decandria Monogyma. Nat . O rd.

Trihilatae (Lin . ) F ieberrzndew M ahagonibaum.

(Nom. Triv. Willd. ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . ii.

p . 557 .

The Swieten ia febrifuga, like all the other speciesof its genus, is a lofty tree, common in the Rcy

'

a

mandry circars in the Caddap a district,‘

particularlynear Chittwail and in Chanar it is also a native of

See his work, 11 . 29 9 .


S iam. The tree was first brought to the notice O f

European professional men by Dr . Roxburgh, whodiscovered that its bark was a good ton ic in intermittent fever : given to the extent of four or five

drachms in the twenty-four hours I have found it tobe a useful medecine, but beyond that quantity, it, inevery instance in which I tried it, appeared to me to

derange the nervous system, occasion ing'

vertigo and

ubsequent stupor.

The bark is of a dingy red colour, and has a

rather pleasant, bitter taste, with a slight degree of

austerity ; it breaks easily,“

and is covered externallywith a roughish, grey, inert ep idermis its virtues areextracted by water, both in infusion and decoction ;but its tincture is, perhaps, the most valuable of

all its preparations, when the bark is good as a

stomachic .

O ur article with three other species are growingin the botanical garden of Calcutta ; the tree is

commonly known on the Coromandel coast under -the

name of red wood tree, which its Tamool name im

plies it is, as already Observed, large, with a straighttrunk and numerous branches, leaves alternate and

abruptly p innated, leaflets opposite, very short and

petiolated, with a pan icle very large, terminating,diffuse ; it bears a great number of white, inodorousflowers : O f the genus, Willdenow says, Cal. 5.

fidus. Petala 5. Nectar . cylindricum ore anthe

ras gerens. Cap s. 5. locularis, lignosa, basr debiscens. Sem. imbricata, alata.

”For further par

ticulars regarding this new medicine, the reader isreferred to Dr . Duncan

’s admirable inaugural

w

dis‘

Ser- H

tation , published in Edinburgh in 17 94, and also to

an Essay on it by Mr. Breton in the Medico-Chirurg . Trans. vol . xi . p . 324.

126 MATERIA INDICAZ PART 1.

(Willd. ) on the banks O f the Oronoko, and the

Swieten ia febrifuga of Roxburgh in India.

”

The genus cinchona, of which twenty-four

species have been described, Mr . Thomson, withmuch truth, Observes is still involved in considerableambiguity. Alibert, in his “Nouveaux

'

Elemens de

Therapeutique,”

notices no less than twenty-five

species, those, however, which have hitherto moreespec ially attracted the notice of medical men, arethe three which supply the pale, yellow, and red

bark, in other words‘

the cin . lancifolia, cin . cordifolia, and cin . Oblongifolia. The component parts

of the first, according to‘Pelletier’s account, are

I . Cinchon ine a salifiable base combined with kin icacid . I I J G r

’

een fattymatter. III . Red and yellow

colouring matter. IV. Tannin . V . Kimate of lime .

VI . Gum. VII . Starch, and VIII . Lign in . In the

cin . cordifolia or yellow bark, Caventou discoveredalso a salifiable base, which -he t ermed Quinine . In

the red bark (an Oblongifolia) the two salifiable basesare found to be un ited, viz. the cinchonine

“

and

quinine. The cin . lancifolia is supposed tu be thatwhich affords the real and original cinchona O f Peruor pale bark ; it is now very rare, but it is power

fully febrifuge . The red bark, although it possesses

great astringency and antiseptic qualities, is not sup

posed to be so directly febrifuge . The yellow bark

(cin . cordifolia,) IS not so austere as the last men

t ioned, but is more bitter, and was consideredby Mutis and Z ea as only indirectly febrifuge ;when good, however, all its varieties are excellent

”

remedies.

Before concluding I shall simply mention that forarresting intermittent fever, Dr. Finlayson found the

CHAP.

‘

1. MATERIA " INDICA . 127

three following roots in use amongst the Siamese)“but

of what plants it is not said, mai-day ng , Si janhhon

thei and Paah-fizah, which last is supposed to be theroot of the sappan wood. O f late years the rha

tany root has been much extolled for its virtues inintermittent fever, particularly by Doctors Reece,

Marris, Nisbet, 8m. some O f whom are O f opin ionthat it approaches nearer to

‘

the Peruvian bark than

any other medicine ; of the extract five or ten

grains are given twice daily ; of the powder the

dose is from ten grains to thirty . The Peruviansesteem this root as ton ic and stomachic, and call the

t 1ee Ratanhia, (See Flora Peruviana, vol. iv. p . 6 1.

it is the krameria triandria, (Ruiz . Whatever maybe the medicinal p i operties of the root it would ap

pear that Mr. Peschier has lately discove1ed that it

contains a distinct substance to which he has g iventhe name O f hrameric acid . (Journal de Pharmacie,vi. ) The Rhatanise radix we learn from that va

lnable journal, the London Medical Repository (No .

120, p . is not only employed medicinally bythe inhabitants of Lima, but the Portuguese the1euse it for improving the colour, ast1 1ngency and richness O f their wines. Dr. J . Curry of Guy

’

s Hos

p ital found the tincture of this root of great efficacyin diarrhoea. A ccording to Vogel, it consists of

tann in 40. gum. fecula ligneous fibre 48 .

water and loss 10.

I mention this m the hope , and with amost sincere wish, thatin teresting and minute resea1 ch may soon be made respecting themedic inal plan ts of Siam and the adjacen t countries, which holdout a fair and ample field for valuable discoverles.

128 MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1 .

LXXI .

FENNEL-FLOWER SEED . Carin‘

S irdgum

a w og ef

brr esm (Tam. ) Nulla g ilalrara

Kaloodooroo (Cyng . ) Kr ishnay iraha

(Sans. KoluijenGSA)

”

(Duk . KalaJira (Hind .

Shoonez ”3’s; (Arab . Seeah danah x38; (Pel s.

Gemein N igelle (G er.

NIGELLA SAT IV A (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Polyandria Pentagynia. Nat . O rd .

Multisiliquae (Lin . ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . ii .

p . 1248 .

These small, dark-coloured, aromatic, pleasanttasted seeds, somewhat resemble large grains of gun

powder, and are used by the natives as a carminativein cases of indigestion , and in certain bowel com

plaints ; they are also prescribed as an external application, mixed with gingilie O il, in eruptions of theskin : the natives use much O f this seed as a seasoner

for their curries, and have a notion that when it is

put amongst linen , it keeps away insects : another

Hindooie and Sanscrit name for the plan t or seed, ismugr e

’

la . The n igella sativa is, by F01 skahl’

s”"accoun t,

a native of Egyp t, and 1s the1e called as M z> H abb

Saude . The1e is a species of n igella (N. Indica), a

native O f Hindoostan , the seeds of which nearly r e

semble those of‘

the N. sativa in appearan ce and

natural qualities, and the same names are given to

both ; this with another species are growing in the

botanical garden of Calcutta.

See his Medicina Kahirina.

qso .MATERIA IND ICA. .PART 1.

us, that the root is aperient and the leaves diureticnay ,

indeed, we know that the root is one O f the five

open ing roots as they were once called . Mr. Philips,in h iswork on cultivated vegetables, informs us, thatth e leaves in decOction have been said to strengthen

weak eyes ; Boerhaave thought that the virtues of

the root corresponded with those O f ginseng the

R omans took an infusion of the seed in wine, as a

remedy for scorpions’stings. Celsus seems chiefly to

dwell on their virtues as a carminative and diuretic‘f‘Fen1culum verO , et anethum, inflationes etiam levant : urinam autemmovent, apium, ruta, anethum.

”

V ide Cels. lib. ii . cap . xxv. xxxi .

LXXIII .

FENU GREEK. Vendium (Sou rng uum (Tam.)fMe

’

ntuloo (Tel. ) O O lOztia’

(Cyng . ) M e’

ntia (Can . )HEZbell t au l a . (Arab . ) Shemlit

fi zz-ca lm M oothee (Duk . Hind .

'

and Sans.) Alfb r;éas (Port . ) M enta Somp u (Can .) M etheeshah

F e’

nugrelc (Fr . )TRIGONELLA FuzNU M GRJECU M (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Diadelphia Decandria. Nat . O rd.

Papilionaceae (Lin . Gemeiner Kuhhornh (Nom.Triv.

Willd . ) See Spec . Plant . Willd . vol . iii . p 139 8 .

The seeds of the fenugreek have rather an un

pleasant Odour, with an unctuous fai ifiaceous taste,

accompan ied with a degree of bitterness ; they are‘

much used by the native practitioners of India '

in

dysenteric complaints ; and are‘

commonly g1ven - 1n

infusion ,

“

having been previously t oasted The plant

C HAP . I . MATERIA IND ICA . 1131

is indigenous in'

India, and by Forskahl,’s account, is

much cultivated in the neighbourhood of Cairo.

The modern A rabs consider the seeds ~

as suppurativeand emollien t, preparing with them poultices and

fomentations. The H elbeh seeds are frequentlybrought to the Malabar coast as an article of t radefrom the sea ports of the Red Sea and grow . abun

‘

dantly in Barbary, Spain, and France . O f the genus

Trigonella, Willdenow says shortly,“ vexillzim et

alae subaequales, patentes, forma corollae tripetalae .

“

The species in “ question is an annual, rising .with: ahollow herbaceous, branching stalk, with . Oblong ,.Oval inden ted leaflets, and white flowers, coming out

singly at each joint from the axils, it is growing ‘

with

another species, the F iring (Beng . ) trig . cornicu

lata, in the botan ical garden of Calcutta. Sonnini,

in his Travels in Egypt (chap . informs us, that theinhabitants of Rosetta prepare a kind of coffee, bytoasting the seed of the fenugreek, to which theyadd a little juice of lemon .

LXXIV.

FIG . Simie attie p ullum 9 5219 19 94g fi u u ov'

rm

(Tam. ) M ay dip oondoo (Tel. ) U iyeer (Pers.

and Duk . Teen0“ (Arab . RamAttika (Cyng . )

U diim'vam 3 3 7 3 3: (Sans. Vygen (Dut . F igos

(Port . ) F igue (Fr. )FI O US CARICA (Lin . )

1 Cl. and O rd. Polygamia Dioecia.,

. Nat . O rd.

Scabridae . Gemeine F eige Triv. Willd . )See Spec. Plan t. Willd . vol . iv. p . 1 9 81

K Q’

139 MATERIA INDI CA. «PART I.

The figs which grow in India, though“

they are

sufficiently sweet and palatable, are very inferior inrichness of flavour to those of Turkey, or the south

ern parts of Europe ; nor are the natives in the habitof drying or preserving them. The vytians pre

scribe figs in consumptive cases ; the Arabians placethem. amongst theirMobehg/at g ig .“ (Aphrodisiaca)and M imzijat a lg

a ”(Suppurantia. ) The

“

tree is

called DOOmoor in Bengalic, and is too well known tobe botan ically described here ; it, with thirty-fourother species, are growing in the botanical garden of

Calcutta.

For the O p l II l O Il S of the Persians regarding thisfruit, the readermay consult

'

a medical work, writtenby Ismael Ben Hussein , Ben Mohamed Jorany, eut itled

you

fL135 Z ekhirek Khuc

‘

ir izm Ska/w,the preface gives a description of the kingdom of

Khuarizm, its climate, products, water, and soil.

LXXV .

FLORIKEN or FLO YERKEN. Wdrroogooklzbree (Tam. ) Ckénookodi (Tel. )

OTIS CAMPESTRI S (Leach .)

Floriken is a name commonly given by the English inhabitants O f the lower provinces of India, toa small

‘

sort of bustard, which, except in being a

little less in size, appears to me notmaterially to differfrom the otis tetrax of Linnzeus, or what Leach calls

otis campestris ; it is a beautiful, speckled, grey ishcoloured bird, with a straight, conical, compressedbill, legs with three toes, connected by a membraneat the base , and wings of moderate dimensions,

fi g .

1344 MATERIA INDI CA .

"

he found that the triticummonococcumwas common,and there called J iivig édi. The triticum spelta

also to be met with in some O f the n orthern tracts of

Hindoostan, and would seem, by Forskahl’s account,

to be that species chiefly cultivated in A rabia, andthere called 5 also The natives of India eat

wheat, but tlIey have many other grains which theylike better ,

i n the same way that the natives of

Egypt, Mesopotamia, and A ssyria, according to

give their D ourm the preference to all

other grains, and will even sell their wheat to purchase it ; it is the holcus saccharatus (Lin . ) to be

further noticed in another part of th is work . In the

Carnatic the climate is too hot to grow wheat withagricultural advan tage, ne ither does it appear that

‘

the climate of Mysore is very favourable for its

culture the wheat of U pper India is excellent .J

r

LXXVII .

FOWL, COMMON. Kali (36 ; e (Tam. )Ko

'

di (Tel . ) M oorg lze (Duk . ) M urgh éJ"

(Pers. Kiilrkiita$3531? (Sans. Volaille (Fr .)GALLU s DOMESTI CUS (Steph . )

See Niebhur’

s Travels 1n Arab1a, vol 11. p . 29 3.

1 According to Pliny, the wheat of Italy was m his day the

best in the world . (Nat. Hist . book 18 . chap . vii.) I t appea1s

by the book of Ruth , that wheat was cultivated in Syria 3000

years ago . Sic ily is supposed to have been the first countryin Europe in wh ich grain was cult ivated, if we may judge fromthe worship of Ceres in that island . Pliny speaks highly of the

great fruitfulness of the African wheat . When it was first introduced in to England it may be difficult to say , Caesar foun d corn

growing there ; it was not cultivated in America, till about thebeginning of the seven teen th cen tury .

MATERIA 1111310 11 :

Fowls, as they are purchased from the natives, areby no means desirable food, being commonly badlyfed ; but when shut up for some time and prope1lytaken care of they are excellent affording a light

and nutritive aliment . There me several varietiesas already noticed unde1 article egg someofwhich

;

are particul arly prized by the Moor’

men”

for‘

their.

courage, others for the large size of the eggs the hen

lays, &c . The wildfi re! or Jungle-fowl.

is a veryfide-i

licate bird to eat, when not“

too O ld ; it differs butlittle ln form from the domestic animal, but 1s smaller,

and 1s mo1e uniform m its colour, its comb 1s toothed,

mouth wattled beneath, the feathers On the neck are

elongated, spotted with white and fulvous, withmembranous tips the throat, breast, and ad men ;and also the back are grey striped with white the

wing-coverts are of a reddish chesnut ; the hen 1s

much less than the cock, and has neither comb nor’

wattles. The Jungle fowl (gallus Indicus) of

Leach, is common in most of the“ Indian’

woods, it is Adiwie kodi (Tel . ) Cat lfOZi (Tam. )and Jung lie Ira moorgkie (Duk . Malce

’

bey abcmie'

(Pers. ) and Caudu-cauli. (Can . ) The

house, or domestic hen , is D igaj (Arab . ) Huekree

(Hind . ) and M akey an . l Lo (Pers.) The g .

giganteus (Tem. ) is, I believe, not to be found ln

India, but i s common in the forests of Sumatra,where Mr . Marsden tells us that such is its height

that it can w ith its b ill 1 each food that IS placed on

a common din ing table m its domestic state I haveseen it at Mantua and Padua.

136 MATERIA -INDIOA.

”PART 1.

LXXVIII .

FRANKINCENSE Koondr icum@ r55°

6565 6 91 0

(Tam. CoondoorJN f (Duk . Coonder

Jod S (Pers.

Koondoorooslrum (Tel . ) B isl ig gm ?

(Arab . ) Hoon

diz googool (Cyng .) Encens (Fr. ) Kiindii fl(Sans.)

Boswe LIA GLABRA (Roxb . )

Cl. and O rd. Decandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd.

Miscellanea}. (Lin . )The substance called koondr icun

’

z by the Tamools,

Is very common in the Indian bazars, and is used as

an‘ incense in‘

religious ceremon ies, especially by the

Hindoos and Portug uese ; being, though not quiteof so grateful an Odour, much cheaper than benzoinit is supposed by the Mahometan doctors to be a

species of Olibanum, and they give nearly the same

name to both, but it is very unlike Olibanum in its

appearance, being always seen in pretty large agglu

tinated masses, composed of light brown , and yellow

ish tears and having a strange stony kind O f hardness when pressed between the teeth, whereas O li

banum, at least the Arabian , is in separate, small

roundish balls, or large grains, which do not give thesame sensation 0 11 being chewed on the contrary,

they, when warm, are adhesive and stick to the

teethfi“Koondricum is besides much less pungent andbitter, and is more perfectly soluble in spirit of wme

and ether, nor does it burn with the same brilliantlight that Olibanum does.

Koondricum is brought to India from Madagas

See Benyowsky’

s Travels, vol. 11.

188 MATERIA INDI OA :

the“

purposes to which it is peculiarly applied but it

differs widely in many , respects from the common

f rankincense of the shops, which is well known to

be"

an,exudation fromt he bark Oft he Norway

‘

spruce

fir (pinus abie'

s) ; it is what'

,the ancients called

Tkus the '

common turpen tine on the other hand isan exudation from the Scotchfir (pinus sylvestris),and the Ven ice turpentine is from the larck (pi1

'

1us”

larix). From the common turpen tine is procuredby distillation with water, the O il (f turp entine, and

the common or yellow resin is nothing else than the

residue of that distillation ; but we shall say more

about these under the head of Turpentine . See ar

ticle Olibanum.

LXXIX .

FUMITORY. Shalztra W u: (Pers. and Duk . )P itp apm (Hind . ) B ucklntulmelic 4M! (Arab .)Fumeterre

‘

(Fr . )FUMARIA OFFI CINAL I S (Lin . )

Cl . and O rd . Diadelphia Hexandria. . Nat . O rd .

Corydales. (Lin . ) Genzeiner E ra’rauck (Nom.

Triv.

“ Willd . ) See Spec . Plant . Willd .

”

vol. iii . p . 867 .

The Tamool practitioners do not appear'

to be ac;

quainted with this medicine, and of course have no

name for it . I found, however, the dried plant in a

native druggist’

s shop'

at Trichonopoly ; and on

showing it to an intelligent Mahometan doctor, heimmediately told me that it was 19mmShahtra, whichis the Persian name of the plant. The hakeemsconsider it as diuretic, *

and as useful x in man iacal

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDICA’

. 139;

cases, and the modern Arabians place it amongst

theirMufuttekat £313 3“ (Deobstruentia), andM cashi

tat sufi a gamm a (Cholagoga).Dr. Cullen says, that fumatory is ton ic, and Dr.

Thornton is O f opin ion, that it is extremely useful in

leprous”“

affections. The ancients prized it much,particularly G alen , who 111 speaking of it has these

words, urinam biliosammultam provocat ; sanatque

jecinoris Obstructiones et debilitates.

”The juice of

the green leaves have been given to the quantity of

two ounces twice daily, but the virtues also remam

in the dried plant, particularly the leaves, which in

their succulent state have a saline and bitter tastewith all this, I perceive, that it has no longer a place

in the London Dispensatory ; Alibert too has me

glected it in h is New Elements of Therapeutics”;

Deslongchamps, however, still retains it in his‘fMa

nuel des Plantes U suelles,”(vol . ii . p . and speaks

of its virtues in glandular obstructions. Fumitory is too well known to require a botan ical description here ; it is a common weed in our corn

fields ; and like many other medicines has had itsday O f good repute . Hoffman preferred it to manyothers, as a sweetener of the blood, and Boerhaavebad faith in it in obstinate jaundice . What theArabians thought of it in former times the readerwill find, by perusing the “ Canons of

under its proper A rabic title “ In”455

Murray in his Appar . Med. speaks fully of the use

and virtues of fumatory in scabies, herp es, lepra;8m. S ee vol . ii . p . 580, 58 1 , see also Leidenfrost

’

s

Dissertation de saccis he‘

rbarum

See Family Herbal, p . 6 1.

1410 MATERIA IND ICA .

‘

.PART 1.

LXXX .

GALANGAL, GREATER. P ére tire’

te’

i

(Bu d—7 5 9 9 5 (Tam. ) Doombrc

'

ista'

cum (Tel . )Mdkci kdlooa (Cyng. ) Khzisroodé

'

iroo ”by “;

(Arab . ) Khoolinjc'

infi t s

-UP (Hind . and Duk. )Galanga (Port .) Langnas. (Mal .) S iigc

‘

indhc‘

i 137W(Sans.)ALPINIA GALANGA (Lin . Spec. Plant. Ed. Willd .

1.

Cl. and O rd. MonandriaMonogynia. Nat. O rd.

Scitamineae. Galgant A lp ine (Nom. Triv. Willd . )See Spec . Plant. Willd . vol . i . p . I Q .

GALANGAL, LESSER. Sittarittie 59 5 5 n

£935 (Tam. ) Pan/refit?“

LQL' (Duk . ) Kooda

kalooa (Cyng .) Sanna Doomp rastacum (Tel.)Knst tulle c i l ia Ia“ ? (Arab . ) Rastma (Sans.) Lan

guas-lcitsjil (Mal .)

The plant now fixed on , as the alpinia galanga,by Willdenow, was the maranta galanga of Lin

naeus, but removed into the genus amomum from not

agreeing in g eneral with maranta as described byLinnaeus. Swartz first suggested that it was properlyan alp in ia, and Willdenow confirmed the-O p in ion .

After a minute examination of the root calledsittarittie by the Tamools, and sanna doomp rastacumby the Tellinghoos, I think there is no doubt butthat it is what has been called lesser galanga], and

which we are told by G eoffroy, difl‘

ers considerably1 1

.MATERIA INDI CA’

. .

’ PART 1 .

nicle . terminal, lip oblong, unguiculate, ap ex bifid,

cap sule obovate, . smooth, seeds few.

“ The root, . the

.part used in medicine, is tuberous, possessing a faint,aromatic smell, and

‘

strong pungent taste, like a

mixture of pepper and ginger : so much for the

greater galangal root, which by the way appears to

have been first sen t fresh to India from Bencoolenby Dr. Charles Campbell for the botan ical garden of

Calcutta ; and where the plants now thrive well, andare in blossom during half the hot season . In a

n ote at the end of the article alp in ia galangal inthe Flora Indica, the enlightened Mr . Colebrookeo bserves, that the root of this plant being no doubtthe galangamajor of the druggists, it is i n couse

quence the calinjan - of the Hindoos, or rather, , in

Hindee . But then the question comes to be, \»of

.what plan t is the lesser galangal the root for , it is

an article of tet imesmore value than the othé rg at

least in India : is it the root of a cos’

tus ? an amo

mum? or what ? Forskahl, in his materia . medica

kakirznz, places'

galangal which he , calls(5

.)l

are”? amongst the aphrod1s1acs as he also does

anothermedicine wh ich he terms(ESL:”1 Lozya

“

chanafa . E ight species of alp in ia are growing in

the botan ical garden O f Calcutta, where theythrivewell .

LXXXI .

GALBANUM.

"

B eerzud (Pers.) B arznd

(Arab . ) B ireeja (Hind .) also 163 (Hind . )Galbanmn (Fr. ) Mutterharz (G er. )

CHAP . 1. rMATERIA INDI CA . 8

Cl.‘

and O rd.

“

Pentandria D igynia.

"

Nat."

O rd.

.U mbella’

ta-a

'

(Lin . ) Galban B ubon (Nomi Triv.

1Willd . ) See Speci Plan t . Willd. vol . i . p . 1489 .

I hesitated some”

time about giving galbanum a

place in this work, on finding that it did not appearto be at all known to any description of native me

dical men on the coast O f Coromandel ; I have sincelearnt, however, that it

’

is brought from the Cape of

Good Hope'

or Syria, to Bombay4“as an: article of

trade, whence it is sen t to China ; it has besides got

aHindooie name, which proves that it has found its

.way to the higher‘

provinces of India‘

Galbanum is got by wounding the stem of the

p lant,"

when the cream-coloured gum resin flows

out of‘it it has a peculiar strong Odour not 'unlike

‘thato f turpentine, and a somewhat nauseous bittertaste

“

. The plan t is perenn ial, rising to the heightof thirteen or fourteen feet, with lower leaves nearly

. tripinnate on vaginant foot-stalks the uppermost.almost simple, trilobed, thickish, irregulal ly serrated,‘

and of agreyish colour : the fl owers are all fertile.the petals yellow with inflected tips.

Dr. Cullen speaks of galbanum as having been re

commended for favouring the suppuration of inflammatory tumours, a virtue also noticed by Celsus

’

r; it

is deobstruent, antisp asmodic,and expectorant, Mr.

Thompson thinks ranking . betwixt gum ammon iacand assafoetida, it is no doubt a most valuable stimu

lant Of the in testinal canal and uterus, and isfoundto allay that n ervous irritability which often aecom

pan ies hysteria. The dose from ten grams to a

drachm, in p ills.

See Elmore’

s Directory to the Trade of India, p . 223. alsoMacgill

’s Travels m Turkey , vol . ii. p. 173

1‘ Vide Cels. lib . v . chap . iii.

”

144 MATERIA 11 1131011 . PART 1 .

W

The A rabians have placed galbanum amongst

their discutientia(5 311‘ s D’Herbelot* informs us,

that the t1ee which p 1oduces galbanum in Persia isthere called Gkiar lfkust «. M J be: it was by the G reeksnamed M etop ion or rather by thePastop lzor i and

also Mendesium ‘

I' from the c ity of Mendes : it is

amusing to remark the differen t opin ions that are

g iven of the same thing in different countries ; however highly, and I believe justly, valued galbanum isin England, the learn ed and much respectedAlibert i ,in speaking of it, says, that he has but little faith inthe various op in ions given of it by many authors.

The ancients considered galbanum, in addition to itsother virtues, to possess peculiar qualities, Nam si

cantharidas aliquis ebibit, panaces cum lacte contusa,

vel galbanum vino adjecto dari, vel lac per se debet.”

(Vide Cels. lib . V. cap . xxvi . ) Pliny tells 11s that it wasuseful in painful labours, but that it was pe1n icious instrangul y. (Nat. Hist . lib. xxiv. cap . V. ) Murray, ln

his admirable work on the materia medica, 1n speak.

ing of galbanum, says,“V 1r1bus proxime ad gummi

ammoniacum accedit : sed galbanum calidius est

~magisque stimulat . (Appar. Med. vol . i . p .

LXXXII .

GALLS. Mackakai Lo rr 9 =e=es esrr LJu (Tam. )Mapkul Jab (Duk .) Afis 0411: (Arab . ) Mas ai”Lo

(Pers. ) Galhas (Port . ) M ajOup lznl (Hind . ) Ma'

chilra'

i (Tel. q u-p kal (Sans. M assaka (Cyng .

Noza' de Grilles (Fr. Gallapfel (G er. Galla (It .

Q U ERCU S INFECTORIA (Oliv. )

See his Bibliotheque O rientale, p . 175.

See Diosc . lib . i. c . 7 1, 7 2.

1: See his Elemens de Therapeutique, vol. 11. p . 556 .

146 MATERIA . INDICA} .PART 11}

gated acorn , two or

”

th1ee'

times longer than the”

cilpwhich 1s sessile, downy and scaly the gall comes out

at the shoots of the young boughs, those that comeout first, Mr . Virey tells us, are the best, they are

known in trade by the terms, black, blue, or greeii

galls , those afterwards gathered are inferior frombeing p ierced, and are called white galls:G alls are prescribed by the native practitioners in

India, in dysentery and diarrhoea ; they are also

given‘

as ton ics in intermittent fever : the powder

moisten ed with a little water is applied to chopped

n ipples, and made in to a soft ointment : it is a useful

application to blind p iles. In ternally, galls have been

given in doses of from gr. viii . to 9 1. . Eleven speciesof .quercus

'

Were“

growing in the botan ical"

garden of

Calcutta, in 1814, all oriental plants except two,theRobur

'

andggP liellos. No natural substance,that wecontains so large a proportion

of tan‘

as the gall-nut, amounting, according to the

experiments"

of Sir H . Davy, to about thre e fourthsof the soluble parts of the

’

nut . See Philos. Trans:for 1803 ,

'

p . 283 : For'

further and‘

c un ous information respecting galls, “

the“

reader 1s referred .to Cu‘

V ier’s celebrated work, “ Régne An imal, p . 132 .

1The ancients bel1evedgalls to have the effect ofpurg-fi

ing or purify ing the skin , when given in conjunctionwith honey .

“Cutem purgat me], sedmagis si est cumgalla in another part Celsus says,

“Misy quoque et

galla, si paribus portionibus misceantur, corpus con

sumunt .

.(Cels. lib. v . cap . Xvi. xxii. )

See Histoirei

Naturelle des Medicamens, p . 315.

CHAP. 1. MATERIA INDICAS 1417

LXXXIII .

GAMBO GE. M ale/ti Lo am?" (Tam. ) O ssara

remand blu r. (Arab . ) Gokkaz‘oi

o (Cyng. )Passap oo

'venny (Tel. )‘

Gomme gaffe (Fr . ) Goma

rom (Port . ) Gill ie gum (Dut . ) Gummigutt (G er.)Gamma gotta (It .)

STALAGMITI S GAMB O GIO IDES (Koenig . )

Cl . and O rd . Polygamia Monoecia. Nat . O rd.

Tricoccm. I ndischer Guttabaam (Nom. Triv.

Willd . ) See Spec ._Plan t. Willd. vol. iv . p .

6280.

The gamboge wh ich is’

found l n the Indian

bazars, but for which :I have ndt been able to get'

a

Sanscrit name, isnodoubt an imported drug fromSiam;fromthe kingdomofMacassar (according toBeckman ;voyage ,

to the province OfKiaizgsi j"; in

’

China, or from Ceylon , where it is got from the

gambogia gutta,

(Blackwal, tab . 3 9 3 ) and it is

more than probable, that it was from a description of

the tree in the last mentioned country, that Koenigcomposed his genus stalagmitis. At Siam, we are toldthat this gum resin is obtained from the tree which

produces it, by breaking the leaves and young shoots

in Ceylon, on the other hand, the bark of the ; tree issaid to be wounded with a sharp stone

"

~it is also an

export from,

Coch in china.

It 1s well known that the re;are several trees which

yield yellow gum-resins, resembling much t he gamboge of the shops ; such as gambogia gutta

See AbbeRohan’

s

‘

Voyage to Madagascar, p . 3 2.

L 2

148 MATERIA 1 1111110 11. .PART I}

garcin ia celebica hypericum pomiferum

”“

(Roxb .

I have given the stalagmitis gambogioides (Koen ig)

as the tree from which the gamboge 1s procured ;it would appear to be that recogn ised as such by

several high authorities , but there seem to be still

just doubts on the subject . Dr . S. Dyer, when

garrison surgeon of Tellicherry, a gen tleman to

whom I owe much useful information , regarding the

products of Malabar, told me that he some years

ago actually obtain ed the true gamboge frOm a tree

growing on the:Cotiady gkaut ; and amongst the

mountains of Wyna de ; and that he was the first

who transmitted this valuable substance to Dr . Rox

burgh : it has smee been ascertained , that gamboge

trees are to be met with, not only throughout the

whole extent of Malabar, but 1n the B alam country,

and all along the ghauts wh ich skirt Canara . I donot find that any botan ical description of the tree

has yet been distinctly given . The much to be la

mented Dr . White, of the Bombay establishment,was inclined to bestow on it the scientific appellation ,

of gambogia guttifera . I have never seen it, and

have only b een informed by Dr . Dyer, that it isn early two feet inCircumference that the branches

grow mostly near the top , a conical form that

the leaves which are about four or fiv e inches long,oval, and pointed, when cut across, g1ve out the yel

-f

low juice, and that the Canarese name of the tree i s

handa-p oonar , the flower IS small and yellow .

I t is a curious fact, that the natives, previously toMr. Dyer

’s calling their attention to it, had not par

See Asiatic Researches, vol. vi.

150.MATERIA IND ICA: PART 1.

the hermaphrodite,‘

as Mr. Thompson 11

'

iforms'

us, in

his excellent account‘

of the plan t, are in axillarywhorls, or o n the join ts of the smaller branches,sometimes mixed with the male flowers, sometimes in

opposite gems ; the fruit'

is a smooth, round berry,whitish, or rose -coloured, and contain ing severallong triangular seeds. I perceive in

,

O rfila, th isopin ion regarding gamboge , that its poisonous qualitydoes not depend on absorption ; but upon its

“action

locale énergique .

”(See vol . ii . p . 1

LXXXIV.

i

GARLIC. Vallay p oondoo GM T w u lC DGU UT®

~

(Tam. ) Velligudda (Tel . )B avangp ootie (Malay . ) B elluly (Can . ) Lassan

(ra g) (Duk . and Hind .) Seer (P .ers Soom

pf

(Arab ) L osltun (Beng . ) Lasana 65m (Sans. )A il (Fr . ) Knoblauc/t (G er ) Ajo Sativo (Span . )B aseang (Jav. ) Ke

’

san (Bali) Exog080v

ALLIUM SATIVUM (Lin . )

Cl . and O rd. Hexandria Monogyn ia.~Nat. O rd.

Spathaceae (Lin . ) Starkr ieclzendes (Nom.

‘ Triv.

Willd . ) See'

Spec . Plant. Willd . vol . 11. p . 6 8 .

The strong-smelling, pungent, acrimon ious bulbs

of the allium sativum, form an almost constanti

in

gredient 1n the curries and other dishes that are usedby the native Indians. As a medicine, the Hindoodoctors prescribe garlic to promote digestion, Quickenthe circulation, and warm the habit ; they

'

also‘

con u

sider it as a useful expectorant, particularly in thatkind of asthma which they call mandara cashaw

wh ich signifies the asthma o f cloudy weather.

or“ P. 1 . MATERIA IND ICA .1151

G arlic is sometimes used as a rubefacient by European practitioners and is no doubt a useful stimulant, expectorant, and diaphoretic, and may also be

considered as anthelmintic and din 1 etic . In the

Dublin Pharmacopoeia there is a preparation of it,

symp us alii, which given in doses of two drachms 1s

an excellent remedy in pituitous asthma. Dr . Rush

Supposed garlic had some effect in preventing the

yellow fever ; the A rabians place it, p“ amongst

their g ums attenuentia. G a1lic 1s a native of Si

cily, where it grows wild, it is now cultivated 111

Hindoostan, and thrives admirably ln our

a1 ticle with six othe1 species grow in the botan ical

garden of Calcutta. For much curious and classicalinformation regarding garlic, the reader may consult

Mr. Phillipsf

s work on Cultivated Vegetables, vol . ii .

p . 2 1 . Il

shall merely here state before concluding,that m a climate like India, where dyspepsia IS fre

quent, and perhaps rendered still more so amongst

the natives, by their living sq much on a vegetablediet, garlic , by supplying - a gentle

'

and’

grateful

stimulus to the stomach, is highly useful : the R0

mans had an idea, that it in a peculiar mann er gavestrength to the human frame and SirWilliam Tem

ple in his Treatise on Health, observes, that of all

plan ts, garlic affords most nourishment, and suppliesspirits the best to those who eat little flesh . Celsus

gives garlic a place amongst those things, whichWarmthe h abit and open the:belly . (Vide

'

Cels. demedicina

,

‘

lib . ii. cap . xxvii . The Hindoosare in the

”

habit of preparing a kind of expressed oil.

from garlic, called in Tamool vullag/ p oona’o annay ,

’

it

is of a stimulating nature, and ordered inteinalllyagues, and externally l n paISy and rheumatism

See Captain Kirkpatrick’

s Account of Nepaul,

L 44

MATERIA 111111 1011 .VPART 1 ;

LXXXV .

G INGER, DRY. Soolckoo (Tam. ) Sont

(Duk . and Hind . ) I ngkuroo (Cyng . ) A lia

(Malay . ) Jai airing (Jav.) Jahetuk (Bali. ) Sonti

(Tel . ) Z ung ebeel Al as-3) (Pers. ) Sent]; (Can . )

Geng ibre (Span . Wooralca (Ternat. Gora (Tidor.

S iwe (Amb . ) Solzi (Band ) Siintlz'

i'

(Sans.

Z enzero (It . ) Ging embre (Fr. )

GINGER,GREEN. I njze (Tam. )

Ammoo I nglzuroo (Cyng . ) U druclr J s l (Duk . and

Hind . ) U llam (Tel . ) Ardra/t‘fi atri al? (Sam )Z ing ebeel rutb M 1,

J (Arab . ) E sebey (Jav . )Z ung ebee l tar ju g

-i) (Pers. ) Gingembre (Fr.)I ngwer (Ger . ) Z enzero (It. ) Ada (Beng . )

AMOMUM ZINGIBER (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Monandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd

Scitaminece . Aeclzter I ngwer (Nom. Triv . Willd . )See Spec . Plant. Willd . vol. 1. p . 6 .

The ginger plant is a native of many eastern

countries, but is no where to be found of a finer,

quality than on the coast of Malabar, it is the ischi

of the Hort. Mal . (11 . p . 21 . t. and the zing ib;

mty'

us, Rumph . (Amb . 5. p . 156 . t . 6 6 . f

The root is too Well known to require particulardescription here ; it has a pleasant aromatic odour,biting taste, and is considered by the native doctorsas a valuable carminative and stimulant ; they also

' 154«

LXXXVI .

G INSENG . Yansam (Chin . ) Garantogaes

O rkota G inseng (Dut . ) Gin

sao. (Port.) Ginseng (Fr . )PANAx Q U INQ U EFO L IU M (Lin .)

Cl. and O rd. Polygamia Dioec ia. Nat . O rd.

Hederaceae. F anblattr ig e‘

Krafitwurz (Nom.

Triv. Willd .) See Spec . Plant . -Willd . - vol . iv.

p . 1 124.

This root, which had formerly a place in the

British materia medica, but which now, perhaps, - is

justly discarded, is sometimes, though rarely, brought

to India from China, in p ieces ab

b

out the thicknessof the little finger, and three or four inches long,which are forked and tranversely wrinkled ; it haslittle or no smell, but a

-

mucilaginous and sweetishtaste, accompanied w ith some warmth, and a veryslight degree of bitterness. We are told .that t he

Chinese physicians, ascribeLmost extraordinary

virtues to ginseng, and have written volumes on it ithey allege, that it nourishes and strengthens the

body, stops vomitings, clears the judgment, removeshypochondriasis, and all other nervous aflections ; in

a w ,ord gives a vigorous tone to the human frame,even in old age .

The plant 1s a native of Chinese Tartary, where ithas been cultivated from time immemorial, and Mr.

The reader will find a full and curious account of the virtuesof ginseng in a work en titled Descrip tion General de la Chine.

I t 1s a translation from the Chinese , by Joseph Anne Marie de

Moyriac de Mailla. Tome x i ii . p 7 6 7

MATERIA INDICA.

“

PAR'

RTI V /

v.,CHAP. I . MATERIA INDI CA.

,

Cutler says, that it grows plentif ully inNew England,and some of the neighbouring states but Loureirohas expressed a doubt whether the Chinese ginseng,be the same plant with what the American Indianscall garantog in , and which the French in Canadause fora sthmatic complaints, as a stomachic, and to

promote fertility in women : notwithstanding, ginseng has no longer a place in our dispensatory, theFrench" writers still retain it, chiefly, perhaps, on theauthority of Jesuit missionaries it would appear, byThunberg

’

s account, to hold to this day its high re

putation amongst the Japanese .

~ The reader willfind the plant well described by Woodville in hismedical botany and by Bernard Jussieu ; it has an

erect smooth stem, with leaves which arise with theflower stem, from a thick joint at the extremity of

the stalk, the flowers are of a yellowish-greencolour, the berries

'

are at first green but afterwardsturn red, inclosing two hard seeds. In such estimation was the ginseng root held in China ln the year1709 , that the Emperor sen t an army of

Tartars in , search of it, on condition , that each

soldier should g ive him two catties of the best,and . sell the rest for - its weight - 1n silver, by thismeans the Emperor gained catties s m one

year . See Brewster’

s Edinburgh Encyclopedia,article G inseng .

if See Alibert’

s Nouveaux Elemens de Thérapeutique, vol. i.p . 100.

156 MATERIA 1 111110 11 ; FART 12

LXXXVII.

GOAT. Vul-ddoo (Tam. ) B ulrra also Chéla,

(Duk . ) B az 5, (Pers. ) Khassee (Arab . )

Chittoo-me’

ka (Tel. ) Aada (Ma1. ) Aj (San s. )CAPRA H IRCUS (Lin . )

Goat’s flesh is tough and tasteless, though much

"

eaten by the native Indians. The kid is, however,

excellent . G oats g ive a great deal of milk of good

quality. See article Milk .

1“

LXXXVIII .

GRAPE . Ko’

dimoondr iep dllum 5“

rf’u u gnm (Tam. ) also D ividatsi-p allum (Tam. )Drdchapundoo (Tel. ) B ooangoor (Mal . ) U ng oor

The vyt ians have a notion , and it is a strange one , that the

flesh of the goat has virtues when eaten in cases of incon tinence

of urine . What is called the wild or mountain goat, or bouguetin ,some have ventured to say was of a differen t gen us from the cap ra,and a link betwixt the deer and goat but that this is not the case

is maintained by Mr . Kendal, in a commun ication to be met with

in the Asiatic Journal for March 1828 . (p. The an imal is

c ommon in the Hymalaya moun tains, where it is called Pheir ,is the cap ra ibex of

, Linnaeus ; the Germans term it steinboclc,

the Persians(5m; Buz-lroultee. In outward form it much

sembles the common goat, but is larger, with a smaller head in

proportion to its body, and large round fiery eyes ; the horns,which are also large, are flattened before , and round behind,the legs slender ; it is peculiarly active , and the flesh of the youngis much esteemed as an artic le of food . A variety of the goat,which is of a red colour, is called menda on the Malabar coast .

158 MATERIA INDICA.; I ART r.

Six specieso f Vitis Were growing in the botan ical

garden of Calcutta, in 18141. See more on this subjectunder article Wine in this Chapter. See also articleRaisins.

LXXXIX .

GUM AMMONIAC . fiskék as ; (Arab . and

Duk . ) also F éskoo/c Semugk bilskereeii

U 9)“ A,

» (Pers. ) Gomme ammoniaque (Fr . ) Am

monials (G er. )HERACLEUM G U MMIFERUM (Willd .)

Cl ..

and O rd. Pentandria Digynia. Nat. O rd.

U mbellat‘ce .

This gum Aresin appears to be little known in theinterior parts of the Indian pen insula ; and is on lyoccasionally prescribed by the hakeems, who havebecome acquainted w ith it, through the medium of

Arabic and Persian ' books. Woodville gives «no ac

count of the’

plant whatever, nor do I believe that 1 it

has hitherto been scientifically, or rather very accu

rately, described . Willdenow,however, had no doubt

but that . gum ammoniac was”

obtained from the

heracleum'

gummifemm", and the LondonCollege, on

his authorityp admitted it as the ammon iacum p lant ;notwithstanding all th is, it would seem; that this dis

tinguished botan ist could not'

obtain any .of the gum

resin from ap lant, which he reared from the seedfoun d amongst gum ammon iacum of the shops so

that the matter is still involved in doubt. Mr. JacksomL

tells us, that the gum ammon iacum plant;

SeeWilld . Hortus

/

Berolini, vol . 1. p . 53, 54.“

I“ See his Account of Morocco, p .

’

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA . INDICAI‘

159‘

called by the Arabs F eshook, grows in Morocco, .

that it resembles the fennel, but is larger, and we

know that Pliny, (I . xxii . c . 28 . ) mentions animo

n iacum as the gum resin of a species of ferrula :

G eoffroy has attempted -to account for the zname that

has been given to this article, inthe following manner'

Planta vero nascitur in ea Africae parte, qu‘ce Egyp

to ad occasum adjacet ; quaeque hodie' dicitur reg

num de barca, in quo fuit olim templdm c eleberri

mum Jovi Ammonii dicatum, unde sgummi nomen .

”

Mr. Jackson , in speaking of the F es/zook plant ,

says, that the gum ammon iac is procured from incisions made in the branches, by wh ich ~means a

lacteous, glutinous juice is obtained, wh ich hardensinto gum ammomac .

-Lieutenant .Colonel John Johnston , C . B . in his

Journey‘

from India to England, through Persia,G eorgia, Russia, Poland, 85C . in the year 1817 , states,that he found

'

the plan t which yields the gum ammo

n iac growing in the stony plains, within halfa -mile of.the fortification of Yezdeklchaust in Persia, he adds,that it g rows to about six feet in height ; some of

the stems being of a dark colour, like ripe sugar:

cane,

‘

and others of a light green tinged with ,lake

colour ,n ear , the joints. (See his'work, pp . 9 8 ,

It would appear, that he also saw some of the trees

growing n ear Magen in Persia.

For a botan ical account of the plant which was

reared from the seed above mentioned, and to whichthe name of heracleum gummiferum was g iven , the

reader may con sult the last edition of the LondonDispen satory; The gum

“

resin itself is too Wellknown to require a particular description here when

good[it is

'

of a pale yellow . colour, having a faint .,but

notunpleasanto dour, with a bitter, nauseous, yet

160 MATERIA IND ICA.: .PART ,I.1

somewhat sweet taste : externally applied, it has beenconsidered a discutient and resolvent ; internally, itis one of our most valuable deobstruents and expec

toran ts : the dose of the substance from gr . X . to 3 ss.

that of the lac . ammon . (Mist . Ammon . Lond . from

gss . to giss. Dr. Paris informs us, that m combin s

ation with rhubarb, ammoniacum is a valuable medic ine in mysenteric affections, by correcting viscidsecretions.

In the southern parts of Arabia, the tree which

yields the gum ammon iac is called tursoos u fip , the

Persians term it deruklzt ashuk dial and the

gum resin itself they place amongst their

(discutientia) for the ir more particular op in ions res

pecting it, the reader may consult a Persian workentitled

GAM

JA I I M

'

QM Su m , or the Mine of Remedies,

'

by Beva Ben Khnas Khan, A .D. 1512, de

dicated to Secunder Shaw II .Mr . G rey, I perceive, in his Supplement to the

Pharmacopoeias (p . expresses a n otion that gum

ammon iac may be, or is obtained from, the ferula

Persica, the tree'

which Willdenow supposes to be

that wh ich yields the sagapenum. A ccording to

B racconot, this . gum resin is a compound of 7 00

resin , gum, 51v glutinous matter, 6 °O water,1 °Q loss.

GUM ARABIC, INDIAN. Vulld'

m p isin

m ow-rrLo tJ

‘

efi‘

ooT (Tam. ) Vélcig ciba’

n/a‘

i (Tel. )K

‘

ap ittka (Sans.) Kavit Ira gond .h ,-TU GU N )“

(DUk ) Samagk arebeeg”: gm (Arab . ) Jewool

15

16 2 MATERIA INDI CA . ru n 1,

The feron ia elephantum is the balong of the Por

tuguese , and is called in Hindoostan ie and Bengalie

kuflz-bel. The fruit of the feron ia elephantum (woodapple) is eaten by the Indians, the tree is pretty large,erect, branches few and irregular, leaves featheredwith an odd one, from three to five inches long . It

'hasmale andhermaphrodite flowers. (See note" below,

see also Corom. Plants, vol . ii . p . Q1 .)

GU M TRAGACAN'

PH . Vc'

z'

domocétz‘ay p isin

Q JW g LQ Q GS'

fl’

L QZDl— fl ef’m (Tam. ) Kcittim

(Duk . and Hind . ) Sdmcighul/riitc‘

id sum29” (Arab . )

also Kaseera w (Arab . ) Gommi astragam‘

i (Fr.)Tragcmflz (Ger. )

A STRAGALUS VERUS (Olivier. )

Cl . and O rd . Diadelphia Decandria. Nat . O rd.

Papilionaceae . Gemeiner Tragam‘

k (Nom. Triv.

Willd . )The Vy tians imagine this gum to have the effect

of improving the state of the blood, and prescribe itin mucilage, in doses of twenty or thirty grains.

What of it is‘

occasionally found in the Indian bazars

The following is a list of trees from which, according to Dr .

Francis Hamilton , gum, simply so called, may be procured in

lVIysore . D ina’iga (anderson ia panshmoum), bewa (melia aza

dirachta), muruculu (ch irongia glabra), macena (mangifera Indica),avaricay (cassia auriculata), bay la (aegle marmelos ). jala (shorearobusta), chadacalu (chloroxylon dupada,) betta tovary (bombaxgossypium Amsa , also Kumar/cun i, is the Hindoo name of

an Opaque gum sold in U pper India, and said to be a good medi

c ine in cases of ozeana used externally . Hamilton ’

sMSS. on the

Puraniya Distric t .

CHAP. I . MATERIA INDICA;

is brought from A lexandria by way of the Red Sea.

The shrub which produces it is said to grow in

Candia and Socotra but it would appear to be also

a native of Persia, where it is called 1mm (seeMorier

’

s First Journey through Persia, p . 23 The

A rabians term itmy, and place the gum itselfamongst

their Aphrodisiaca ow (M obeizidt).G ood gum tragacanth is whitish coloured, brittle,

inodorous, and has a very slight bitter taste ; it is

but partially soluble in water, which rather swells

than dissolves it it is considered as an useful demulc ent . We are told by Virey, in his Histoire Na

turelle des Medicamens,”(p . on the authority

of Labillardiere that gum tragacan th is actually

go t from the astragalus gummifera ; it was long sup

posed to be obtained from the ast . tragacanth, but

there is now little doubt, but that it exudes fromthe ast . verus. Three species only of this most

n umerous genus grow in the botan ical garden of

Calcutta ; one is a n ew species, the other two are

the hamosus, and carolianus the second is a native of

Persia. Mr .A .T .Thomson,in the last edition of the

London Dispensatory, observes that the kah‘

im gum

from India has been found not to an swer the pur

poses of the ordinary tragacan th ; lcatfira, however,is no doubt the name in Hindoostan ie and Dukhanie

of the real gum tragacanth . Considering the great

number of gums which are to be met with in the

I ndian bazars, it is not unlikely that what. Mr. A . T.

Thomson-

had transmitted to him, was not the ge

unine artic le . For that able botan ist’s description of

the ast. verus, I refer the reader to his London Dis

pen satory. The ancients considered tragacanth as a

vulnerary.

'

(Cels. lib . v . cap .

it See Journal de Phys. f'

or 17 9 0.

M Q

1644 MATERIA INDICA. PART,u.

XCII .

HARE . Mosél (Tam. ) Khargoosh s. (Duk . )Armi b “w bi (Arab . ) Sussa (Hind . ) 93 (Sans. )Koondelo (Tel . ) L ie

‘

vre (Fr . )LEPU S TIMIDUS (Lin . )

The hare is common in India, and is a much

fleeter an imal than in Europe ; though smaller, it

differs but little in appearance fromtheEu1opean hare,but D1 . F. Hamilton is inclined to make it a new

species, Lep asKhargosa; as food it is often dry the

Vy tians prescribe the flesh for incontinence of urine.

XCIII .

HELLEBORE, BLACK. Kadaga'

r'

o'

ganie

(Tam. ) Katookarb‘

ganie (Tels)Caloorana (Cyng . K 372m (Sans.

Kalikootkie GIFT

‘QU'

(Duk . ) Kherbek aswed

(Arab . ) Kherbec/c siy a l ily“ (Pers.)Nzestwortel (Dut .) H elleboro (Port . ) H ellebore

Schwartz Niess'warzel (G er .

HELLEBORUS NIGER Lin . )

Cl. and 0 rd . Polyandria Polygamia. Nat. O rd.

Multisilique (Lin . )I have given the names kadago

'

rbganie and Igali.

kooflrie as the Tamool and .Dukhanie appellationsof black he llebore, as the root procured 1n the In

dian bazars, is commonly said to be so, but I have

great doubts of it, and here offer a caution respect

16 6 MATERIA INDI CA .

"PART I .

trum album) I have n ever seen in India, it has, however, been described to me by a learned Hindoo un

der the name of P idcir'

o’

ganie but I do not

give this with confidence it is now seldom prescribedowing to the violence of its operation , being at once

a most drastic cathartic, emetic and sternutatory,

often even in the smallest doses exciting tremors,

vertigo, and syncope, and if the dose is large, death .

O rfila places both the hellebores amongst his poisons,

(vol . ii . part. i . p . 6 . Celsus gave the white inthat species of derangemen t attended with peculiarh ilarity of sp irits, a practice which has been resortedto with varying advantage in these our The

A rabians class black hellebore amongst their cathar

t ics, giving it to the quantity of half a direm,and

corrected by means of oil of almonds or tragacanth .

The white hellebore which they call they

place amongst their emetics dose half a direm cor

rected by mastich as a succedan eum, they use the

nux vomica. A libe rt i speaks highly of the virtuesof black hellebore in dropsical cases, in the form of

the p ilules tonigaes de B acker . The root of the

b lack hellebo re has lately been analysed by MM.

Feneulle et Capron ; the products, were 1 . a volatileoil ; 2 . a fatty matter ; 8 . a resinous matter ; 41 .wax ; 5. a volatile acid ; 6 . a bitter principle ; 7 .

mucus ; 8 . alumina ; 9 . gallate of potash, and

acidulous gallate of lime 10. a salt with an ammo

n iacal base . For the opinion of Pliny, respectingthe two hellebores, the reader is referred to his Nat.

Hist . (tom. iii . cap . v . p . N igram alii entomonvocant alii p oly rrhizon , purgat inferna ; candidum

See G . Kerr’s Medical Sketches on the U se of Hellebore inInsan ity .

1 See his Elemens de Therapeutic , vol . i. p . 29 0— 29 3.

CHAP . I"

. MATERIA INDI CA . 16 7

autem vomitione, causasque morborum

The black hellebore plan t is described in the Lon .»

don Dispensatory . The white is a native of G reece,

and is no doubt the Eamé’

ogog Nam e; of Dioscorides ;of the Cl . and O rd . Polygamia Monoecia, and

Nat. O rd. Coronariae (Lin . ) I have mention edabove Celsus’s Opin ion regarding the black and white

hellebores, I shall here subjoin his words, in speakingof what purges are to be given in particular cases

he says,“ U t cum veratrum n ig rum, aut atra b ile

vexatis, aut cum tristitia insanientibus, aut 11s quorumnervi parte aliqua resoluti sun t datur z

”again

“ In

tristitia, n igrum veratrum dejectionis causa in hi

laritate album ad vomitum exitandum dariLib . ii . cap . xii . and lib . iii. cap . xvi .

XCIV .

HENBANE SEED . Karascinie {imam

6 3 :1F63LDLD (Tam. ) Kkorassanie-ajooan “sla bs.

(Duk . and Hind . ) B azirulbn gi fibfi

(Arab . ) U rmani/roon Korassanie

(Cyng . ) Adas-p edas (Mal. ) Adas (Jav. ) Jas

guiame (Fr. ) B ilsenkraut (G er. ) also Sit ran

Gabi /W (Arab . )HYOSCYAMUS NIGER (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Pentandria Monogynia. Nat. O rd .

Luridae.

In the same chapter, Pliny observes, that the black helleboreis serviceable in palsy, lunacy, and dropsy ; the white in epilepsy;vertigo, melancholy, elephas, leuce, and the filthy leprosy . Byelephas, here, I presume is mean t the Cochin or Barbadoes leg, asd istmct from elephantiasis.

168 91 11111211111 INDICA . PART 1.

I have never . seen the plant in I ndia ; but thesmall, flat, brown seeds of it, are common in the

medicine bazars,.

and . are prescribed by the‘

Ha

keems to soothe“

the m1nd, procure sleep, and keepthe bowels gently open, in cases of

'

melaneholy and

man ia ; what of the article ' is found in Indiais brought from Turkey, where the seeds are calledbenge, an d hence, according to theword bang , which the seed is sometimes termedin the upper provinces of India, and which is usedby the Mahometans of the lower districts, to expressan in toxicating drug ; but is generally applied to

the bru1sed‘

and prepared leaves of the Cannabis Indica (Willd . )Celsu3 1

Las well as Stoerck, gave he nbane to pro

cure sleep in man ia, and Pliny speaks of its v1rtuesin various ways Succus

(hyoscyami etiam sangui

nemexcreantibus n idor quoque accensi tassientibus.

”

(vol . iii. cap . v. p .

“ Succus hyoscyami cum

axungia articulis. (cap . xi. p .

“Hyoscyamum

genetalibus medetur.

”(cap . viii. p . He tells

us that there are different kinds of henbane, but thatthe black chiefly grew m Galatia . (cap . iv. ) Forskahl, in his Materia Medica Khairina, mentions thismedicine as being brought from Greece to Egypt inhis day, and administered to procure sleep , adding,that it might with safety be given to children . Mo

dern physicians employ - it as an anodyne inin which the binding influence of opium might beinjurious : the extract made from the fresh -leaves,and the tincture made from the dried leaves, are used,:

the dose of the first is from grs. iss. to as far as

grs. xx . that of the tincture from 5 to 25 drops. In

See D’

Herbelot’

s Bibliotheque O rlentale,” 1

1 Vide Cels . lib. iii. cap . xvi i i .

MATERIA IND ICA . PART

XCV.

HO G . Pannie 14m m (Tam. ) Pandie (Tel . )

(Duk . and Hind .) Khinzeer

Knoolc Varant‘

i W 5 (San s. ) B abi

(Mal . ) Cochon (Fr. ) also S it/bard (Sans. )Sus SCO RFA (Joust. )

The common breed of hogs which is met with inIndia is not much prized, the an imal is long legged,and is not easily fatten ed ; a better kind is often

brought from China, with shorter legs ; but is still

very i nferior to the tame hog of Europe . The In

dians, like the Chinese, are very careless with 1 e

gard to the feeding of their pigs, which are generally

allowed to run about the streets ; and are, I am

inclined to think, so neglected, most unwholesome

food, perhaps contributing to produce, in conjunction with badly prepared salt-fish, some of the worst

k inds of cutan eous diseases. The Mahometans of

course eat no pork, nor will admit even the name of

it into any of their books. For the delicate, the

flesh of the hog in all its forms,is certainly 1m

proper,being too rich, and consequently apt to

nauseate and cloy the stomach ; for the strong or

labouring people it is an excellent food . The sus

scorfa is a native, of all the temperate parts of Eu

rope and Asia, and is also found in the upper regionsof Africa. The Chinese, who are fond of pork,usually rear, what they call, the Siamese breed,which is smalle1 than the European sow, and more

resembles that of the South-Sea islands. The Romans

18

MATERIA INDICA: P7i

held the hog in singular esteem, and the art of rear

was discussed under the title of porcnlatio.

8 called the wild hog in India, sas babiroussaa name taken from the Malay word u”)is common in the woods and jungles, and if

killed at certain seasons, when the an imal has beenfeeding on the sugar cane, is certainly of all animal

food the most delicate and delicious it is not fat, rich

andheavy like pork, but resemblesmore ven ison of thefinest quality . It lies light on the most daintyand de

licate stomach, and after the fish whiting is commonly

the first an imal food that is allowed to convalescents inIndia. The species babiroussa, may be distinguishedby having the two upper tusks growing from the lower

part of the front . The following are some of the

names of this an imal, given by'

eastern nations z— Caa

too p oonnie (Tam. ) Adivi p anaie (Tel. ) Sarsel

(Duk . B obbee ooz‘

an (Mal . B ang/la 311 1,

(Hind . Kanana suhc‘

lra 8516 7 1'

$1651: Sans

Hog’

s la1d (adeps suillus), which 18 obtained chieflyf1om the flank of the domestic hog, the Vy tians not

only use 'a s we do, in the preparation of oin tmentsand plasters, but when mixed with the dried and

powdered root of the shrub called in Tamool p aloo

pagalhodi (momordica dioica) they prescribe it internally in all their three varieties of piles. M alaymoolum (blind piles), rul la moolwn (bleeding p1les),and shee-moolum (piles, attended with a discharge

of matter). The Mahometan doctors of course em

ploy nothing that is taken from the hog . Hog’

s lard

is in Tamool p oonnie co'

lzlp oo, (Duk . )

p anaie howoo (Tel . ) snharvapa aimraqr(Sans. )ooromnssloo la lail (Cyng .

I cannot conclude without observing that it has

been remarked by Dr. Kinglake, that of all animal

17 9 MATERIA IND ICA. PART 1 .

food, mutton and pork are the easiest digested ;and we know that Celsus says, that of the tame ani

mals, the flesh of the hog is the lightest for man .

Vide Cels. lib . ii . cap . xviii .

XCVI .

HONEY. Tayn (25 0m

(Pers. ) M adhn Hg (Sans. )U ssél ulnehl

“ts-Us (Arab .

panney (Cyng . M iel (Fr.

M adhoo (Hind . ) also W I }!

Honey is much used in pharmacy by the nativedoctors ; it 1s the produce of wild bees, and is

brought from the woods and jungles. Dr . F . Ham

milton observed four varieties of honey, in the

Coimbatore country,viz . theMalen-ténncc, To'

daggiyténnee,Cashu-tennee, andCambu-tennee. Fromthe combor nest of the bee which produces the first, in general the most honey is obtained ; but the last mentioned honey, which is also from a large bee, is of

the finest quality. The most common bees, however,are those which produce the téduggy -ténnee, and

cb’

shn-tennee, they are small in size, but collect muchhoney. The same intelligent author, in speaking of

the bees of the eastern tracts of the Mysore country,

says, here the bees are of four kinds z— l st. the he’

ncgu, which yields much wax and honey, it is a large

bee ; 2d . the cadi, a small bee, building a comb of

an_

oblong shape, round the branch of a tree ; 8d .

the tudnvay , the honeyk

of which is good, but not

(Tam. ) Sha’

hid

Ay ermaddoo (Mal . )Taynie (Tel . ) M ees

Gemeiner honig (Ger. )

(Arab . ) M el (Port . )MEL .

174 .MATERIA INDI CA“

. PART I .

gentia). Honey, according to Brande is a variety fof sugar, containing a crystallizable and an un crys

tallizable portion , the predominance of one or other of

which gives it its peculiar character it also contains

wax and a little acid matter.

We are informed by the distinguished Baron

Humboldt, in his Political Essay on the Kingdom of F;

New Spain (vol . iii. p . 2 1 . Eng . trans. ) that a great

deal of a kind of thin honey, which is very valuable,"f;

is got in Mexico, from the Agave Amer icana, and

which is there called maguey a’

e p algue it wouldappear that it is procured by cutting the corazon or

bundle of central leaves, from the wounds issues thedelicious sweet fluid, and continues to be poured out

for three months. From the Hortus Jamaicensis, we

are further informed (vol . 1. p . that the mocking birds are extremely fond of this honey which

they find at the base of the flower : the plan t is fullyd escribed by Sloane (vol . i . and Browne

(p .

In the Cuddapa district on the Coromandel coast,there is a very singular kind of honey, brought from t

'

the woods ; in place of being liquid in the comb, it isquite hard and candied, of the form of the cells,

and drops out like sugarplums : the natives say its

p eculiar character is owing to the bees, which are f

small, feeding on the flowers and sweetish-bitter fruitof a tree, called in Tellingoo p aloe

-chil too. The

honey 18 light coloured, pleasan t tasted, and is sup

posed to be the best for medicinal purposes.

See his Manual of Chemistry, vol . iii. p . 27 .

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA lNDICA ;'

175

XCVII .

HORSE RADISH, substitute for, or MO O

RUNGHY ROOT. M oorzlnghy cag r

(Tam. ) M oonaga-vay roo (Tel . ) M oongay

uk . ) Snjna lzg w

(Hind. ) Sig roo also Sobha'

njana

gagedda (Can . ) Shojena (Beng . )HYPERANTHERA MO RINGHA (Vahl )

Cl. and O rd . Decandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd.

Lomentaceae . Gemeine B ehennss’

(Nom. Triv.Willd. )The moorunghy root has obtained the name of

horse radish, from the English in India, from its

great resemblance to it in appearan ce, taste, and

natural qualities, and from its being used as such ; it

is the green root of the hyperan thera moringha, the

legume of which is an excellent pot vegetable . The

native doctors prescribe the green root, which has a

pimgent odour, with a warm biting, and somewhat

aromatic taste, as a stimulant in paralytic affections,and intermittent fever, l n doses of about Bi theyalso employ it in cases of ep ilepsy and hysteria,and consider it as a valuable rubefacient in palsy ,

and

chronic rheumatism. The plant is the L919 ban of

A vicenna (187 ) it is growing in the botan ical gardenof Calcutta, and is common all over India.

Dr . Fleeming informs us, that in Bengal an ex

pressed oil is prepared from the seeds, which resists


rancidity, and which is looked upon as an excellentmedicine, employed externally, for easing the pain of

the joints, in gout and acute rheumatism the seedsare the hen nuts , of old writers on the Materia Me

dica, and the hubulban w as? of the Arabians, who

place them’

amongst their cal)“ Muderra

'

t (Stimulantia) the dose 2 direms.

The . tree is the morunga of the Hort . Mal .

(6 . p . 1 9 t . and the moringa zeylan ica, of Burm.

Zeyl . (162 . t . It is the guilandina moringa of

Linnaeus, and is a middling-sized tree, with rather

erect branches ; the leaves are irregularly triplicate,

p innate, with an odd leaf ; the leaflets, small and

oval, standing on slender purplish pedicels, wavingbeautifully in the wind the flowers are small, .white,

t inged with yellow at the base ; and grow on the

wings of the stalks. In Jamaica the wood is usedfor dyeing a blue colour, for which purpose I cannotlearn that it is employed in India.

T he moorunghy t ree, or as it is sometimes called in

English, the smooth bonduc tree, is much prizedin -many eastern countries, particularly in Java, aswell for its excellent edible legume, as its valuableroot

‘

and seeds. The Malays term the treekellor ,wh ich is also Javanese, in Arabic it is

L4. 1 1.14: tiimen, in

Persian moriaben and in G uzarattie trerida :

the fruit or legume , the Canarese call nugay or nuriga.

Both the leaves and flowers’

are also 2eaten by the

natives of India, 2so that‘

in fact there is no part of

th is plant that~is¢ n ot turned to some good account.

We a re ‘ told by" Virey, -that some

’

o f the . Frenchwriters have considere d the hen nuts, which they termp ois queniques, also chic

'

ot,’

are of use in venerealaffections. For an account of the character of the

17 8 MATERIA IND ICA. PART 1.

affections of the chest : Hyssopi quoque quinquerami cum duobus rutae et ficis tribus decocti thoracem purgant,

”(Lib . xxvi . cap . vii . ) again speak

ing of it, he says,“pellitque ventris an imalia.

(Lib . xxvi . cap . viii . ) For a long list of other virtueswhich have been ascribed to hyssop, the readermay consult Cullen , and Phillip

’

s Treatise on Culti

vated Vegetables. (V ol . 1. p . The hyssopus

O fficinalis, with another spec ies, the nep etoides, were

growing in the botanical garden of Calcutta inintroduced, I believe , from North America, by W.

Hamilton , Esq.

Ce lsus considered hyssopus as possessing diureticqualities, urinam movet,

”and also to be useful in

coughs, O portet hyssopum altero quoque die tussisbibere .

”(Lib . ii . cap . xxxi . St lib. iv. cap . iv. )

XCIX .

INDIGO . N il (Cyng . )N eel (Arab . Pers. and Duk . ) Taroom (Mal. )Nil? filfii also N ilini filfififi

’

l (Sans. and Tel . )I ndig o (Fr. ) I ndig o (G er . ) Anil (Port. ) Iuhmov

Cham-nho-la (Coch . Chin . )IND IGOFERA AN IL

Cl. and O rd . Diadelphia Decandria. Nat. O rd.

Papilionaceae. SicheMuchtiger I ndigo (Nom. Triv .

Willd . )Mr. H . T . Colebrooke, in his valuable Remarks on

the Husbandry and Commerce O f Bengal, saysgof

indigo° “ The manufacture O f Indigo appears to

have been known and practised in India from

the earliest period . From this country (India),

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA IND ICA . 17 9

whence the dye Obtains its scientific name, Eu

rope was ancien tly supplied with it, until the pro

duce of America engrossed the market, especiallythat of Mexico, Louisiana, and Carolina. But as

the plant has been cultivated for ages all overArabia, and in many parts of Persia, where it is

called neel, it may become a question whether the

Indians may not have borrowed a name for indigofrom the more western countries. The Tamools call

the plant acer ic, in Sanscrit it is vishashodanie it is

the ameri of the Hort . Malab . , which, according toWilldenow,

is also the Sanscrit name given to the

species tinctoria, which, that author says, differs fromthe other ‘

fi/Oliolis obovatis, obtusis, 11trinque nudis,leguminibus teretibus, rcctis, etiam sutura g ibbosiore ,

subtorulosa : racemis laxis, minutis.

”

O ne and twenty species of indigofera are grow

ing in the botan ical garden of Calcutta.

The leaf of the plant (ind . an il), is an article of

the Tamool Materia Medica, and is supposed to

have virtues in p ukka sooley hepatitis,g iven in the form of powde r, mixed with a little

honey ; and a decoction of the root is reckonedamongst those med icines which have the power of

counteracting poisons, given to the quan tity of four

or five ounces, twice daily .

Further notice shall be taken of indigo in eu

other part of this work .

Pliny, in speaking of indig0 1Lin his time , says,

The finest indigo in the world was that of Gual imala, a pro

vince o f Mex ico ; now the best from Bengal is equal to it .

1“ Both he and Dioscorides speak distinc tly of indigo , and both

not ice two kinds Pliny observes, that when ure it gives a beaut iful purple colour, and was used for dyeing b ue . See Pliny Nat.

Hist . lib . xxxv . cap . 6 and 7 . p . 6 88 . also Diosc . lib . v . cap . 107 .

p . 36 6 .


non pridem apportari et Indicum est caeptum, and

we know that he died about 80 years after the

coming of Christ .Indigo was at one period an article of the British

Materia Medica ; the Roman s ascribed to it extraordinary virtues “

rigores et impetus sedat, et

siccat ulcera but it is no longer prescribed byregular p ractitioners ; and I have been informedthat its internal use is even prohibited by law in

in some parts of G ermany . O n the west coast of

the Indian Peninsula the Vy tians supposed it to have

good efi'

ects when given in decoction in n eph

tic complaints. We are informed by

'

Mr. Lunan‘

l,

that the negroes of the West Indies use a stronginfusion of the indigo root in rum for destroyingvermin in their heads.

Baron Humboldt tells us that three kinds of

indigo are cultivated in the kingdom of New

Spain , viz . that from the indigofera an il, - ind .

tinctoria, and ind . disperma. See his PoliticalEssay on that Kingdom . vol . iii. p . Q ] . (Eng . trans. )The reader will find a good analysis of indigo by

Chevreul in the Ann . de Chim; lxvi.

IPECACU ANHA , substitutes for. See articles,E up horbium in this chapter, Gor inja (asclep ias vomig

See Pliny’

s Natural History, lib . xxxv . cap . vi.

See his Hortus Jamaicensis, vol . i. p . 4261: By h is accoun t 100 parts of indigo (of Guatimala) contain ,

45 parts of pure indigo , which is two less than Bergman found ;the o ther parts are gum, oxide of iron , resin and earth . For an

excellen t descrip tion of the properties of indigo, see a valuablepaper by John Dalton , Esq. in the Memoirs of the Literary Seciety of Manchester .

MATERIA IND I CA . PART I,

IRIS FLORENTINE, ROOT OF . U ssul

ussoszmul assrnrm D im s ! Aw l also!

I rsa'

iwji l (Arab . ) I r is dc F lorence (Fr . ) Violen

wzcrzel (G er. )IRI S FLoRENT INA (Lin . ) i

Cl . and O rd . Triandria Monogyn ia. Nat .

'

O rd.

Ensatae (Lin . )This root has merely got a place here from being

noticed in , the Ulfaz w z

'

y eh . The plan t is a native

of Rhodes, . Lacon ia, and other parts of Southern

Europe, and is growing with. three other species in the"

botan ical“

garden of Calcutta. European practition

ers have recommended the fresh root as a cathartic

in dropsies ; it has a bitterish nauseous taste, and is

peculiarly acrid. Fren ch writers on

'

the Materia

Medica have given a place to no less than four

species of iris, viz . the germanica, thefl orenlz’

na, the

fwtidz'

ssz’

ma, and p seudo-acorns. The two first Des

longchamps”“believes to possess n early similar pur

gative properties of the species p seud . ac . he says,

son suc, in troduit dans la bouche ou dans les na;

rines, méme en petite quan tité , provoque une abondante salivation . O f the last, foetid . he observes,“elles .passen t pour etre utiles dans les scrophules,

et dans l’asthma.

”The A rabian writers consider

this root as suppurative, and also rank it amongst

their Deobstruents, Q ts

aaao

See h is “Manuel des Plantes U suelles Indigenes . Vol . u .

p . 553 &c .

C HAP . I . MATERIA INDICA .

JALAP, sub stitute for . See article Shevadz'

emgrinPart II . of this work . For an inte1esting and

scientific accoun t of no less than eight substitutesfor the real jalap , which were examined by Deslongchamps, see his “Manuel des Plantes U suelles Indigenes. (V ol . ii. p . They are : 11

’

tlié root

of the convolvulus soldanella Q . the root and le aves

of the momordica elater1um ; 3 . the root of the

bryon ia dioica ; 4. that of the convolvulus althaeoides 5. those of the thaspia villosa

° that of the

eupatorium cannabinum ’

7 . those of the an themcum

plan ifolium and lastly the petals of the rosacan ina.

O f all those he says, the best and what comes near

est to the true jalap, is the root of the convolv. sol

dan ella, and which may be rendered a little more

powerful by adding about the sixth part of its weightof the euphorbia p1thyusa The dose is a

'

little less than that of the root of the convolvulusjalapa.

-There are several articles of the TamooliMate

'

ria

Medica,which might be called substitutes for jalap , but.I have especially mention ed the ské 'vcidz

'

e mg r or root

of the convolvulus turpethum, as one of the mostefficien t.

I t would appear that Mr . Hume,jun . ,has lately

discovered a vegeto-alkaline principle in jalap , and

has called itjalap ine, it is without taste or smell, 1s

heavier than morphia, quin ia, or other substances“

of

that nature, and in the process for preparing it,whichis a little intricate, is thrown down 1n white crystals,i i of jalap yields about 5 grains of jalapine .

N 41

184. MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1

CIII .

KID. Aatoo koottz’

e (Tarn .

B dckray kc butché ke g osht “ a; U”

m e

gi gs) ;

(Duk . ) Vaym‘a p zlla (Tel . ) Analccambz

'

ng

g

(Mal. )Aja p aimW EI (San s. ) Chevreau (Fr. Juddee

(5M (Arab . ) Hulwcm (Hind . ) B afz-ghc'

ilek

(Pers. )CARO HCEDINA .

G oat’s flesh is improper for the delicate ; the same

cannot be said of that of the kid, which is on the

contrary one of the lightest and safest of all kinds ofan imal food for the sick ; that of India, generallyspeaking , is excellen t, and often preferred, even bythose who are in health, to lamb both kid and lamb Ihave observed in India to be less dense and heating

than mutton, and therefore better suited to weak sto

machs. By a Tamool medical work, en titled Ag izastz'

er

Vy tiaAny ouroo, we learn that the flesh ofgoats (caprahircus) is useful and proper for the consumptive and

asthmatic, also for such as suffer from hypochon

driasis, and other enervating complaints that of

the wild goat (capra ibex), and which the Tellingocall adim

'

nagnta p illar, is considered as peculiarly uh

wholesome The kid’

s flesh in the same work is

spoken of as proper for such as have venereal cruption s, and contraction s of the limbs from nervousaffections. The common goat in Tamool is aatoo,

the wild mountain variety is common in many Eastern coun tries ; the Arabians term it er/mb and

the Persians buzi koo-kee I am led to believe

186 MATERIA INDICA .

‘

got; from an African plant, and from

’

the

sent home by Mungo Park, that appears torocarpus, and according to the En cyclopedie Metho

dique, the species erinacea.

The Botany Bay kinof'

the only kind I have seen

in an'Indian is without much smell.

'

bitterto the taste, and much more austere than the Afric andrug, resembling rather that obtained from the cocco

loba uvifera of Jamaica, but without its aciditynL KL .

720, from whatever plant it has hitherto been obtained,seems

-

to differ but little in its natural or chemical

qualities. It has been considered by the practitioners of Europe as powerfully astringen t, and em

ployed"

with success in fluor,

albus, chronic diarrhoea,and uterine and intestinal haemorrhages the doseof the substance from grs. x . to 3 ss ; the tincturefrom 5ss. to g ij. Kino is used in the arts : wool or

cotton , boiled in a solution of it, and then dipped ina bath of sulphate of iron , assumes a bottle-greencolour ; but which changes by washing and dryingto a very durable blackish brown . By experiments

made on kino by Dr. Dimcan , junior, and also by ,

Vauquelin , it appears to con tain a large quantity of

tannin, and that this is the ingredient on which its ,

specific properties depen d . See Nicholson ’

s Journal

(vii . also Ann . de Chimie (xlvi . p . I t

does not appear to contain any gallic acid .

Alibert informs us, that in France, “ kino a recu

de grandes é loges pour'

le traitemen t des flux ebro

Without the inspissated juice of the nauclea gambir is to beincluded amongst the kinos .

A lmost every part of this tree is peculiarly astringen t . It is

a large , crooked, shady tree ,wh ich bears c luste rs of grapes, which

are n ot unpleasan t when ripe ; the seeds of them reduced to

powder is an useful astringent . See Hortus Jamaicensis, vol. i .p . i7 7

MATERIA IND ICA . 187

la membrane muqueuse des intestines et

vag1n . See his “ Nouveaux Rlémens de la

Therapeutique .

”V ol. 1. p . 170.

LABDANUM. Ladzm U s (A rab. ) Ciste

ladengf'

ere (Fr. )CISTU s CRETI CUS Lin . )

Cl. and O rd . Polyandria Monogynia. Nat . O rd .

Rotaceae. Cretz’

sclzz’

e cistenrose (Nom. Triv . Willd . )This resinous substance, which was con sidered by

some of our

'

old writers as cephalic, pectoral , and

nervine, is now only used by us in the preparation of

certain plasters, which are applied to the,epigastric

region in cases of fiatulency, and spasms in the sto

mach : and we know that Celsus " was in the habitof preparing with it a plaster which he considered as

serviceable in bad ulcers .

The small balsamic and aromatic shrub,from

which this substan ce is procured, grows in Crete and

Syria,where, according to Pocock, it is called ladany ;the resin is got by drawing lightly a kind of rake

with thongs to it over the shrub, so as to take upthe unctuous juice , which is afterwards scraped off

w ith a kn ife ; the best is in dark-co loured masses,

of the consisten ce of soft plaster, becoming still

softer on being handled .

The shrub seldom r1ses higher than two feet,withleaves spatulate

-ovate, petioled, n erveless, rugged,calyxes lanceolate, the petals are of a rose purple

Vide Celsus, lib . v . cap . xxvi.

188 MATERIA IND I CA . PART 1 .

colour, without smell, and forming a corolla an inch

and a half in diameter .

The Arabians use labdanum as a perfume, and in

fumigations, and also class it amongst the ir a lg a l-o

(Suppurantia): it has no place m the French Materia

Medica of Alibert ; Deslongchamps n otices it in

his “Manuel des Plantes U suelles Indigines,”

and

tells us, that it is given internally in France, as a

ton ic and astringent, ln doses of from g i ‘to g iv .

‘

See work, vol . 1. p . 46 .

Pliny says, that ladanum was in his day found ad

hering to the beards of the goats in Cyprus, and as

cribes to it most singular virtues° “ ladanum suffitu

corrigit vulvas : doleri earum exhulceratisque im

ponitur.

”See his Nat . Hist . lib . xxvi . cap . viii . also

lib . xxvi . cap . xv.

LAC . Komb-urrzik (Bes rfLo ufT os@ (Tam. )

L aak J ); (Arab . ) Lak’

h (Hind . ) Lakisha? ESTES”(Sans. ) Lakdda (Cyng . ) Commolé/r/m (Tel . )Gomlac (Dut . ) Laca emp aos (Port . ) Ambaloo

(Mal. ) B alo (Jav . ) Kambalo (Bali . ) Lacque

(Fr . ) Lahi (Hind . )LACCA .

This substance , which has improperly been calleda gum,

is the product of an in sect (chermes lacca,which deposits its eggs 0 11 various trees ; it

appears to be designed for defending the eggs from

injury, and affording food for the maggot in a more

advanced state ; it is formed in to cells, finished w ithas much art as a honey

-comb, but differently ar

190 MATERIA IND ICA . PART . ifi 'i

Lac IS an article of commence from SiamLaos, from Assam, from Pegu

Jr, from Tonquin , and

‘ifrom the Ay er Rajah coast of Sumatra ; it i s some O?times, Abbe Rochan informs us, brought fi om Quamflu-ton, in the province of Quei el m, in China, but 41of a quality inferior to that of Bengal . Crawford, 3in his History of the Indian A rchipelago,

”ob Iii

serves, that the lac insect exists in most of the forests

of the Indian Islands, but especially in those of Su

matra, and the Malaya Pen insula. (See his work, 3d .

"

a

31

vol. iii. p .

Mr. W. Franklin , in his Tracts Political, G eogra i lphical, and Commercial on the Domin ions of Ava

”4

,

(p . tells 11s that Charon is the name given in theBurmah domin ions to a kind of black-lac, which is '

7.

extracted from a large tree, one or two'

plants of

which were brought to Calcutta by Captain Cox ; he l l

adds, that this lac was in general use amongst the g:

n atives for their lacquered wal e . A coarse kind of I 1

lac is called in Tamool awe] arm /r. The Tamool fill

-idoctors p1escr1be lac l n old and obstinate bowel com

plain ts, when the habit has been much re duced 4

they also, mixed with gingelie oil, use it as an exteri

1

nal application for the head, in cases in which the

patien t is debilitated from long-con tinued fever. O f 3all the lacs, shell-lac, according to Hatchett, appears

A

to contain the greatest quan tity of resin 1, and sticklac of colouring matter and wax. Dr. Pearson ,Mr . Brande informs us, obtained a peculiar acidfrom a substance called white-lac, brought fromMa

ll

01

See Turpin’

s Histoire de Siam.

1 The stick lac of'

Pegu is reckoned the finest in the world.

See O rien tal Repository, vol . ii . p . also Tavernier’s IndianTravels , part . i . book . l i.

~1 See Philosoph ical Transactions for 1804See Brande ’

s Manual of Chemistry, vol . 111.

CHAP .vr. MATERIA INDICA . 19 1

dras, which he termed laccic acid and -Dr. John hasannounced the p resence of a peculiar acid in stick

lac, which he has also called lacet'

e acid .

For the use of lac in the arts, the reader is referredto another part of this work . The tincture of lac

is a favourite medic ine amongst the A rabians in pre

parmg cleansing washes ; they call'

it mehawer

I shall conclude this article ‘

by recommending myreaders to peruse an excellen t accoun t of the lac insect by Dr. Roxburgh, in the lxxxi vol . of the Phi

losophical Transaction s.

For another interesting account of lac in its va

r1ous forms, the reader may consult a little work,entitled, Analytical Experiments on Lac,

”by

Charles Hatchett, Esq.

Since writing the above, I have learnt from the in

teresting manuscripts of the excellent Dr . F . Ha

milton , that a decoction of the stick-lac in mustard

seed oil, to which has been added a little of the'

pounded root of the morinda citrifolia, is used inBehar as an unguen t for anointing the body in cases

of general debility .

CVII .

LEECH . Attéz 01 11 (Tam. ) Z alagak

P atclzct (Mal . ) Janie (Duk . ) Ja

lulca 3 §$T (Sans. ) Koodalla (Cyng . ) Kkera

keen mags . (Arab . ) Z eloo31 (Pers. ) Sang sue

(Fr. ) B lutzul (G er .

H IRUDO MEDICINALI S .

The'

native practitioners use leeches for the same

purposes that we do, particularly the Mahometans.

19 2 MATERIA INDI CA . PART 1 .

The species medicinalz’

s is in general larger than the

European leech, and very voracious. The horse

leech (hirudo sanguisuga) is also common in the

stagnant pools of lower India, it is larger than thespecies above men tion ed, w ith a depressed body and

dusky-coloured back, and belly of a yellowish green .

What is called the Ceylon leech, but'

which is also to

be met with in the Southern tracts of the Pen insula,is a most dangerous an imal to foot travellers at cer

tain seasons this little creature is seldom more than

an inch long, and some of them are infin itely smaller,

it is broad beh ind, and taper towards theits colour brown , or light

-brown its substa

transparent ; it is very active, and 1s sa1d now and

then to spring from the ground ; its powers of con

traction and expansion are wonderf ul ; its point isso sharp, that it makes its way through the smallest

open ings, and attacks the feet, legs and-thighs in the

most unmerciful manner. Dr. Davy, in his A ccount

of the Interior of Ceylon describes the reptilefully, and ’

speaks with horror of the swoln and bloodylimbs occasioned by it ; what appears to i ncrease the

'

mischief is that great numbers generally attack at

one time . I t would seem by Marsden ’

s very excellent work on Sumat1a, that it is the same, or nearlyso, as the mountain leech of that island .

The Hindoo doctors, but more esp ecially the

Mahometan practitione1s, me very particular aboutwashing well the pa1 t to be leeched with a little soapand water, and then with pure water. In a hot cli

mate it is sometimes difficult to stop the bleedingfrom leeches, as well as from phlebotomy . I t is

See Dr. Davy’

s Accoun t of the Interior of Ceylon , pp . 102,103 .


prOper thing to be presented by an inferior

perior ; it is beautiful to behold ; cooling and

to the smell ; the juice of”

it rubbed upon the head,will sooth the ravings of phrehzy and the rind of itdried in the sun , has the power when laid under the

p illow of conciliating affection .

”

The European inhabitants, in hot weather, finsherbet made with limes extremely grateful,must be taken that the fruit is altogether ripe ; for,if made with unripe fruit, and taken in

r

cons iderable

quantity, it is very apt to produce cholera morbuswhich i s best combated in such cases with calcinedmagnesia. The sherbet made with o 1anges is a

much safer beverage. Dr. Thomson , in his London Dispensatory,tells us, that lime-juice, taken to

the quantity of half an ounce, allays hysterical palpitations of the heart. An effervescing draught, madewith about gss. of the lime juié e and 9 1. of carbonate of potass, is given with success to stop vomiting,and determine to the surface but Dr. T. says, a

more pleasant draught is made by putting gss.

lemon-juice, mixed with a small quantity 0

into atumbler, and pouring over it a p int ofSoda water. (See Article Orange, in this part ofwork . )

LIME,- QU ICK. Chrind

'

mboo

(Tam.) H oonnoo (Cyng . ) Chfinna (H

Duk . ) Cap oor (Mal. ) Soonnum (Tel.)Sans . ) N core]: as”; (Pers. ) Alzzik .l

Charm: (Fr. ) Kalkera’c (Ger. )

CHAP . I». MATERIA IND ICA .

The natives of India are in the habit of makingquick-lime from its various carbonates, nearly in the

same way that we do . That prepared from the

common lime-Stone by burn ing , the Tamools call

M chzZm'

imboo that got from b urn ing sea-shells,

they call kullz'

ng ie ckunamboo. At Bombay, for c ommon purposes, they make their quick-lime from a

coarse kind of coral, found on the numerous reefs

which stretch off from the isiand. Lime-water, chunamboo tannie the Vytians prepare also aswe

do'

adding to about half a pound of the quick-limetwelve or thirteen pints of boiling soft water ; they

prescribe it mixed with a little gingelie oil (oil ofsesamum seeds), and sugar, in obstinate cases of

gonorrhoea. European p ractitioners find it a useful

anthelmintic, and also employ it externally as a de

tergent. The dose is from gij. to half a pint, alone,or diluted with milk . Some late writ ers have e x

tolled the virtues of lime-water in diarrhoea, diabetes,and leucorrhoea. More

'

will be said of quick-lime inanother part of this work. Dr. Paris, in his Pharmacologia, informs us, that lime-water dissolves themucus with wh ich disordered bowels are often in

fested ; milk,'

he adds, disgu1ses its nauseous flavour,without impairing its virtues. (See work, pp . 4Q9 ,

LINSEED . A llévérei GQJD Q TCDS QD’T (Tam. )also Serroo Sanul'verez

'

(Tam.) U lsi/rébz’

nge

g’t’“I (DUkJ B uzruk

’

rg}, (Arab .) To'

khém/czftdn

U u‘

fF

3 (Pers.) Alivz’

tziloo (Tel.) B idg ierdmmeg

0 Q

19 6 MATEB IA INmC/i . PART I ;

(Mal. ) Umd 3 3”(San s. ) Tisi (Hind . ) Lyn'

zaad

(Dut . L inhaca (Port . Grains dc Lin (Fr .

Lainsaaman (G er. also Atasi (San s. U r ”(Hind .

Pahaiza Late. (Hindooie .

LINUM U S ITATI SSIMUM (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Pentandria Pentagynia. Nat. O rd.

Gru inales. (Lin . ) Gemeiner F lachs (Nom. Triv.

Willd.

There is a great deal of flax now cultivated inmany parts of U pper India, and especiallym Bengal

’,

for making oil, and of late years it has also becomean obj ect in the lower provinces ; the plant is termedin Bengalese, musina .

Linseed does not appear to be much used by the .

Hindoos in medicine . European practitionefs have

long considered it as a valuable emollient and demulcent, in diarrhoea, catarrh, pneumon ia, dysentery,

gonorrhoea, visceral obstructions, calculus, 8505; an

in fusion of it, in the proportion of gj. of the seed toa pint of water, is a convenient mode of prescribingit ; a decoction of the seed forms an excellent enema,in abrasions of the intestines ; and ground into

powder, and simply mixed with boiling water, it

makes a useful poultice .

Formerly, Mr. Phillips tells us, the seed of theflax was occasionally used with corn, to make bread,but was considered as hurtful to the stomach. O ur

article, with another species, the trigy nium, which isthe goalashroopie are growing in the botanical garden of Calcutta. The species, cat/zarticum,

was in the Company’

s garden at Madras, in 1809 , but,

See Mr. W Carey’5 Account of Flax in vol. x . Asiatic Re

searches, p . 1

19 8 MATERIA INDICA. PART r.

evaded . The Brahmins are more rigid observersi

of

what their rellgron inculcates ; and will only takew ine or sp irits when ordered as a medicine, and that

w ith difficulty, and many will not take it on anyconsideration .

The finer kind of arrack, whic h is met with in

India, and which is the only sort employed by the

higher orders of Europeans for making punch, &c . ,

is either brought from Batavia, whe re it is calledhaeip ,

or from Columbo ; that first ment ioned is themost prized, and formerly was a source of great

revenue to the Dutch . Rice, jaggary, and cocoa-nut

toddy, are the principal ingredients employed in the

preparation of it .

What is called in India pariah arrach, and whichis made in but too great abundance in every part of

the country, is of a very inferior quality, and is

often ren dered unwholesome by an admixture of

ganja or sahja (See these articles in Part II . of thiswork), which have the effect of making it more in

ebriating .

’lat There are several kinds of this lastmentioned spirituous liquor (pariah arrack), differingin strength and purity of composition . O ne of the

best, or perhaps I ought to say, least hurtful is

distilled from cocoa-nut toddy, and is named inTamool hhulloo chara

'

yum, and in Canarese gangaszr .

Another sort is obtained from distilling a mixture ofjaggary water and the barks of ' various trees, and

has in consequence got the name ofp attay charayum.

Many barks are so used, the chief are the nuivay lum

p uttag/ (mimosa ferruginia), and the Malay celchum

p uttay (Phoenix also the bark of the karaova

lam tree (acacia Arabica, Willd . )

For the same p urpose the juice of the thorn-apple is also used.

18

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA IND ICA . 199

We learn from Burchell’

s Travels in Southern

Africa, that much of an inferior kind of arrack isthere dist illed from the berries of a plant which theDutch call brands -awn bosch (grewia flava), butwhich I be lieve to be the grewia orient

'

alis of Vahl.

Within these last few years, arrack has been madeat Madras of so good a quality, as to be consideredlittle, if at all, inferior to the Batavia article .

The virtues of sp irituous liquors in a medical

point of view, as allowed by the European practitioners, are

~

too we ll known to require particularnotice here . Dr. Thomson says, brandy is simplyc ordial and stomachic ; ram, heating

~and sudorific ;

gin and whishy diuretic, and arrac/c styptic, . heatingand narcotic . I add the least injurious of all these

to the constitution is well-amade whisky , which rarely

g ives a headach when taken in moderation.

CXII'

.

LIQU ORICE ROOT . Addimba’rum“

gl i

w omo (Tam. ) Jétimadh (Hind . ) Madhiihc‘

i

was also Ya’

stimadhiiha affamgifi (Sans. )M ittie Zacherie g ji ! (Duk . ) U ssulsoos

“wi n Arab . ) B ikh-meheh 46” (Pers. )Wellmie (Cyng . ) Pao doci (Port . ) also U s ,

“ o):

(Arab . ) Reg lisse (Fr . ) Sussholzwurzel (G er. )U rat mania (Mal . ) Oy ot mania (Jav. ) also O lina

’e

(Gyms )GLYCYRRH I Z A G LABRA (L in . )

Cl. and O rd. Diadelphia Decandria. Nat . O rd .

Papilionaceaa. Gemeiner Sassholz (Nom.

It would seem, by Dr. Fleming’

s Catalogue of In

0 4

$5200 MATERIA INDICA . .m‘

nr’

1.

dianPlants, that liquori ce grows in the Bengal pro’vin ces, and we know that it is a product of the Ma

lahar coast, where it is called irattzmaa’hiram ,but I

ammuch inclined to think that a great deal of the

liqhorice root which is met with in the bazars of‘Lower India is imported f rom Persia, where it

grows in abundance, pa1 ticula1 ly n ear Bussora " in

the date groves, and on the banks of the Sewuhd ‘

l'

river. This sweet, (pleasant, demulcent root, is inh igh repu te amongst the Hindoo practitioners, who,

prescribe it in various forms, but chiefly in infusionfor coughs, consumptions, gonorrhoea, 8m. they also

con sider it as a mild laxative . The root of the wildJamaica liquorice (abrus p1 ecatorius, Lin . ) so much

resembles the true liquorice root i n appearance and

natural qualities that it is often sold f0 1 it in India,and used as such . (See a1 t1cle Coondamunnie aagr, inPart. II . of th is work. ) By Pliny

’s account it would

appear, that the liquorice root was known as a

medicine in his time Praestantissima in Cilicia, secunda Ponto, radice dulci, et hac tan tum in usu,

”

iti

seemS to have been prescribed for'

the same ail

ments then that it now is. See Pliny’s

’

Nat. Hist.lib. xxii. cap e ix. p . 7 60.

C‘

XIII .

y

MACE. Jadip zitrie 9 7 1-

5” g ar /1° (Tam.)Ja'

wa~

Zrie (Hind . and Duk . Japdtr i (Tel .

B uizga baa p ala (Mal . ) Kambang-p ala (Javan

See Capt . Macdonald Kinneir s Geograph ical'

Memoir of

Persia, p . 29 1 .

'

1~Where it is called ms and hhorshute i , or camel the m” Se

t

s“

Mon ier’

sS econd Journey to Persia, : .p 115. 1


by Boutin'

s. The‘

Arabians place matheirMobelzyat ca l-

rem (Aphrodisiaca) an

(Carminativa).We lea1n by Avicenna as well a

(c . that the Arabs gave to mace the

Ju nk . O ur article (myristica moschata)in Bengalese jayap hula, and is growingother species in the botan ical garden of C

In Mr. Crawford’

s admirable account ofArchipelago l

'

, we learn , that the dried prnutmeg, consists of nutmeg, mace, and

fifteen parts of the whole produce, theremace, five of shell, and eight of

,nutmeg . The

meg requires a long and careful preparation toit fit for commerce ; but the mace requires no such

trouble, simple exsiccation in the sun rendering it atonce fit for the market. The tree rises to upwardsof thirty feet, with many erect branches, leaves elliptical, pointed and undulated, and small inodorousflowers, which are present at the same time with thefruit, and are supported on axillary peduncles.

CXIV .

MADDER of BENGAL . Margjtittie

(Tam. ) Mandestz'

e (Tel. ) Pooutvay r (M

Well madatta (Cyng . ) Runas (Pers. )a), (Arab . ) M enjz

'

flze’

Mia (Hind . ) Garance

(Fr. Krappwurzel (Ger. Grahya (Port . Manx

jishtlu‘

iWfisfi l (Sans.

RU B IA MANJI STA (Roxb

See Bontius’s Account of the Diseases, 810 . of the East

dies, p . 194. Eng . Trans .

‘

1 See his work; vol. iii. p . 395.


C]. and O rd. Tetandria Monogynia. Nat. O rd.

Stellatre .

This species of madder 1s indigenous in Nepaul

and Lower Thibet and I perceive by the Flora Ind icaf, grows in the botan ical garden of Calcutta ,

but requires uncommon care to keep it alive , duringthe,

rainy season ; and it,

has never blossomed there .

It would appear to be chiefly produced in Kuckar ,

and the root of it is‘

in g reat demand in the adjacentcountries, for dyeing their coarse cloths and stuffs

red ; the Nepaulese are in the habit of bartering it-for

‘

rock salt and borax . I am inclined to thinkthat it is this species which grows p lentifully in some

of the provinces of Persia, especially in theM ekran i ;

and we learn fromTavern ierg, that formerly madderwas much cultivated in Persia, in the country near

the river Aras, and was used for the same purposes

in the arts, that the rubia tinctorumis in Europe at

The fibres of the Bengal madder root are neitherso th ick nor succulent as those of the rubia tincto ~

rum ; when‘

exported to England, Mr. Colebrooke“informs us, that it has brought only about half the

price of the Smyrna and Dutch madder roots.Dr. Fleming, in his Catalogue of Indian Medici

nal Plants (p . says, that he is not aware that the

root .of the rubia manjista has ever been tried as a

medicine in Bengal, but that the sensible qualitiesbeing the same as those of the root

'

of the r . tineto

rum, he sees no reason why it should not. The

See Col. Kirkpatrick’

s Account ofNepaul, p . 182 .

1 See Flora Indica, p . 383 .

See Macdonald Kinneir’

s Geog . Memoir of Persia, p . 225.

See h is Travels in Persia, book i. chap . iv.

ll See Remarks on the Husbandry and Commerce of Bengal,pp . 19 8, 19 9 .

92044 MATERIA “

INDICA .?

hakeems of Lower India arein the habit'

ing an infusmn of the root . (See articleManjV ayr, in Par

'

t I I . of this work . )The madder of Europe, which has a strong

unpleasant odour, a nd a bitterish and rather au

taste, used formerly to be considereemmenagogue, and was of

'

tenordered

difficult menstruation it was also,

tells us in his London Dispensatory, recommendinjaundice, and in the atrophy of infants; but itnow but little thought of : its dose is from grs.

xx. , given twice daily, in combination with su

of potass , its colouring matter is

c irculation , and tinges the urine red,

ln the bones. The French " writersMedica, at one time spoke in high terms 0

virtues in obstructions of the liver, dropsy, and ~

albus , but they too seem of late to consider itlittle real utility.

The rubia manjis'

ta the reader will findscribed by Dr . Fleming, in the

'

Asiatic'

Re

(xi . also by Dr. Roxburgh, in his

(p . it «is a perennial, scandentleaves four-fold, long-petioled, cordate,five to seven nerved, hispid ; carol. flat,

p

x

entandrous ; by which last character

guished from the r . cordifolia.

tonl'

, in his Accoun t of Nepaul,

of rubia he found there, the rubia cordata of

(by which he meant, it may be p resumed, the r

dgfi lz'

a) (Willd. Spec . Plant . V ol . i .

See Deslongchamps’ Manuel des Plan tes U suelles, vol .

p . 352 .

1‘ See his

M MATERIA INDICA .

it is~

an annual, having very Fangorange

-coloured flowers, and has got its

namefrom having been first particularly no

the Mauritius. Some of the other speciesemployed in Asiatic countries for similar puare the sida populifolia

", which is the beloere

Hortus Malabaricus (6 . 7 7 . t . the sidafolia (a native of Coch in-China), the Saof which is bdtycildca, and the Hindoostathe sida rhombifolia, which

'

is the lal barlala

Hindoos of U pper India ; and the sida Awhich is a most beautiful plant, and is calledmool p ermtoottz

'

e, from the largeness of its

and its small lovely flower, which is stained inwith a deep purple . Nineteen spec ies of sida

growing in the botan ical garden of Calcutta.

The Arabians have two names for mallows

bdzee and cinj‘

z'

l $ 31. The Persiansseed tawdrie $59 , it is considered by them as

struent and detergent ; the mallow plant itsel

term khitmee

The Romans considered mallows as pass

many virtues ; and that the juice of the plant

every day, for a short time, was a prevenagainst all evils. See Pliny

’s Nat. Hist. lib.

cap. xxi.

CXVI .

MANDRAKE PLANT. U strung (Arab .

This is common in Ceylon , where it has got thename of maha-anoda. Eleven other species of sin the roya l botanical gardens in C eylon. Seeluable Catalogue of Ceylon Plants, p . 50.

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA 3111111011; m

M erdum g iah [15'

s (Pers. Yeb-r0Qj (Beng .

Lackmann hwkmzmee (Hindooie . Cdiz'

tg'

ootie (Tam.

ATROPA MANDRAGORA (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. PentandriaMonogyn ia. Nat. O rd .

Luridm. Alraun Tolllcraut (Nam. Triv .

The fetid root of the mandrake plant has variousnames, arising from its supposed resemblance to thehuman form : M andragen (G er . ) I t was formerlyan article in the British Materia Medica, but is nowexploded, though the leaves are still sometimes em

ployed in preparing anodyne fomentations, and discussing indolent tumours. The modern Arabiansand Persians place this root amongst their narcotics,and suppose it to be antispasmodic the former

call itCum dia l, and the latter é

‘ Avi

cenna (Canon . Med. lib. xiv. ) speaks of the fruit of itunder the name of loofa, the root he calls

jebrock. Deslongchamps informs us, that

formerly in France the root was employed as a

charm by magicians. See his Manuel des Plantes

U suelles,”(vol. i . p .

The fruit of the plant the ancients were in the

habit of putting under their p illows, from its sup

posed soporific virtues (Cels. lib. iii . cap . and

Boerhaave mentions, that even the smell of the

plant induces drowsiness ; the root has been externally used for dispersing the swellings of the lym

phatic glands ; and internally has been given to the

Dioscorides speaks of it under the name of Mae wyopag, but

Dierbach in his Mat . Med . of Hippocrates, chap . viii. seems to

think that the virtues of the plant, as mentioned by Hippocrates,rather resemble those of the atropa belladona ; the roots, he adds,was recommended in melancholia suicida, also in agues and other

d iseases.

MATERIA IN‘

DI CA .

extent of Bi. twice or thrice in

hours, ln’

gout. The leaves boiled with,

milk,

heave recommended in scrophulous affections.

plant is a native of Spain , Italy, and Crete . The

root is in shape not unlike a parsnip, and runs three

or four feet under ground ; immediately from the

crown of it arises a circle of leaves, at first theystand erect, but when grown to their full size (whichis commonly about a foot in length, and five or more

broad in the middle) -they spread open and lie on the

ground . O f the five species of atropa hitherto no

ticed, but one grows in the botan ical garden of Cal

outta, the phy saloz’

des, introduced by F . Horsley,Esq. , in 17 9 6 .

In speaking of the anodyne and soporific qualitiesof t he mandragore root, Hoffman observes : “ In

proverbium adeo transierat apud veteres, de

languido, su1sque in n egotns”

torpido, dicere ;mandragoram illum ingessisse .

”(Vide C . Hoff.

‘

Otha. p .

1

The mandrake plant is spoken of by Pliny, underthe name of circeium ; he notices two kinds, a whiteand a black" he is of op in ion , that used cautiously,it may be taken to procure sleep but that an overdose

'

will destroy . Nat. Hist . book xxv. chap . xiii .

CXVII .

'

MANNA. Shir lez’

skt w ays}. (Pers. and Hind.)

Terzmeb‘

z‘

zz (Arab . ) Manna (Dut . ) Manna

Modern botanists, however, allow these to be only varieties.See Roque’

s Phytographic Medicale, vol. i. p .r 244.


can_

be procured from a variety of trees in

particularly in Khorasan , and near the citySheeriar much is also yielded by a thorn

called [char-shooter , to be met with in ab

n ear the city’

of Z amin on the confin es of

Vince of Samarcand, and which is on that ac

termed by the Arabs ler injebine alzamini. A

tious manna, a compound of sugar or honeyscammony, is sometimes exposed for sale, but isdetected . I t is reallyOpinions which have been ofl

’

ere

specting manna ; in addition to what D’He

mention s, as above stated, I shall observe that in thew iey lz G u s also, is given as the name

of a substan ce collected at Khorasan , from the

plant called [char-shooter ,the same authority men

t ions, that it is a mild purgative resembling manna,

and brought from N islzap oor . In this work too

is given as the name of a sort of manna

called from a barren tree, named elem /rt beg chan b

men we are further told, in this publicat

general name for all kinds of honey dew

and that e m s beed kkuskt is the Pers1a

UM ISl o w , of a variety of manna found on a

of Khorasan this in Persian is telmed .5

Whether any of these mannas may be the pof the insect, which has got the appellationmes manng

fera, I know not ; but the i nquiry m

be interesting . Major Macdonald Kinneir, men tiin his G eographical Memoir of Persia a

of manna which the Persians callmay be procured in great quantities ln

'

And which can be no other than the guzdngdb

mentioned in the U lfaz w iyh as collected fromtree .

CHAP . 1. MATERIA INDICA . 2 11

and in the district of Khonsar in I ralc he adds,that it is obtained from a shrub in appearance lik e a

funnel, about four feet high, and is supposed to be

produced by small red insec ts ; these are seen 111

vast numbers under the leaves. Now this I should

presume is the substance which, within the last few

years, has called the attention of several scien tificmen of the Indian establishments ; such as Gene ral

Hardwick, Captain Edward Frederick, and partien

larly the admirable Dr . Wallich the last mentioned

gentleman had on ly seen the insect which produces

it in its larva state though we know that the

French entomologist G eofl i'oy had many years ago

attributed to a spe cies of chermes, the property of

producing both in the larva and p ap a state, a sugarysubstance of a white colour : it appears that the ani

mal is about the size of a domestic bug, and of a

flattened oval farm. Mr. Hunter informs us, that

the gas seems to project from the abdomen of the

animal in appearance like a tail, or bunch of feathers ;but perhaps more resembling snow than any thinge lse . The an imals are found on certain trees in

Persia and Armenia ; swarming in millions and ge

nerating this feathery-like substance , t ill it gets long

and drops 0 11 the leaves, caking on them, and resem

bling beautiful bees-wax : the insects do not destroythe leaves they feed on .

The Hindoos know, and care little about manna ;the Mahometans of India prescribe it as a laxative tochildren and delicate women , in doses from g ij. to

giss” and the Arabians give it a place amongst theirMushilcit-safi

'

a s

lim u se.“ (Cholagoga). For fur

ther particulars respecting manna in eastern coun

tries, the reader is referred to the writings ofMesne,

Hali Abbas, Alsaravius, and other more , modernP Q

2 12 MATERIA INDICA . PART 1 .

authors. The fraxinus ornus was called by Avi

cenna”“ lasan al asafeer 15114l

U M . To the he

dysarum alhagi, the tree from which the Terinjebinemanna i s obtained, the same writer gave the name of

ga l, and still another sort it Would appear is got

from a plan t called For an account of the

Briancon manna, which exudes from the larch or sa

p in meleze of the French (pinus larix), the readeris referred to Deslongchamps

’ Manuel des PlantesU suelles

”(vol . ii. p . it is found in small con

crete drops, which taste like honey dew it is gentlylaxative, but is only used by the common people in

the districts where the tree grows, which the author

just mention ed says are chiefly alpine . A libert inhis Elemen s de Th’é rapeutique (vol . i . p . in

speaking of the different places where this medicinemay be obtained, says

“on recherche aussi beau:

coup celle de la pouille, pres da mon t Sain t-Ange,

malgré , sa couleur jaune, et s on extreme humidité ;celle de Sicile, plus séche et plus blan che, vient entroisieme ligne . O n n

’

estime guere la tolp lza ou

manne pesante des environs de Rome .

”Fourcroy

supposes manna to donsist of four different ingredients : 1 . pure manna, which constitutes three

fourths of the whole ; 2 . a little common sugar ; 3 .

a yellow nauseous smelling substance, to which it

owes its purgative quality and 41. mucilage . Brandetells us, in his Manual of Chemistry (vol . iii. p .

that manna digested in n itric acid yields both ox

alic and saclactic acids.

It would appear by the Transactions of the .Lite

rary Society of Bombay, from a statement made byCaptain E . Frederick, who had travelled into Persia;

1“See Springel’

s Hist01 ia rei Herbarias ; also Avicenna, 260, 262 4

1 See Recueil de Questions, & c . par Mr. Michaelis, p 6 2 .

2 14 MATERIA 1 11D ICA . PART 1 .

often imprope rly called, wild marjoram, is common

in Persia, and is termed in Persian irpa, and in

Arabic haska‘

Lis .

Sweet marjoram has been supposed by some to

be the croqwimxov of the ancients : it is known to

possess tonic virtues, but is now chiefly used in

Europe as a culinary herb : it was introduced intothe botan ical garden of Calcutta in 18 14. The

French”" still frequently prescribe the leaves : pour

resoudre cc qu’

ils appellent la pituité de l’

éstomach,et du poumon .

”I t is an annual pl

long brown fibrous root, with downy,

leaves, and small white flowers. Laureiro found the

plant in Cochin-China. (Flora Cochin , vol . ii .Murray, in his Apparat . Medic . (vol . ii . p .

in speaking of this plant, observes, Tnmores mam

marum dolentes, scirrhosos, herba recens, viridis, pertempus applicata, feliciter dissipavit .

”

Mr. Moon , in his Catalogue of Ceylon Plants

(p . gives place to a plant he calls origanum

majoranoides, which he says is of a woolly nature .

MASTICH . Roomie mustiki a;

(Tam. ) Salse’

s (Turk ) Roomie musta/cie

and Hind . ) Arab (Arab . ) also

Ha lal? bag rladie a im , $1; (A rab .) Kinnelr (Pers.

A lmacegu (Port . ) M astic (Fr . ) M astic (G er.

Almaciga (Span . ) M astico (It .)PISTAC IA LENTI SCUS

See Alibert’

s Rlemens de Thérapeutique , vol. 11.

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA INDI CA . 2 15

C l. and O rd . Dioecia Pentandria.

'Nat. < O rd .

Amen taceae

This resinous substance is considered by the Hindoo doctors as corroboran t and balsamic, and is generally ordered by them in conjunction with sala misrie

(salep), which they reckon very nutritious. The

Mahometan women of high rank use it as a masticatory to preserve their teeth , and sweeten theirbreath ; about which they show just as much anxietyas the ladies of the seraglio at Constantinople .

Mastich is brought to India from the island of

Scios by way of the Red Sea. Sonini’r tells us,

that in Egypt the smoke inhaled into the lungs is

reckoned of a poisonous nature .

Mastich, which comes to us in yellowish transparent brittle tears, is nearly inodorous, except whenheated, and then it has an agreeable odour ; chewed,it

’

is almost insipid, feeling at first gritty, and ultimately soft ; it has been considered as diuretic and

astringen t,but its virtues are trifling i in the arts it

is employed in the composition of varnishes for toiletboxes and violins ; together with gum sandarach

,

gum elemi, lac, alcohol, and in conjunction withturpen tine, the jewellers lay it under the diamond toadd to its lustre . Virey , in his Histoire Naturelle

des Medicamen s (p . tells us, that from the

kernels of the lentisk, or mastich tree, an oil may be

obtained which is fit for table the same intelligent

writer informs us, that according to Desfon taines

See Dr. W .Wittman ’

s Travels m Turkey, &c . , p . 447 also

Tavern ier’

s Persian Travels, also Pocock’

s Travels.

1' See his Travels, pp . 6 29 , 6 30. Eng . Trans . The mastich of

Scios is particularly mentioned by Pliny as be ing by far the best,he speaks of a white and black kind . See Nat. Hist . lib . xii.

cap . xv1i.

1 See Thomson’

s London Dispensatory .

P 4

2 16 MATERIA INDI CA . PART 1 .

and Duhamel, the p ist . A tlantica and pist . chia yieldresins wh ich resemble mastich .

I have been somewhat surprised to see by Elmore’

s

D irectory 10 the Trade of the I ndian and China

Sea,”that he

'

mentions mastich as a produce afl

Passier (Borneo). The tree is well known to be a na

tive of Portugal, Italy, and Palestine ; but is particularly abundan t in Scios, where it is got by makingincisions in the trunk and bran ches of the tree ,

which seldom r1ses higher than twelve feet, havingleaves abruptly p innate, of a lucid green colour on

the upper part, and pale on the under side, with the

male and female flowers on different plants. The

p istac ia lentiscus is growing in the botanical gardenof Calcutta, introduced in 1806 . The Arabians”“

place mastich amongst their hepatics, ton ics, and

astringents. It would seem by Dierbach’

s Mat.

Med. of Hippocrates, chap . Vii. , that the pistacialentiscus was known to the G reeks by the name

of 2 7ym , that sort they called P797 1”) o-

Xummwasmastich when mixed up with certain oin tmen ts.

The species oleosa grows in Cochin-China, and isthere called cay

-deau-truong the drupe abounds in

a yellow edible oil. Vide Laureiro (Flora CochinChina, vol. ii . p .

CXX .

MELON, WATER. P ilclzc‘

i p ullum |_ S F93 8

(Tam. ) Tarbooze (Duk . and Hind . )Darbgee (Tel . ) Mamie/fee (Mal . ) P itchag lzedie 1

Avicenna treats of it under the name of madstthake , andspeaks of its astringent and discutien t quality ; hemoreover says z.Tussi e t sanguin is rejectione prodest . Stomachum roborat et

jecur .

” Vide Canon . Med . lib . ii. trac t 11. p . 189 .

- 1“Another Cyngalese name for water melon is Icomadu dig/a.

2 18 MATERIA IND ICA: PART 1 .

tendrils ; y ellow fl owers, and fruit large, smooth,round or oblong, and a foot and a half in length .

Five species of citrullus are growing in the royal

botan ical garden of Ceylon .

*

The music melon (cucumis melo) is an excellentfruit in India, and much sought after by the Euro

pean inhabitants, though it is supposed to disagree

with delicate stomachs, occasionally also inducingcholera, simply so called ; this effect of the fruit is

best obviated by mean s of a little pounded black

pepper . It is an annual of the Cl . and O rd . Mo

noecia Monodelphia, and Nat . O rd . Cucurbitaceae ;it has been said that it was a native of Calmuc Tar

tary, an opin ion adopted by Willdenow ; in India itis cultivated by seeds brought from Persiat , where it

is much prized, and is called kkurboozeh xjfl JS ' The

A rabians term it baleelrlz The Dukhanie and

Hindoostanie name is also lrhurboozalz bacacoy , also

smung/za (Malay) ; molampullum (Tam. ) p op one (I t. )The French are still in the habit of employing the

seeds of the melon , as well as those of different

gourds, in their treatment of inflammatory fevers,and in consequence have bestowed upon them the

name of The Arabians, strangeto say, have placed the dried musk melon seeds

amongst their M afaz‘

latdt (Lithontriptica).Nine species of cucumis are growing in the botanical

garden of Calcutta, all natives of India except themelo. Four species of cucumis are at p resent in the

royal botan ical garden of Ceylon . The Cyngalese

the common melon is raw komadoo. I t is, the QMof the Egyptian A rabs (Forsk . Egyp . A rab . p .

See Mr. Moon’

s Catalogue of Ceylon Plants, p .

1 See Tavern ier’s Travels in Persia, book iv . chap . 11.

1 See Alibert’

s Elemens de Thé rapeutiqueh vold . p . 6 6 3.

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDI CA . 2 19

CXXI

MILK, COW’S. P ris/112572p aal L

'Bi

(Tam. ) Aoop aloo (Tel . ) Dood (Hindooie) Ghay

Ira dood «LY (Duk .) E llalcerrie (Cyng . )

(inks/22m ffigfi'

t (Sans.) Gaee-cha-clood (Mah . )

800300”I,“ (Mal . ) Lait (Fr. ) Latte (It . )

LAC\

VAC C INUM .

Much has been said of the different kinds of milkin many of the Sanscrit and Tamool Medical Sastrums, but by none is the subject so fully treated of

as by Aghastier in his celebrated work, entitled Vy tiaAmjouroo. I t would occupy too much room, were

I to enter at large in to all his fanciful notions ;

suffice it here to observe, that he considers cow’

s

milk as proper food for the young, and, as is indicated in many cases, for the more advanced, whorequire light nourishment . He conceives it to bethe most aper1ent of all milk, and, what is fan cifulenough, that it tends to clear the intellect. The

milk of a white cow, he says, is of use in hypochon

driacal cases ; that of a red one, for such a s suffer

from biliary derangements that of a b lack one, par

ticularly if it has also a dark-coloured udder, hethinks benefic ial for those who a re troubled with

phlegm ; and last of all, that a cow which is of the

colour of gold, yields milk that can cure all mann er

of disorders ! in fact, he can scarcely find words to

praise sufficiently the milk of this favourite and re

vered animal. Much then , he proceeds to say, will(1 upon the time when the milk is taken : if

in the morning it alleviates the pains of rheu~


matism ; at noon it gives appetite, but if taken at

bed-time it is good for every ailmen t of the bodyThe general names formilk of all kinds in Sanscrit

are khskim al t , p ay asCERT, dugdlza gffl

'

; the

A rabians term it lelmnu" the Persians sheer

J“

Sour or curdled milk is in Sanscrit dad/ll ( fi t,and in Hindoostan i e dakl it is given with a littleblack pepper in ozena (p

inas), also in gonorrhoea

(prameh).Cow’

s milk, as a diet for the sick in India, European

p ractitioners differ about ; it certainly, in its pure

state, lies heavy at the stomach of many full-grown

people ; others it renders drowsy . Whey is a most

delightful and safe drink, and is peculiarly relishedin the hot weather in India ; so is butter mil/c (lacebutyratum), which is much drank, being at once

cooling, pleasant, and gently aperient ; I am inclinedto think, besides, that it has the peculiar quality of

allaying that irritability of the stomach, sometimesoccasioned by tea. In Tamool it is moroo. Chaalck

355°

l6 > (Duk . ) Doog lz (Arab . ) Tsalla (Tel. )Talcm FEE also Dandc

'

ilzam ( 03 76 3 .

M at/1a (Hind . ) B utter in India is , gen erally speaking , most excellent, and is made every morn ingbyagitating

’r fresh milk . What is called ty re by the

English in India is an excellent preparation of milk,being cooling, pleasan t to the taste, and, from its

slight acidity, gently open ing .it is made by adding

to warm fresh milk a little butter milk, and the wholeallowed to stand all n ight ; it is usually eaten with

O r from agitating for some time the top or richest part of

tyre , or sometimes the Whole of it is used .

The oldest mention of butter is supposed to be in the ac

count given of'

the Scy thians by Herodotus (iv. 2 . pre

pared by agitating mare’

s milk .

222 MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1.

goat’s milk ought to be administered in such cases

as are accompan ied with a deficiency of bile, an d incertain bowel complaints it is moreover stated, that

it affords a very wholesome nourishment to the bodyin weakly habits, and is particularly useful when thebowels are inclined to be over-loose, and the appetitedelicate it resembles very much cow

’

s milk, exceptin its greater consistence and is by many preferredto it for tea ; it throws up abundance of cream,

which can be converted into butter.

The milk of the“

ewe, wh ich is supposed to re

semble cow’

s milk more than any other, is a favouriteremedy of the Arabs and Persians the first call it

leban zan dm‘

aUs ! and place it amongst their ce

phalics and the last term it sheerz'

mesk W fia ,

g ive a place to it amongst their aphrodisiacs.

are told by Dr. Hooper, in his valuable MedicalD ictionary, that by experiments made on ewes

’

milk, it has been found that its cream is more abundan t than that of the cow, and yields a butter notso consistent as cow

’

s milk butter ; its excellentcheese is well known . The Hindoos, it would

pear, by what I find in the Vy lz'

a Any ouroo’

Aghastier, have a notion that the milk of a red

increases too much both the bile and the

and brings on diarrhoea and difficulty of breathing !

CXXIII .

MILK, ASSES’. Kcilcidg/ p aal es® ® 5 1_ JL_ Jrr

(Tam. ) Gadllay p ad loo (Tel. ) Gadi-kc'

i

It 1s a singular thing enough , but the mlittle afl-

‘

ac ted with the food these an imals eat ;

the b 1anches even of

without the milk either

CHAP . I . MATERIA INDICA .

(Duk . ) Cotaloolreerle (Cyng . ) Kimm

kk‘

z‘

m aw (Sans. ) Gkaduva-tcha-dood (Mahf)

LAC ASINJE .

Asses’ milk, which has a very strong resemblance

human milk in colour and consistence, is recom

e native practitioners in man iacal cases ;

ose it to possess virtues in leprous affec

particularly in what the Tamools call coostum

arabum) ; in the car ln kirana’z

'

e (or black car

or milk-rash of children), they order a certain

of it to be taken two or three times in the

day. Asses’ milk* differs from cow

’

s milk in its

cream, being less abundant and more insipid, in itscontaining less curd, but a greater proportion of

sugar ; its virtue as affording a light nutriment to the

delicate is well known . Avicenna prescribed it inhectic fever. (Vide Canon . Med . , lib. ii . tr

'

act ii .

p .

I cannot learn that mare’s mil/cl is ever used by the

H indoos : the modern Arabians consider it labunal

kl ZM ilU“! as narcotic, placing it amongst their

M okécle’

rrc'

it . I t contains a great quantity of the<sugar of milk, and is on that account more fittedthan others for vinous fermentation ; hence the

liquor prepared with it, which the Tartars call [roumz

’

ss, which somewhat resembles that made from the

The ass is found in a wild state in the desert country, which

separates Cattz'

war from Guto/z, where it is calledNew o r gurlcl mrthe body is generally of an ash colour, the head unusually long,and the limbs st rong , resembling the asses found in Tartary theyare extremely fierce , and must be taken in pits .

The. German physicians prescribe mare’

s milk in worm cases

(taen ia). See Dr. Good’

s Study of Medic ine, vol. i. p . 325.

224 MATERIA INDICA . PART a

same milk, and termed by the Turks yaourt .

* O

camel’

s milk, I find mention is made by Avicennarecens foetarum camelarum lac cum ricinino oleo

interrias durities curat .”(Vide Canon . Med . , lib . ii.

tract ii . )

i

The different kinds of milk hitherto examinedchemically, are asses

’

, goat’s, sheep

’

s, l’

1

and cow’

s, and I have now mention ed them accordi ng to the quantity of sugar they contain . Parmen

1

bt i er could n ot make any butter from the cream of i

o o

I Iwoman ’

s mi lk, asses’ mi lk, or mare

’

s milk ; and that 4

from sheep he found always soft ; it appears, how

ever, from 'V irey’

s statement l‘

, that from two pounds

of woman’

s milk he obtain ed six drachms of butter,but from asses

’

and mare’s he could procure none .

The first mentioned gentleman divided milks intotwo classes ; one abounding in serous and saline

parts, which includes asses’

, mare’

s, and woman’

s ;

the other in rich or caseous and butyraceous parts,which includes cow

’s, goat

’

s, and sheep’

s.

The milk of the bufitzlo (bos bubulus), is veryabundant, but much thinner than that of the cow,

and not so agreeable to the taste ; from its plentyand cheapness it is a great source of comfort to the

n atives of the lower orders. By the Vy l ia Any ouroo

of Aghastier, it appears, that the Hindoo doctorsconsider buffalo milk as predisposing to catarrh, and

that it tends to cloud the intellect . In Sanscrit, the

buffalo ismahz'

slza $1s or mahz'

sk'

iWad. B e’

ynce

(Hind . ) Jc'

imoos (Pers. ) Ye’

room

(Tam. ) Ye’

nnamoo (Tel. ) In Behar the native

I have since learn t that mare’

s milk , is considered by the Himdoos of U pper India, as

.a useful medicine when applied to vene

real sores ; its Sanscrit n ame is Héyalcshz’

rz

'

.

1‘ See his Histoire Naturelle des Medicamens, p . 1 12.

V


p ale de vacca . Vauquelin, however, also disfibrine in the juice of the p ap aw tree (carica

See articleP e ri l, in Part ii . vol . ii. of this work

CXXIV.

MILLET, ITALIAN. Témze’

y 5‘m (

Rawla 111) (Duk .) s gnie (Beng . ) Cérciloo

Kora (Hind . ) Cay Kite (Coch . Chin . ) N

(Can . ) Navaria (Mal . ) DuklmL335 )

(African). Arzan L1 )$31 (Pers. ) Te’

nna

Malab . ) Tana-ital (Cyng . ) P r iy ang ii

(Sans. ) also Kangu (Sans. ) B eertia (B aly

'

eree (G uz . ) Chemia (Mah. ) M ig lio.

PANI CU M l‘ ITALICUM (Li

Cl . and C M. Triandria Digyn ia. Nat .

G ramina. Welfi'lzer Fenniclz (Nom. Triv. Will

I have given this small round gram a place

from certain knowledge of its excellence ;prized by the native Indianmake cakes of it and also a

the purposes of pastry it is little if ito wheat, and, when boiled with milk,and pleasant

“

meal for invalids. The

it in h igh estimation , indeed, more than

grain . The calm is annual and seldom ri

than a foot and half. Three varieties of itivated in Mysore ; bili on watered land,

palm gardens, and mobu in dry fields ; in more

The seeds of the bassia butyracea on beingyield a rich oily substance , which the natives of the

Moun tains use as ghee , or butter .

1 No fewer than 30 Species of panicum are growingroyal botanical garden of Ceylon .

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA INDICA . 227

ern tracts other varieties, g lieda, join, and doda are

cultivated. Barrow, in his Travels in China (p .

tells us, that it is common in that country . It grows

in abundance in the Southern parts of Europe, particularly in Portugal, where it is called millzo p ainco.

CXXV .

MUDAR ROOT. See article Yercum wag/r in

this Part (Part I . ) of the work .

ACX X V I .

MU LLET. Mddddvéy -meen Le v— ou rr'

Ld‘oor

(Tam. ) B onta (Tel . ) ParkenUs”. (Hind . ) Ma

'

bee zimibiee ff 6

1111» (Duk . ) M dla'

i (Malealie . ) M a

let (Fr . ) Trig lia (It. ) é11> (Arab. ) £11? (Pers. )MUGIL CEPHA

’

LUS .

This is a most excellent fish in India, but is, perhaps, a little too fat and rich for those who are deli

cate ; it is much prized by the natives, and is veryabundant in the Indian seas. I t is usually from

eight to twelve inches long, or more, and has, of

course, the distinguishing characters of its genus,

which are, a lower jaw, carinate within ; scales stri

ated ; two fins on the back . It is used both in its

fresh and’

salted state . There are seven species belonging to this genus ; ours is the most common, and

is what was so much prized by the ancien ts. The

spawn of this fish, salted and dried, forms a kind 1of

cavier , called by the Italians botora'

g o. As food,

Q 2

228 MATERIA 11111310 111 .

generally speaking, the Vy tians consider fish *

heating than butcher meat ; less likely to ex

inordinate flow of bile ; more easily digested,be particularly indicated in cases of diabetes.

taken in too great a quan tity, however, or whenlong kept, it is apt to bring on leprosy, especiala milk diet is at the same time indulged in .

CXXVII .

MU SK. Castoor i E ma gy rr rfi (Tam. Tel . Sa

J e’

bat (Mal . ) D edes (Jav . ) M isklr (Duk .

Pers. ) Kusz‘

o'wr ie

'

(Hindooie ) M id i/11 .;

Rutta oorookz (Cyng . ) Mus/rus (Dut. ) A

(Port . ) Desmer (Dan .) M use (Fr . ) . B isam

5,5) , w (Mal. )Moscn us MO SCH IF

The .native practitioners of India, like us,

musk as stimulant and antispasmodic ; and

it m gen eral'

spasmodic affections, and inThe Tamool

‘doctors especially, suppose it

ful in what they call manda jennie (convchildren ), which they conceive to

, proceed from

digested milk, as the . name implies. They also'

min ister it in dyspepsia and leistna/i dbslzam (typhand, when combined with op ium, in dysenteric

plaints.

The -odour of musk is powerful and altog

peculiar ; we cannot well call it arom

The natives of India make great use of salt

carried in to the mterior parts of the coun try; andcounterac ting any

.

bad effects that might arise fromuse of vege table d1et .

230 MATERIA INDICA. PA

tory, extols highly the powers of musk as an

pasmodic, which often succeeds, he says, when

de’

mag li (Cephalics) for the

the Persian“ physicians respecting it, the readconsult a valuable work, entitled M aadeni

w as“ , or The Mine of Remedies”, bydical practitioner of Bokharia, called Aby B en36 72, and written in 13 63 .

A factitious musk may be made by digesti

gether rectified oil of amber, one part, withacid, four parts, to be afterwards well was

water ; the smell is similar to that of muskbergris, and may be substituted for them as

cine . (See G ray’

s Supplemen t to the Pharmacopoe

p .

CXXVIII .

MU STARD . Kdddghoo a fi g (Tam. ) R

(Duk . ) Sdsdvie (Mal .) Gan-aba (Cyng . )

jikci U fffiafil (Sans . ) Riey (Hindooie ) A

(Tel . ) Klzirdal 315J>°

(Arab . ) Rd’

i (H ind . )tarda (Port . ) M outarde (Fr. ) Seiifisamen

Gr i me de mostaza (Sp . ) Sirshafi’

Rie (Mah . ) Senapa (It . ) Kiai-i‘sai (Chin . )SINAPI S CH INENSI S

C1. and O rd . TetradynamiaSiliquosa. Nat .

Siliquosae. Clainesiscker Seijif (Nom. Triv .

The pungen t, bitterish, acrid, and bitingthe sinapis chinensis, are con sidered b y the

Rhazes ex tols musk h ighly for all those comp lain ts,supposes originate in a dimin ished vital heat in the braO per. Rhaz . De Remed . lib . iii. p . 74.

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDICA . 2 8 1

and Mahometan practitioners as stimulant and sto

machio, and laxative they also, when‘

bruised into

powder, use them externally in rheumatic and para

lytic affections, mixed occasionally with a little warmv megar.

Several spec ies of smap1s are cultivated in Bengal,on account of the very useful edible oil procuredfrom the seeds. The most common are the sinapis

dichotoma ( Roxb . the Hindoostan ie name

of which is semen, and Sanscrit sarskap a . The si

napis ramosa (Roxb . MSS.) the Hindoostanie name

of which is ra'

i, and Sanscrit rajice , names also givento our article ; and another species, called in Hindoostanie tor i, and in Sanscrit taverica. The excellent Dr. Carey, in the 10th volume of A siatic “

Researches, speaks of a species, smap1s glauca (skelasirslza, Hind ). With respect to their medicinal qualities, Dr. Fleming, in his Catalogue of IndianMedicinal Plan ts (p . says, that the seeds of all

these correspond exactly with those of the sinap isn igra Fifteen species of sinap is are growing in the botan ical garden of Calcutta, all of them

oriental plants, except the sinapis n igra (the Nam-u

of the Greeks), which was brought from Englandby Colonel G arstin . But two species of sinap is ap

pear to be growing in the royal botan ical garden of

Ceylon’r,

"

our article, and the s inap is alba, which the

Cyngalese call rala-aba .

European practitioners recommend an infusion of

the bruised seed in paralysis ; also externally, anbrocation made with the farina of the pounded seeds,in vinegar. A valuable mustard seed cataplasm, is

prepared with equal parts of the pulverised seeds and

See Asiatic Researches for 1808, vol . 11. p . 15.

1' See Mr. Moon

’

s Catalogue of Ceylon Plants, p .47 .

CL44


crumb of bread ; it ‘

is applied to the'

soles

feet, in the sinking stages of fever and other di

A table-spoonful of theunbruised seed, givenand morn ing, promotes the secretion of ur

dropsies, and is at once stomachic ’x‘

, ape

diuretic ; a pound of the whey may be dra

same purposes twice daily : this is madetwo or three table-spoonfuls of the bruised

pint'

of milk, andThe an cients, according to

of mustard as a medicine, and cultivated threferent kinds of it ; in speaking of it, he says,

serpentium ictus et scorpionum tritum cum

illinetur. Fungorum ven ena discutit ; con tra

tam tenetur in ore, donec liquescat, aut gacum . aqua mulsa ; stomach ico utilissimu

omn ia vitia, pulmonibusque.”

The Greekbut by two names, Nauru and Eli/7177 1. Rh

Arabian writer, says of it Sinap i calidumin palato positum phlegma in cidit vermes prmteexPellit, atque apostemata maturat .

”

CXXIX .

MU TTON.-Aatoo irickie

Vaynta koora (Tel . ) Dag in doomba

I am inclined to think , that mustardgreater virtues than have yet been fully asce

it of the greatest use in paralytic affec tions

and it would appear by the observationswh itemustard seed had been found by him to be

remedy in the low state of typhus fever, when musk ,and other remedies had failed . See Roque ’

s Phytograpcale , vol . ii. p . 19 1 .

1 Vide C .-P]in ii, Nat . Hist . tom. 11. lib . xx. cap . 22 .

j; Vid e Rhaz . O per . de re Med . lib . iii. p . 87 .

2341 MATERIA INDI CA . PAR

Leicestershire breed the wool of it towardsSouth is coarse, but farther North is finer, andmutton very good . The sheep is the only beasburthen that travellers have in those snowy count

and carries about fifteen seers. The wool in

coldest regions i s said to be little inferior in fine

to the fleece of the shawl goat, and is made intowoollen cloth by the women . In an interestingpaper in the Asiatic Journal for March, 1823, byMr. Kendal, it will be seen , that he con siders the animal which Mr . Frazer found in the HemalayaMou

‘

n

tains, there cal

by Mr. Moorcroft, is no other than the sheep in

wild state, and not, as some have supposed, the libetwixt the deer and sheep it is remarkable forenormous bran ching horns. I t is found also

Kamtscatchka, Siberia, and Tartary, and 1

America ; nay, Pennant says it was formerlyBritain it is the

'

musmon of the G reeks,of Buffon, the calealoo of the Tamooleans, and

Colebrooke suggests, that it is no other than the ovis

ammon of North America. The A lg onkin nationsof India call itmiatic or ugly deer. In winter thehair is long and shaggy, including a highly-respectable beard ! In summer the hair falls

'

ofi’

; and the

under coat becomes a grey wool ; the legs are slen

der and long the agility of the motions of this ani

mal, much resemble those of the deer kind . Mr.

Kendal, however, concludes his accoun t by saying,that the barrel is, notwithstanding, a sheep, and the

only sheep or original type which nature has planted

on the globe .

In Nepaul the mutton is, by all accoun ts, of a su

perior quality, and one breed of sheep there, the

smallest, and called hahg ia, is covered with an excel

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA IND I CA . 285

The sheep of Thibet are very large, and

y the inhabitan ts of B oolan as . beasts of

both their mutton and wool are much

ose of more southern latitudes.of G ood Hope sheep are distinguishedthick tails which are fat, and much

used by the natives in preparing their greasy, and toEuropean stomachs, unpalatable food ; the wool is

coarse, and the mutton not delicate .

As a diet for the sick, I conceive mutton to be

every way inferior to beef, kid, or lamb it is said tobe, and I believe it is so, the most easily digested of

all kinds of butcher meat by men in health, but

when fat it has a certain heaviness of taste, or p er

haps it might be better expressed by a strongness of

flavour, which by no means recommends it to an ih

valid.

In speaking of the sheep of Malabar, Dr. Bucha

nan (now Hamilton) informs us, that there are two

kinds, the curumbar and shaymbliar . The first are

short bodied, tail short, for the most part white, witha black head ; above the Ghauts often black, woolthick and curly, with little hair interwoven . The

second, the .shaymhliar , are more slender, wool veryscanty, their principal covering being hair ; in the

low country they are commonly of a reddish brown ,but in Mysore they are usually black . In the Car

natic, the Tamools call the wool-bearing sheep hoo

rumba‘

doo, and the other she’

mbili or semmalie autoo.

A sheep.

of n early the same kind is common in some of thePersian provmces, and the tail considered as an emollien t . The

Arabians call the tail ulyeah ag i the Persians dumdumhehr;

in Hindoostanie it is dumlcey.

hey p oonteh . same variety iscommon also m Cabul, and there called, by Mr. Elphinstone

’

s

account , doomba he tells us, their tails are a foot broad and composed almost entirely of fat. See his Account of Cabul, p . 143.


In Aghastier’s Medical Sastrum of Vy tia

he speaks rather unfavourably of the mutton of the

first, as having a tendency to promote too much the

secretion of bile ! !The enlightened and excellent Dr. F . Hamilton,

above mentioned, in his A ccoun t of the D istrict of

Puraniy a, n otices a breed of sheep in that part-of

India,

°

and there called garar , which are distinguished

by their long tails, and which, he says, resemble more

the sheep of Europe than any he had seen in India ;he also notices two other breeds of sheep common

there, and that the wool of both is made intoblankets ; one of these is termed bhere’, the other

bhera . I take this opportun ity of gratefully acknowledging the obligations I am under to that gentlemanfor much v aluable information ; and for the indul-l

gence he has so liberally and politely gran ted me of

perusing his, I must say, inestimable manuscripts,

deposited in the library of the East India Company,at the India House .

CXXX .

MYROBALAN, BELLERIC . Tdnihai 5 17-6 3 6 1

“

ag es-

W u (Tam. ) Bulla (Duk . ) B e’

he’

y ra (Hind . )B e

’

le’

yhg511 15 Arab. ) B e’

ley leh add ; (Pers. ) B oolloo

(Cyng . ) B ahira (Sans. )TERMINALIA

Cl. and O rd . Polygam1a Monoec1a. Nat . O rd.

Eloeagm (JussThe fruit of the belleric myrobalan , in its dried

state, is little larger than a gall nut, but not so regui


by some experiments made by Dr. Roxburgh"; that

it is even more astringent than the Al eppo galls. In

its dried state, in which we find it in the bazars, it isabout the size of a large Span ish olive, of an oblongovate shape, yellow brown colour, and is markedth five edges and five furrows alternately .

Kadukai, well rubbed with an equal proportion of

cuttacamboo (see article Catechu), is considered bythe native practitioners as an excellent applicationm the apthous complain ts of children and adults ;the last of which is a frequent and most dangerousaffection amongst the Hin doos. The tree wh ich

yields this myrobalan is common in the Mysorecountry, where it is called uralay , and hence the

name Dr . Buchanan bestowed upon it, my raholanus

arula it is the terminalia chebula and to

which he has given the trivial name of zweidrusiger

caitapp enbaum. D’Herbelot, in his B ibliotheque O ri

entale, expresses an op in ion, that the A rabic name

of the chebulic myrobalan is taken from the word

cabul the article having been first brought to

A rabia from the country so named . I t was on thisspecies of myrobalan, or rather terminalia, that Dr .

Roxburgh?found the larva of the coccus or kermes,

about three-eighths of an inch long and a quarterbroad and which, he thinks, could they be procuredin any quantity, might prove as valuable a dye l

’

as

the red dye of the cochineal insect.What is called zengi har (Hindooie) in the B engal

Se e O rien tal Repertory , vol. i. p . 23 .

1‘ See Coromandel Plan ts, vol . ii. pp . 53, 54.

1 I t was called by the anc ien ts coccus scarlatinum, they pre

ferred that of Galatia and A rmen ia ; at presen t it is gathered in

Languedoc , and IS found on the quercus coccifera (Lin . The 111

sect i s used for dyeing , chi efly wool, when bruised it has a

p leasan t smell ; the taste is a little bitter, rough and pungent .

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDICA . 239

singhi and hurhadaga is

or black myrobalan of old writers, and is,

in fact, the unripe dried fruit of the terminalia che

bula. The native doctors recommend it as a briskis about the size of a pistachio-nut, and

-black(colour, oblong, poin ted, slender, and

has scarcely the rudimen ts of the nut. The Ara

bians call it ahleeluj-asood and the Per

sians heleeleh seeah 5113

111 they give it in

decoction as a cathartic,in doses from 1 to 2 direms,

with the addition of a little hon ey . The terminaliachebula seldom rises higher than eighteen or twentyfeet, with naked, ovate, mostly opposite leaves, petioles biglandular above, racemes simple ; all the

flowers are hermaphrodi te .

What is called the citrine 1L myrobalan (terminalia

citrina) is r anked amongst the fruits it is about thesize of a French plum, and is often

'

made into p ickle ;its Sanscrit name is liha, its Hindoostan ie harva, and

its Canarese alay-gara . (Further particulars in Part

IV. of this work . )

CXXXII .

MYROBALAN EMBLIC . Nellie nai (315m

oé‘

esmrr un Tam. ) Woosher ihdia (Tel. )Aoon ld (Duk . ) Anola (Hind . ) Amlej

(Hindooie ) Hac-min-san (Coch . Chin . ) Amleh

a“; (Pers. ) Amalaka W (Sans. ) also Aun

This myrobalan was supposed by Rhazes to have virtues'

incases of melancholia. Vide O per . Rhaz . de Remedies, lib. i. p .437 .

1' This myrobalan the same writer believed to have v irtues in

cases of cholera ; again, he says of it, bilem rubeam, et humoresVide idem, p . 207 .


werd (Hind . ) also Aong ra (Hind . )nelli (Cyng . ) Cay -houng —Ng ot (Cochin-Chin . )

PHYLLANTHUS EMBLI CA

Cl. and O rd. MonoeciaMonodelphia. Nat .

Tricoccae (Lin .) B aumar tig er Phy llan i‘

hus (NTriv .

The emblic myrobalan is the produce of the

rohalanus emblica of 1 Rumphius, and is recko

amongst the Indian fruits it is frequentlypickle . When fresh it resembles muchmellie (fruit of the cicca disticha, it

astringen t, has a dark stone inside, and isthose articles which were formerly known inunder the general name of myrobalans, buthave all been long discarded from our dispensaDr. Fleeming tells us, that the presen t articl e

general use amongst the Hindoo physicians a

eccoprol ic, and enters as an essen tial ingredientthe preparation of the bitlahan, to be atte

noticed ln Part II . of thiswork .

This myrobalan , in its d1 ied state, i s calledTamool nellie moolie ; it is then about the size 0

small marble, of a dirty, dark-brown colour, and

regular surface, possessing a'

considerableastringency . Avicenna* speaks of it u

Le i, and tells us, that the Arabs someti

fruit of“ (Suk . ) The tree which yieldsB oa malacca of the Malays1

Land Javanese,

nelli camarum of the Hortus Malab . i . p . 6 9 . t . 88 .

All these three myrobalans are to be met with

See Avicenna, p . 128 . also Sprengel’

s HistoriaRei Herbariae,

p . 26 7

+°

It 1s a native of Cochin-China and China : of it Lant eiro says,arbuscula, ramis diffusis, f olia oblongata, barca, sub pyriformis,

carnosa, sub acida, edulis. Flor. Cochin-Chin . vol . ii. p . 553.

62442 MATERIA IND I CA . PART 1.

This mint is occasionally prescribed by the Maho

metan practitioners in dyspeptic complaints, and tostop vomiting . The A rabians and Persian s place itamongst the ir Mulittifat c ums (A ttenuentia). In

Bengal it is ch iefly used for culinary purposes. Dr.

Fleming observes, that it is a different plant fromthe sp ear mint (menstra viridis), and Dr . Roxburghthinks, that it comes nearest to the mentha sativa ;but as the first of these gentlemen jit is of no consequence, as the p odina possessesthe aromatic flavour, as well as the stomachic,

spasmodic and emmenagog ue virtues, whichcommon to most of the spec ies of the genus .

spec ies of men tha are g rowing in the botan ical

garden of Calcutta ; five species grow in Ceylon.

A libert”" takes no notice of the mentha sativa, or

m. viridis, but extols the men tha crispa (mu-hung

Cochin-Chin . ) in cases of flatulence, hysteria, and

spasmodic colic . Min t, the Mwén of the G reeks, isoften alluded to by the ancients : Theophrastusspeaks highly of it ; Pliny dwells chiefly on its de

lightful odour’r, and of its quality of preventing

milk from soon turn ing sour. The men . peperita

grows in Japan , and is there calledfaha .

See hisNouveaux Elémens de Therapeutic , vol. 11. p . 129 .

1' See Pl1ny

’

s Nat. Hist . lib. xix . cap . viii. p . 583 .

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA 1110 c . 248

(Arab . ) Manisan lebah (Malay) Madu (Jav. )Mada (Bali. ) M irra (Port . ) M irrhe (Dut . )My rrhen (G er. ) My rrhe (Fr. ) M irra (It. )

MYRRHA .

It is a reproach to the sc ience of medicine, that

the tree which produces this gum-resin has not yet

been satisfactorily ascertained ; it is said to be a

native of Azam, in

'

Africa also H adramaut, a pro

vince of Arabiaf Felix, and of Abyssin ial‘

, growing,according to Bruce, along the coast towards the

Straits of Babelmandel ; that gentleman observes

(vol. v. Appendix, that the leaf of the myrrh

tree resembles much that of the acacia vera, and that

the bark is altogether like that of the same tree ,

from which, we might be induced to suppose, that

the plant was a mimosa ; but as Dr. Duncan, junior,very justly observes, in his excellent edition of the

Edinburgh Dispensatory, all the mimosas with

which we are sufficien tly acquainted f urn ish a pure

gum, not a gum-resin . The A rabians term the

acac ia vera also

That the tree should not have been accurately as

certained is the more to be wondered at, when we

reflect, that myrrh has been used both as a perfume

and medic ine upwards of two thousand years. We

are told by A rrian”, that A lexander’s army found

vast n umbers of myrrh trees grow ing in the territoryof the Gadrossi, and that the gum was gathered bythe physic ians ; it was one of the sixteen ingredien tswhich composed the famous zulp hi, which, it is

See Dr. Vin cen t’

s Accoun t of the Commerce and Navigationof An c ien t India, p . 127 .

1 See Niebhur’

s Travels in Arab ia, vol . 11. p . 207 .

1 See Lockman ’

s Travels of the Jesuits, vol . i. p . 264.

I] See l’t ooke

’

s Arrian , vol. ii. pp . 115. 180;

R 2

M ATERIA INDICA .

said, inflamed“

every . n ight to the setting s

temple of Vulcan , at Plutarchserved the recipe

‘

(De I s. et O sir . c . 81 .

edition) ; and Theophrastus describes an

formed by the pastophori, of which myrrhnamon were principal ingredients. Pliny pamentions the appearance of the m

forms us, that in his day there were kn

than six different kinds of myrrh, chieflywith in Arabia ; he notices its often beingwith gum-mastich, Adulteratur lentisci

gummi”

(lib . xii . cap . of it Celsusrha facultatem habet alvum moliendi ; vulnus glnat ; pus concoquit et moyet,

”or words similar

that effect (lib. iii . cap . xx . , also, lib. v . cap . ii . )The Vy tians in India order this substance

sionally in such cases as require gentle cordialsalso employ it

'

externally, when mixed withju ice, as a repellent in tumours and violent brEuropean practitioners cousi

ter, and aromatic gum-resin, asexpectorant, and administer itrosis, cases of debility, and in certain

pulmonary consumption ; but it must becaution , as it is apt to quicken the pulse

ably, and increase sudden ly the heat of the bit is often employed with advantage in hum

asthmaand chron ic catarrh ; a solution of it in

hol is a good local stimulant for spungycorrecting the fetid discharge ofvitiated ulcers.

dose offlthe substance is from gr. xv. to Bi.

pulv . myrrhas comp . (ph . Lond . ) in doses of one

two scruples is a powerful emmenagogue .

See Disquisitions on the H istory of Ancient Medicine ,Dr. R.Mil lar, p .

MATERIA ' INDICA . PART 1 .

into cakes, or is eaten as porridge is in Scotland with

milk ; it is pleasant to the taste, and in its nature

aperient. I t is called in Tinnevelly Cap ri , and in

some parts of Hindoostan maud. In Mysore three

k inds are cultivated : car i, hemp u and kulup aria.

The plant is the eleusine coracana of Gae rtner and

rises to the height of three or four

large, bifarious, smooth leaves, and a

valves nearly equal (See Flora Indica, vol. 1. p .

CXXXVI .

.NIGHTSHADE, DEADLY. Sug-anggor

(Hind . ) Roobah turbuc (P

I nubas saleb 9 12211 9 1: (Arab . ) B elladone

Tollkraut (Ger. ) B elladona (I t.)ATROPA BELLADONA

Cl. and O rd . PentandriaMonogynia. Nat.

Luridae (Lin . )I have merely given this a place here fr

that it was a plant well known in theand to the Arabians * and Persians,us, amongst their narcotics,have n ever seen it in India. It is

in many parts of Europe, and bymon in Britain, especially in ch

dung-hills. It has a thick, fleshy root, from whichspringmanypurple-colouredherbaceous, annual stems;the root-leaves are often a foot long and five inchesbroad ; the stem-leaves are egg

-shaped, on short pe

The name of'

ang oor slc a li sh) , fjl is, I am told, given to a

species of atropha in the upper provinces of Bengal.

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA IND ICA. 247

tinles, pointed, entire, of a dusky-green colour above‘

,

and paler below ; the flowers are large, nodding,having a very faint narcotic odour ; the berry is large,roundish, at first green, but when ripe of a shiningblack colour, containing many seeds, and a violetcoloured juice . Every part of the plant is poisonous ;

h are inodorous, nau

and subacrid) are chiefly employed.

powerfully narcot ic , the deadly n ight

oretic and diuretic . The complaintss been recommended in England, are

cancerous affections, obstinate interm, amaurosis, gout, and palsy ;of op inion that it had the power

ions arising from scrophulous irriits use has been found very effica

the pain of cancerous and ill-con

either in the form of fomentation , or

a little'

of the powder of the leavesffected . The infusion dropt into thesingular dilatation of the pup il. The

nt, and some of great note,

Dehaen , H eister , and more recently Rahn of

contend that the belladona is not only ineffi

ih cancerous complaints, but in many in

hurtfulfi“ O n the other hand, it is supp osedvirtues which render it a useful remedy in

ccording to the testimony of Gre

ih hydrophobia, in spite'

of what

has been said of it byM . ill . M uench, of Hanover,and B uckok

‘

a,of Weimar, Alibert thinks 1s very

doubtf ul. The medical men of G ermany, as we are

See Alibert’

s Nouveaux Elémens de Thérapeutique, vol. 1.

[L422 See also Murray’

s Appar . Med . vol . i. p . 648.

1“ See the same, p .423 .

248 MATERI A INDICA . PART 1 .

told by Loiseleur Deslongchamps prescribe it withas much faith

'

in ‘hooping-cough (coquekuche) as wedo bark in intermittent '

fever. The dose of the

powder of the dry leaves of the belladona is from

grs. viii . to xvi . of an infusion made with a scruple

or half a drachm of the dried leaves in ten ounces

boil ing water, two ounces may be given daily ;the extract, or succus sp icatus, the dose is from gr.

to grs. v . or vi . . O rfila places belladona a

poisons, and ascertained that it acted equand mend The be rries, when eaten , are sai

duce intoxication , accompanied with fits of

and violent gestures, great thirst, nausea,

deglutition , vertigo, dimness of sight,

and death. V auquelin i fbund the leavesL yegetable albumen ; 2 . a bitter narcoti

3 . n itrate, muriate, sulphate, binoxalate, andof potassa. Dr . Brandes has announcedistence of a new vegetable .

alkali—zin this planhe calls atrop ia it forms brilliant acicular cryis tasteless, and difficultly soluble inwater andhol II,

”and affords distinct salts with the acids.

'

Paris informs us, that the best antidote for belladin an over dose IS Vinegar (Pharmacologia, p .

They prepare a sirup by boiling 3g . of the leaves, androot in a suffic ient quantity of water, and adding a prope

portion of sugar : the dose from t. o 5iv . two or three

in the day . See Deslongchamps anuel des Plantes U suel

vol . i. p . 395.

1: See Traité des Poisons, vol . 11. part i. p . 239 .

1; See Annales de Chimie , lxx ii.See Mr. Brande

’

s Manual of Chemistry, vol. iii. p . 116 .k

26 0 MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1 .

some of the woods of Southern India, especially inCanara, which Dr. Buchanan thinks might be greatlyimproved by cultivation . The true nutmeg tree

n ew grows to a tolerable size, in certain shelteredsituations in the Tinnivelly district, especially at

Courtalum,and bears pretty good fruit ; it would also

appear by Mr . Moon’

s valuable Catalogue of CeylonPlan ts, to grow in that fine island, and has got theCyngalese name of sadihha . Three other species ofmyristica grow in that country .

The cultivation of nutmegs was in troduced intoSumatra, by the excellentMr . J . Lumsdain ’

s account,

in 17 9 8, as we learn by his valuable Memoir, published in 182 1, in the Proceedings of the Agricral Society of Sumatra : this attempt however,not very successful ; but it was tried again byRoxburgh, 1803 , and with great success ;

gentleman, carried with him no less than 20,

vigorous nutmeg plants from Amboyna to

matra.

Nutmeg, like mace, taken in large quantity, isto produce stupor and drowsiness. Cullen cau

us against its use in subjects disposedand Dr. Pearson thinksnarcotic effect, similar to that of ca

phius, who has given the scientificn

'

ua' my r istica, sive pala, to the nutme

Amb . ii . p . 14. t . tells us, that

green nutmeg mixed with water, is used in Amboynaas a wash in apthous affections. Mr. Crawford, inhis History of the Indian Archipelago, informs us, 1

that there are no less than eight cultivated varietiesof the tree in the Indian islands (vol. i . p .

and according to De Comyn", two sorts grow in the

See hi s State of the Philippine Islands, p . 26 .

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA IND I CA .

Philippine isl ands, one shaped like a pigeon’

s egg,

the other '

perfectly spherical .

I perceive by Avicenna that the A rabs,besides the Arabic name already mentioned, givenutmeg the appellation of bussabussa They

ongst their M ohewyat habid

and Mohewyat meoadeh 80a m

(Tonica). The volatile oil of nutmeg, which possesses the odour and taste of the nutmeg, in a con

centrated degree, is occasionally used as an externalstimulant . The exp ressed oil, (which is improperlycalled oil of mace, and which Dr. Thomson conceivesto be a kind of vegetable cerate, or a triple com

pound of fixed oil, volatile oil, and wax) is rarelyprescribed, but as an external application ; it is

called in Tamool jadip utrie-ty lum, and in Dukhanie

jawatrie-ha-tailM U”

it is of a very stimulat

ing nature, and'

is brought to.

India from Banda,where it is chiefly employed in preparing linimentsfor palsy and chron ic rheumatism. The dose of

nutmeg may be from three or four grains to a

scruple, that of the volatile oil from two drops toeight . The nutmeg tree was unknown to Linnaeus,and was first well described by Thunberg, in the

Stockholm Acts for 17 82 . It is"

a large tree witherect branches, and a smooth ash-coloured barh ; butthe inner bark is red, leaves petioled, eliptical, pointedalternate, quite entire, shin ing, paler underneath,

'

nerved, and have a delightful aromatic taste . The

flowers are present at the same time w ith the fruitthey are minute, and without odour, and male and

female are on the same and on separate trees.

Willdenow, in speaking of the myristica moschata,says, habitat in M oluccis but it will appear by thefollowing passage, that it is also a native of America.


Le muscadier, m ecrit Z ea, se trouve dans“ les plus chauds du royaume de la Nouv

nade, surtout -a .Mariguita, le long du grandde laMagdeleine

”“and we know, that Ru

Pavon found it in Peru, and Swartz in l

the Am

islands.

Jr ByBeckman

’s account in his V oy

'Borneo, the nutmeg tree grows in~

the island of

lebes, and is an export from 'Macasser.

M alao, bhanhahorac, bashi,'

and barabee, are

names of different wild nutmeg trees growingMadagascar ; an oil got from the fruit of the l

is an excellenf stomachic (See Copeland’

s Histof

CXXXVIII .

OIL 1 OF ALMONDS. Vddomcottay -y un

OM FV E LDGGSFF L Q CDl— Gw m m (Tam.

vittilo (Tel. ) Farsi badam ha tail

(Duk .) I n”ggudi tailum“

61651 (Sans.

OLEUM AMYGDALI (Lon

This is not prepared in any part of India,use there seems to be chiefly confined to the

metan practitioners, who recommend it for th

purposes that we do, as a demulcent andin coughs and pulmonary complaints it is, ho

See Alibert’s Nouveau Riemens de Therapeutic,p . 219 .

1: See same work, vol . and page .

1: The bitter almond 1s called i n Hindooie , kerney badamroot i s considered as a medicine in U pper India. The

almond IS called m H1ndoo1eJunglzeha badam.


to be particularly indicated in cases of neercuttoo

(Tam. ) ischuria and valacuttoo obstinatecostiven ess, from its operating freely and without

irritating ; it is usually given daily, in smal l quantities,to new-born children , for three weeks together ; and

is also considered as an invaluable medicine as an

external application in various cutan eous affections.

The castor-oil plan t from the seeds of which theoil ismade, grows in great abundance in almost everypart of India ; on the Malabar coast it is called bythe Portugese figueiro d

’infer no, in Sanscrit it is

eranda in Canarese haralu,in Malayalie

citavanacu, in Hindoostanie arend, in Arabic kher wa,

in Persian beedinjeer , in Bengalie bherenda, and in

Sumatran Jarah, which, according to Rumphius’r, is

also Malay. That distinguished writer speaks of

the plant under the scientific appellation of ricinusalbus, and informs us, that in Ternate it is termed

p alatsgay t, in Banda cajuloluy , and in Amboynacamir i it is the avanacu of Rheede (Hort. Malab .

ii . p . 57 . t . 53 ) Marsden, in his History of Sn

matra, says, the plant i is common there (p .

The capsule is a trilocular nut, about the size of‘

a

large marble, of a pale-green colour, and covered

with flexible prickles ; this, on bursting, elastically

expels the seeds, usually three in number ; they

Dierbach in his Materia Medica of Hippocrates informs us

(chap . that the plan t was known to Hippocrates under the

name Kpo'roy and the Germans call it familiarly wunderbaum.

1 See Rumph. Amb . iv . p . 9 2 .

1: Dr . F. Hamilton in h is admirable accoun t (MSS .) of the

Puraniya coun try, informs us, that he found the r ic inus c ultivat

ed in that district for the purpose of feeding a worm which pro

duces a k ind of coarse silk ; which worm, I am told by my friend

Mr . Wilkins , in Spinning the cocoon , leaves an ape rture at one

end , through wh ich it can force its way out, without injurin g thefibre : this is not the case with the common worm.

18

CHAP. 1. MATERIA INDICA . 255

almost quite white, of an oblong, flat figure , and

heavy mawkish taste . The plant itself grows fast,

and often to the height of fourteen or fifteen feet,with a round, thick jointed, furrowed stem, glaucous

in the lower part, but of a purplish colour towardsthe top ; the leaves grow singly on very long footstalks, they are large, peltate, palmate , from eight totwelve parted, or in other words, deeply divided intoeight or more pointed serrated lobes, of a blueish

rs are in terminating racemes,

five-parted calyx, the femaleat the upper part of the spike , and is composed of a

three-cleft reddish calyx . The plant is thefima and

apanese, and the cay -du-du-deau of

-China.

*

oil is obtained in two ways, either by exprescoction : in the second mode it is apt, occa

ome a little rancid, though it (solooks clearer, having the colour of beauamber, and is almost without smell, or

e taste . Dr. Thomson iiiforms us, that

castor-oil is distinguished from all other expressedoils, by being

‘

nearly completely soluble in sulphuri c

The bark of the root of the tree is a powerf ul

purgative, and when made into a ball about the size

of a lime, in conjunction with chillies and to

bacco leaves, is an excellent remedy for gripes inhorses.

In the Mysore country, where the castor-oil plant

is much cultivated, two varieties are distinguishedour present article , which is the ricinus commun is,

fi'

uct . minor , and which is in Canarese chicca hdrdlzi

Lant e iro Speaks highly of the virtues of the oil as a purga

t ive, anthelmintic , &c .

, see his Flor. Cochin-China, vol .

256 MATERIA IND ICA.

and the larger sort, which is the ricinus

f ruct . major , and which in Canarese is dbduWell prepared castor-oil

" is, as alreadymildly cathartic, and is much used by th

medical practitioners in India in dysenteriin doses of from 3 vi. to Si.

tion , an enema prepared withthis medicine, the due prop0 1tion ofand a little common - salt, or Glauber salt,

fails to give relief: Castor-oil is best taken

pepper water (malagatan ie). Belowf is the

for making this oil, commonly adopted inern provinces of India.

The castor-oil plant is now much cultivated inWest Indies, and the oil has of late years become

export from Jamaica, of a superior ualit

island it is considered as a valuable external remedycramps, and pains arising from colds, &c . Long,his History of Jamaica, gives a particular accountit (p .

The physicians on the continent of Eur

ticularly Messrs. Odier and Dunant, of

have found it efficacious in tape-worm

Castor-oil is strongly recommended by a FrenchSainte Marie , in colica pictonum. See Roque ’

s Phyto

Medicale , vol . ii. p . 286 .

1 Take five seers of the small castor-oil nuts,for one n ight m cold water ; next morningand throw it away, and put the nuts into a second

fresh water, and boil them m it for two hours ; after

the water off and throw it away , as in the first instanare

”

then to be dried in the sun on a mat for three days

end of which time , they are to be well bruised in a mort

to the nuts thus bruised ten measures of water, and set th

bottle of oil.

9 58 MATERIA”

INDICA. PART 1.

m id tail (Cyng. ) L'

ozmg Ira tail U“

i s; (Duk. )Huile ale g irofle (Fr. ) 016 0 de garcgfino (It . ) Loun

ga-tcha-tile (Mah . )

O LE'

UM CARYOPHILLI .

The oil of cloves IS chiefly prepared by the Dutchat Amboyna, at least that which 1s usually found ln

India it is of a deep red colour, having the flavourof the clove, but comparatively milder ; it is, however, in its effects, powe1f

'

ully stimulating, and, onthat account, is seldom used internally, except as acorrigen t to griping ext1acts externally, it has beenfound to relieve the toothache . The specific graw tyof oil of cloves is, according to Bl ande,This, like the other volatile oils, absorbs oxygenwhen long exposed to it, and becomes thick and re

sinous. From one hun dred weight of cloves may'

beobtained from eighteen to twenty pounds of the

essential oil. See article Clove .

CXLI.

O IL,

I should not have given this oil a place here, as itundoubtedly hitherto has not been considered as o

of the articles of the British MateriaMedica ;finding it so highly spoken of by Mr. Crawfo

his admirable History of the EasternArchipelI have been tempted to notice it, and at the same

time to express a regret, that he was not able to add

the botan ical name of'

the tree fiomwhich it is ohtained. I cannot do bette1 than give that gentle

CHAP. r. MATERIA IND ICA . 2 5 9

man’s own words : O f all

x

the productions of the

Archipelago, the one which affords the fine st edibleoil is the kam rz

’

. This is a large handsome tree,

which yields a nut of,an oblong shape of nearly the

size of a walnut. The kernel is as delicate as that

abounds in oil ; it is one of the

where it grows. The nuts are

for use, i n the oil is ex

recent state . The oil is

ulinary purposes, and is more palatable and

that of‘

the cocoa-nut ; the ,

kernels, mixeda little sago meal, are made into cakes and

bread; The Iranarz IS a native of the same

as the sago tree, and \ is not found to the

Into Celebes and Java it has been inin modern times, through the medium of

CXLI I .

KYAPO O TIE or CAJUPU TE .

tay élam er uJ Lu rrq o g LLSov Lo (Tam. )tie ka tail 3d LT uk . )

MELALEU CA CAJU PU TI (Maton.)

and O rd. Polyadelphia Icosandria. Nat

0 rd. Hesperidae (Lin . ) Weisstammger qap al

baum (Nom. Triv . Willd . )The tree which yields this oil was long supposed

to be the melaleuca leucodendron (Smith So c . Lo nd .

iii. p. but as specimens of the plant whichreally does yield on being sent home be r.

s Q


"

Christopher Smith, differed from the m l

dron *

, and agreed with the arbor alba minor

phius . (Amb . ii . p .

‘

7Q . t . Drs. Maton and Sm

have fixed it as a n ew species, under the name

m . cajuputi. We are told by Mr. Crawford, inHistory of the Indian Ar

three varieties of this tree, which is a nativeboyna, Java, and Borneo but that the tw

only'

afford substances for economical f pthe bark of the largest of these yields thewith which the native ships of the Molu

caulked ; and from the leaf of the

tillation , the fragrant essential oil

used for medical purposes sometimes in tera powerful sudorific, but more frequently ex

as a useful embrocation, under the ignorant anrupt denomination of cajeput.

”

This valuable volatile oil is distilled from 1

which had been previously infused in water, ato ferment for a n ight . Rumphius informs us,

when newly drawn it is limpid, pellucid and vol

and smells strongly of cardamoms, but is moresant . Dr. Thomson has well described it, asbrought to Europe, comparing its powerful odoa mixture of oil of turpentine and camphor ;limpid, transparent, and commonly of a blueishcolour .

Mr. C rawford, in speaking of the gajeputsays, that theya re gigantic myrtles. The 1

sort is a moun taln tree, and grows i

3" Lant eiro has fully described the me]. leucCochin-China (vol. i i . p .46 8 . and speaks

‘

of the virtues ofleaves . Roborans stomachicae diureticae e t emenagoga,& c .

”adding , vale t m obstructione hepatis,

the tree itself 18 theO Jmy tlam of the Cochin-Chinese.

“

See the p . 1 3 V .

.J

262 MATERIA INDICA . PART

CXLIII .

OI ’L OF MACE . Jddz'

pzitr ie tylam se n-5“

j mawm ho (Tam. ) Wassa wasz'

talz'

Jawatr ie 1mma epfi (Duk . )OLEUM, OLEUM MAcrs EX PRESSU M DI CTU

What is commonly called oil of mace is, in fact,exp ressed oil, obtained from the nutmegtwo sorts : one a soft sebaceous kind of

of a yellowish colour, sub-aromatic odour, anda somewhat fatty, pungent, and bitterish tast

made at Banda, and is little used, except as

ternal application in palsy and chron ic rheu

The other sort is usually brought from Hol

flat square cakes, and is sometimes calledmerce B anda soap i t is weaker in smell,

l n colour than the first mentioned, which leads usbelieve that it is sophisticated . See article Mace .

c IV .

OIL O F NU TMEG . Jada/m ty lum e=rr gf ei”W E LLSN LO (Tam.) Jc

'

ip kul Ira tail

(Duk . ) Jatz'

p ullum tail (Cyng. )OLEUM Nucrs Moscnu m.

By this is meant the volatile oil of nutmegexpressed oil is usually, but improperly, calledmace . The essential or volatile oil, is prepared -bythe Dutch at Banda, and is, when properly made, of

CHAP. r. MATERIA INDICA. Q6 8

a pale straw colour,’

limpid and transparent, and p05sesses, in a considerable

,degree, the odour of the

g . (See article Nutmeg . ) In doses of two or

it is sometimes given as a stimulant ; buter had recourse to as an external applica

and chrome rheumatism.

c grav of oil of nutmeg, accordmg1s 9448. ee article Nutmeg .

CXLV .

OIL OF MU STARD SEED. Ka’

dcig lzoo-y zmnay

m m Tam.) Rania ka tail A‘

u lf m tg!)

Avala nooney (Tel.) Sars/zap a-lailaw

(Sans.)

OLEUM S1NAPEO S.

expressed oil, prepared from the seeds of difspecies of sinapis is used in the Northern

and in many parts of Malabar,same way that butter or

it is reckoned ex

bemg at once gentlyhe various species culs, for the purpose of

making this edible oil, are the sarson (sinapis dichotoma, the mi (sinapis ramosa and

the loree, which is in Sanscrit taverzca all these in

r espect to medicinal qualities, correspond exactlywith the sinapis n igra of Willdenow,

,

and may be

used as such, e ither internally or externally .

The specific gravity of oil of mustard seed, is alittle below that of water ; it is insoluble ih

'

water,

3 4

92611. MATERIA »INDICA . PART

b ut forms an emulsion by the aid of mucilage 1t is

p artially soluble in alcohol and ether.

CXLV I .

OIL, ROCK, or PETROLEUM. Man ty

m awb vm (Tam. ) Mattie'

Ica tail 3g LY

(Duk . ) Nefi laid (Arab . ) M innia-tanna (Mal.

Ba mi-tailam W as (Sans. ) Ipp oo (Sumat . )Kesosa no abra (Japan .)

For an account of this mineral oil, the reader isreferred to the article Bitumen, in this Part and

Chapter of the work .

CXLVII .

OLIBANUM. Pa’

r ingki szimbrani

Loi é om f‘ (Tam. ) Avnl coondoor Jan

"

Laoban up; (Arab . ) Koondir zzicliir

(Hind . ) Looban (Mal . ) Encens (Fr. )

(Ger. ) O libano (Ital. ) Labziniy ci (Syn )BOSWELL IA SERRATA (Roxb

LIBANU S THU RIFERA (Colebrooke

Cl. and O rd . Decandria Monogynia (Lin . )It will be seen, by referring back to the

Frankincense, how much the real olibafrom a substance sometimes mistaken for it, com

mouly called coondoor by the Mahometans of LowerIndia, and koona’r icum by the Tamools ; and whichmay be met with in almost every bazar. The gum~resin now under consideration, On being shown to . a

£ 66 MATERIA a rca .

‘P

nus thurifers; as it has been named by Mr.

b rooke, «is a native of the mountainous tra

Central India ; . its .Sanscn'

t name is

doostanie it is calledfoliage s crowded at the extremities

.the leaves are impari-pinnate, consistingof leaflets, each an inch or an inch an

length, obliquely ovate, obtuse, serrate,

supported by round downy petioles the

numerous, small, and of a white colour‘

, a

with minute bracteas ;sided, trilocular, three-celled, ancell contain ing one perfect seed only, which iscordate, and winged .

I perceive by Dr . F . Hamilton ’s valuable

(account of the Shahabad coun try), that the li

thurifera is there very common, and its resinsale-gond, or sale

-:lassa ; but, strange to say, it

applied to any use ; at Chandalgar, however,it is termed bircza, it is employedWhen collected, Dr. Hamilton adds,the tree, it is of the consistence of tu

of a clear greenish colour ; and Mr. Turnbu

geon of Chandalgar, assured him, that in thisit is named gandah birosa in its dry state the

is called sahha birosa, and this it is thatEngland, as Mr. Colebrooke has mentionednum. Dr.

of opinion,

procured from the lib. thurifera (Col ), what of thearticle is commonly taken to England under the

name of Olibanum, is the produce of an amy ris, or at

least of a thorny bush ; and this, he is the more dis

posed to think, as he cannot learn that the resin of

the sale was ever used by the Hindoos as an incense.

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDICA. 267

served by G eoffroy, that Olibanum isn Arabia Sabcea while others havecomes from Ethiopia. The Ara

looban, and condar the

from the Hebrew wordthe second is most in use though I am ih

to think, that it is more properly applied to

cense. We are informed by that

m is found in abundance in Arabia Foelix,M erbath, and we know

(Travels in Arabia, vol. i . p . that

from Mocha, as is also noticed by Mr.

s Oriental Commerce,”(vol. i.p .

is now rarely used in European mediit

'

is certainly in its nature stimulantand used formerly to be administeredthe chest, and externally as a vul

the continent it is by some considered

g a degree of astringency, and orderedV irey 1

Lin his “Histoire Naturelle des

as being yielded by the

(so thoughtfully employed, comme parfum

pour purifier l’air malsain the

uthor (Virey) tells us, that the resinous barktree is called narcap te, also thymiama, but

or in what language, he does not add. The

Arabians place Olibanum amongst their Tonics a g i »

See Bibliotheque O rientale, p . 527 .

1‘ See his work, p . 290 .

I O n turning to Forskahl, I perceive he says of the amy risIcataf : Arbor ligno albo, rami inermes, folia obtusa. et

acute ; dores vidi tantum masculos, majores floribus Opobalsamicasterum similes .

”The Arabians call the tree Q B .

Et narrant

Arabes,’

arborem intumescere et pregnantem evadere p ulvererubro, fragranti, no faeminaaregionis Abu

-Arisch capita aspergerevel lavare solent.

’

Porsk . Descrip . Plant. cent . iii. p .


it fully treated of m an A rabic work

W in two vols. by Ishak and

med. Olibanum appeal s to consist,Thomson , of resin, gum, and a volatiis confirmed by late expe

found in 100 parts of it, 8 of volatileresin 30 of gum ; and 5 2 of a matter r

gum, but not soluble in water and alcohol .

Another species of boswellia, the b .

(Roxb . Cor. Pl . vol .' iii . p . is a tree of

value in -India ; it is a native of the highesttains of the Circars : the wood is heavy,durable, and is used for « ship-buildingwounds made in the bark,

‘

a resin exudes,Tellingoo g zigzil (the tree gzigzi

resin mixed and boiled up with a cert

of some low-priced oil,

’

is used as a pitch for thetoms of ships. On ~the Balla-Ghaut mountainsother species is common, the canariumodor ijerum

'

sutum. (“Rumph. Amb. Q . t ;

CX L-V III .

O LIVE . Z ietoonL9 ”) (Arab . ) J it

(Hindooie ) 01a (It. ) O live (Fr. ) mminyah (Mal . )

’ OLEA EURO

Cl . and O rd. Diandria Monogynia. Nat. OrdtiSepia1 iac . Gemeiner O eibaum (No .m Triv.

The olive tree is not cultivated 1n India, nor wouldit thrive there. In the Northern parts of Persia ‘

it is

often met with, and in Syria ; but Italy, France,Spain, and North Africa, are

‘

the chief c ountries in


bleeding piles ; they are also employed externally,when boiled and made into a kind of poultice withcertain herbs, to hasten suppuration if; on the con

trary, they are app lied raw, the Vy tians suppose them.

to have a repellent quality. Dr. Thomson says, that,

as food, the on ion is said to produce flatulency,

and to occasion thirst ; as a medicine, it is stimulant,diuretic, and expectorant .

”The Greeks called the

on ion Kgonuou ; the Romans cep a, also unzo the

first, it is conjectured, from the word caput, owingto the largeness of the head ; the second from the

circumstance of its being a single root, without offsets. The onion was reckoned by the Egyptiansamongst thei1 divin ities, and many of the ancientshave W1 itten on it : such as Theophrastus, Palladins,Pliny, and Celsus ; the latter writer i s of opinion,that both garlic and onions produce flatulence, andheat the body ; he observes, however, in other parts

(lib . ii . cap . xxix . xxxi . and that they are

laxative, diuretic, and have the effect of quickeningthe senses. Pliny ascribed to them the power of

clearing the sight, and recommended them for painsin the loins, bites of serpents, but

thought that they might do mischief in cases where

all was not right about the praecordia. Asclepiadesi ,

on the other hand, was of op inion, ad calorem

quoque validum profici hoc cibo, et si jejuni quotidieedant, firmitatem valetudinis custodire ; stomacho

utilia esse, spiritus agitatione .

”u See article Garlic

in this Part and Chapter. The leek (allium porrum)

Sée Mr. Phillips’

s History of Cultivated Vegetable s, vol . 11.

p . 15.

sée Pliny’

s Natural History, lib . xx . cap . v . p . 6 06 .

1 See the same .

An Opinion, in which Roques in his valuable PhytographicMedicale altogether agrees. See vol. i. p . 111.

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA mc .

02 7 11

is but little known to the natives of India it is’

Sti

mulant and diuretic . The expressed juice has some :

times been given with advantage in drops ies, in dosesof from g ss. to g ij. in syrup .

Theallium cepa grows in Japan , there called SO O ,p . it is also cul

is termed cay-hanh

y irtues are noticed by Laureiro ; pectoral,

tic and diuretic . (Vide Flor. Cochin-Chin .

PIUM. Ap ini c ig a r"

(Tam. and Tel. )

(Duk . ) Ufyoon (Arab . and Mal . )also Ap aynam (Sans. ) Sheer ihhashash

(Pers. ) Abini (Cyng . ) Ufeem (Hindooie)

(Jav . ) Hap ium (Bali) Garapp a (Mal . )

(Fr. ) Mohnsaft (G er.) Madjoon (Turk . )OPIUM (Edin . )

is well known to be an inspissated juice,by incisions made in the capsules of the

which is a nat ive of Asia, though now

many parts of Europe . It is only,

India, Persia, and Turkey, that .0p ium

late years in small quantities atof Celebes, and in Penang . The Indian

is inferior to none »: Dr. Thomson seems to

that it has less of a peculiar, heavy, narcoticthan the Turkey article, is somewhat less

ct in texture, and of a darker hue ; but t hat

es with it in o ther sensiblequalities.

the Sanscrit name of the poppy plant ;

9 7 9 MATERIA IND ICA .

'

The opium of Hindoostan is chiefly furthe provinces of B ihar

'

and Benares, where

is‘

called p ost , and is sold in Calcutta byA learned and ingen ious inquirer, Dr. Keir,mated the produce of one acre at sixty poun

opium, but Mr. Colebrooke”* thinks he must

made a mistake, and over-rated the quantity .

In‘dia opium Dr. Paris thinks inferior to the T11

being less compact, softer, darker in colon

fainter in odour ; and Dr. Thomson foun

Turkey opium to con tain three times

The native practitioners of India use

the same purposes that we do ; with thisthat they conceive it to be particularly ityphus fever. The Vy tians administer it to psleep, shorten the cold fit of an intermittentalso in lock-jaw, and to afford ease in certainof dysentery. They

‘

likewise recommend itnally, when mixed with arrack, and in conjuwith benzoin , bdellium, aloes, and gingermatic affections ; but they at the same time,the most intelligent of them, main tain , tht hough it may often alleviatecures few or no diseases, and butemporary relief, conceals deep-seated mischief.Opium, in moderate doses, increases the

of the pulse, and augments the heat of the

also invigorates both the corporeal and m

tions, exhilirating even to intoxication ; these

however, soon followed by languor, lassitude,sleep . In large doses, Dr. ThomsomL

observes,

See Remarks on the Husbandry of Bengal, p . 117 .

T See London Dispensatory, article O pium‘

; the reader

also consult Réflexions Médicales sur

L’

O pium,

that opium is at once stimulant and sedative .

874 MATERI A INDICA . PART I

roxysm. In acute rheumatism it is only safely:

given in conjunction with ipecacuanha or an timonlals. I n hm orrhag ice it is useful when t he dischargearises ch iefly from an increased deg ree of irritability.

In the latter stages of catarrhal complaints op iummay be given with advan tage ; but, in dysentery,n ever when the bowel s have not been previously

It is in spasmodic attacks, such as tetanus, ep ilepsy,an d cholera, that the good effects of opium are most

eviden t. A quarter of a grain frequently repeated,is enough to keep up its stimulant effect ; and from

gr . j . to gr . ij. act as a narcotic, and produce sleep ;

while in tetanus or hydrophobia, and some other dis

eases, 31'

ss. of laudanum have sometimes been givenin twenty

-four hours, without oc casion ing any bad

effects or bringing on sleep .

”In vi olen t pain from

ophthalmia a solution of opium as an eye-wash affords

immediate relief.Should the reader be desirous of any 1

regarding those medicines which mighttuted for op ium, he may co

champs’ valuable work, entitled

Plan tes U suelles Indigenes (vol . ii . fourth Memoir,from p . 81 . to the end of the volume) . The safest wouldappear to be that obtained from the lactuca virosa

g

whi ch was known to Pliny, Celsus, Galen , and Dioscorides (Vide Plin . lib. xix. cap . v iii . ) the dose from

gr . ij. to gr . xn'

ii . of the extract, according to c ircumstances ; he also men tion s (I mean Deslongchamps)the datum stramonium as a substitute . The sopo

rific virtues of henbane are noticed in the same chapter . Those of the lactuca sativa are well known .

G ray, in his supplement to the Pharmacopmias, in

forms us, that the hypecoum pendulum yi elds a

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDICA . 2 75

narcotic juice resembling opium. It would appear,

tely published by Mr . J . Murray, in

Journal (No . that the

acetic acid is a perfect coun ter poison for opium.

The substance to which the narcotic power'

O f

Opium is referable has been examined with much

attention by Mr. Serteurner, who has given it the

It would appear in some respe cts

of an alkali ; it redden s turcrystallizable compounds

0

with

Magendie found morphia to be soluble inand that the compound acted with great

oppy plant, papaver somniferum, is of the

class and order polyandria monogyn ia, and nat. ord .

rnoedaeae It is called cassa cassa in Tamool,

khashkhash (A rab . and Duk . ) Kooknar

Jur31”

(Pers. ) P ost (Hind . ) It is the jeisoh‘

u, also

the hes of the Japanese (Flor. Jap . p . and is

what Homer speaks of under the name of M77w

garten-mohn of the G erman s ; the mah of

mians and Hungarians, and the maczelr of

the Cyngalese term it albin atta on the

with its con tents, the Tamoo ls have be

ame of p o’

sta’

hdi in Dukhan ie it is

The poppy is an annual plan t, with a

coloured stem, smooth, erect, and round,

I perceive , however, by Chevalier Roque’

s PhytographicMedicale, vol . ii. p . 140 , that late experiments , mad e by M .

Robiguet , have brought the analysis of Opium to very great. perfect ion ; that gen tleman says , opium con tains : de l

’

huile fixé , da

caoutchouc, un e substance vege twanimale, du mucilage , de lafécule , de la résine, des débris de fibres végétales , de la nar

cotine, de l’

ac ide mécon ique , un ac ide n ouveau découvert par M .

Robiquet, e t nu substance jouissan t des memes proprietés que lesalcalis , des ignee sous nom de mambine .

”See Formulae at the

end of this volume .

276 MATERI A IND I CA .

simple, obtuse, lobed‘

and crenated leaves,ing the stem, on which they are alternately

and flowers wh ich are large, terminal, of a

grey, and tinged with violet at the base .

The Arabian and Persian physicians place

amongst their Mohea’errat 5 3

)n (Narc

For much curious information respectin

the ancients,’

r the reader mayHistory : t hat writer tells us (lib . xx . cap .

p . that the seed of the white poppy is a

for elephantiasis ; he also informs us how O

was prepared in his day, and dwells on itseffects,

“ ‘

non vi soporifera modo, ver‘

um

hauriatur, etiam mortifera per somnum

of the contemporary authors, it is true,

of it when used cautiously ; its greatest enem

were D iag orus and E‘

rasistratus, who condemn edD iagorus et E rasistratus in totum damnavere,

mortifierumf’

and Andreas, as is qPhillips in his History of Cultivated V

(vol . ii . p . was of opin ion , that if it wadulterated by the people of Alexandria, itcause bl indness. The remedy on which the anciseem to have had most relian ce in cases of poi

ing from op ium was the arteniisia Bibitur et

ex vino adversus Op ium.

” Pliny, lib . xxv. cap . x .

In the writings of Rhazes, a celebrated Persian

who publish ed towards the end of the n in th cen tury ,little more regarding opium than a theriaca, which

mends to be taken to mitigate its bad effects, when u

t iously . Vide O per. Raz . de Re Med. lib. i. p . 19 8.

however, thought better of it : Importunae tussi me

sen teriae remedium est accomodatum est .”

trac t . ii. p . 51 .

1~ In speaking of the use O f opium amongst the ancients,

Murray says, Ve teres usum opii ad chronicos unice morbos restrinxerunt .

”Appar . Med . vol. ii . p . 29 1 .

Q7 8V MATERIA INDI CA;

turbid colour ; but after standing some time, it

comes rclear, and heavier, and the colour chan

into a golden yellow .

I have never met with Opobalsamum in anydioine bazar of India ; I perceive, however, th

is an‘

article in the ‘

Ufiaz w z'

yelz, and, therefore,

not f be unknown to the Moguls. We are to]

Alpinus, that the tree grows wild in Arabia,there only ; on the other hand, we learn from

Bruce,“ that it is a nat ive of U pper Ethlop la, and

was thence, at an early period, transplanted into the

Southern Provinces of Arabia. Niebhur tells us,

that in most parts of Arabia they only burn the

wood as a perfume but that in the neighbourhoodH edsjas they collect the balsam. It is consideralmost as a panacea in Egypt, where it is prescrib

for bad wounds, ulcers, poisonous bites, and also

n ervous and pulmon ic affections. The A

reckon it amongst their Adviyah

(Stomachica. ) The opobalsamum of the

was an article in a famous Mithridate, which wascommended by Celsus against poisons

Jr, it is said

have been the green liquor found in the kernelthe fruit . ‘

The Carpobalsamu’

m is made

pression of the ripe fruit . There is a thirdvery inferior kind of balsam, the .zy lobalsamum, w

Mr . Miller observes, was‘

prepared by boilingsmall twigs ; it is I perceive noticed by Celsus,medicine of value in nervous affections, see

recipe (Cels. lib. v . cap .

'

The readerfind much curious information , regardinggileadensis, in the edition of Miller’s DictionaryMartyn . I have doubts, whether much of the r

See Bruc e’

s Travels, vol. v . appendix , p . 17 .

1" Vide Cels. lib . v . cap . xxiii.

CHAP . I . MATERIA INDICA .

balsam of gilead is ever brought to Europe, thedried Canada balsam be ing usually used as a sub .

s titute . We are told by Mr. Lunan , in his- Hortas

Jamaicensis, that there is strong reason for believing,that the amy ris balsamgfera by incision would yielda balsam not much inferior to the balsam of

dour of the real balsam of gilead is at firstbut . that goes off after some time being .

to the am when it acquu'

es t he consistence ;

tine it is yellow outside, and paler withinte is pungent and acrid ; when good it diseasily in water. A s a medicine it is scarcelynow in Europe ; in Turkey it is used as a cos

The tree which yields the opobalsamumthe height of fourteen or fifteen feet, withinly scattered, small, composed of one or

opposite leaflets, with an odd one ; these

entire, veined, and of a bright-greenflowers are white

,appearing upon the

on one stalk, but two generallyfruitfr Nine species

are growing in the botan ical garden of.

few of which are natives of India ; our

s introduced by Dr. Berry, in 17 9 8, from;

I shall conclude what I have to say on

by observing that the Arabians call carkubuZ-balaciu 9 3

, the Pers1ans

rg s ; they co nsider it as at

tennant and car iac dose two direms.

The amyris ambrosiaca is a native of Cochin-china,and called there to-kap

-bink-kkang . By Laureiro’

s .

account it yields'

a valuable fragrant balsam (Flor .

Cochin-chin, vol . i . p . This species would also

it See HortusJamaicensis, vol. i. p . 147 .

1“See Thomson

’

s London Dispensatory .

T /L

9 80 MATERIA INDICA.

appear to grow in the woods of Guiana} its

name is arouaou the French call it l’arbre

CLII .

O POPONAX . Jawé sheer jg} ? (Arab.) G

sheer (Pers . ) O poponax (Fr. ) Putnam

0170170720508 ( It. )PASTINACA OPOPONAX

Cl. and O rd. Pentandria Digyn ia. Nat .

Umbellatae.

I have never met with opoponax in any l

medicine bazar ; it has, however, a place iw z

’

y ek, and is, therefore, known to the

The Arabian . physicians consider it as discut

placing it amongst their Mohelz’

lat g ut s I

c eive by the work just quoted that they also

ceive it to be deobstruent, attenuant, and diaphorfrom the same work we learn, that whenfrom the tree it is white, but afterwards

yellow ; its solution resembles milk, and

half a direm.

Opoponax is a gum resin of a strong, u

smell, and a bitter, acrid taste . The plant,

root of which it is obtained by making incia species of fi parsnip ;

' it is a perenn ial, and a

of the South of Europe ; rising commonly ,

height of four or five fe et, with a thick, bra

yellow-coloured root . The Arabians use the

root occasionally in medicine, terming itwaslzeer . What we find of the opopona

medicine in Europe, is broug ht from Tur

con sidered as antispasmodic and emmenagogue,

282“ MATERIA IND ICA .

“

The orange tree, though succ essfully

in the West Indies and the South of E

p roperly speaking, a native of India,Persia. There are many varieties indiffering much in sweetness as well as

In sheltered situations in the lower provinces, suchat Sautgur , near Vellore, in the Carnatic, and at

Chittore, they are peculiarly fine . The followingvarieties are cultivated at the last mentioned1 . The cumbla nabla which is a large loose~

skinned orange ; it is the hill orange of the Northern

Circars, and is sometimes called mandar ine orange.

Q . The barray chin or bui lc'

iz'

this istermed in Hindoostanie santara orsung tura, and is

a fine smooth-skinned, cloved, large orange, and verysweet, resembling what is called the China-orange inEurope (citrus sinensis). 8 . The hy drabc

‘

idz’

e

th is is smaller than the last mentioned, but like it,is cloved and smooth-skinned, and very sweet .

The chota chin or small cloved orange .

The large cfi r ie orange, the skin of which is ve

rough ; it is a sweet, wellaflavoured fruit . 6 .

common'

orange of the country, usually calle

Hindoostanie koala and kichlie it is aus

and coarse .

Oranges are brought to India of an excellquality from Ceylon , and from Sumatra. They

growing wild in Cochin-China (Flora Cochin-Chvol . ii . p . Mr. Crawford informs us, in

History of the Indian A rchipelagonL

that

orange and lemon tribe is widely spread over theIndian islands, but the culture of the best kinds

For this information , I am indebted to my excellent friendMr. S.

’

Skinner, Judge of Circuit.1 89 6 work, vo l. i. p . 425.

CHAP .

’

I . MATERIA IND ICA ; 9283

seems to have been introduced by foreigners . The

whole tribe; he adds, is distinguished by a generic

name, which in Java is jarulr, in more Eastern dia

usz'

. Colonel Kirkpatrick tells us, that in '

oranges grow of a fine kind in the valley16 , and are there called santola, which, he

thinks, is probably a corruption of the word sing ter

rah, the name given tp a particular sort in the upper

provinces of India ; in which provinces the best,

those of Shakabad and B ehar .

are in great repute amongst the Hindoowho . suppose that they purify the blood,in fevers, cure catarrh’r, and improve theA sherbeti , made with the juice of the

is a favourite bevefage with Europeans iahot weather ; and is certainly much safer

made with lemon juice, which is extremelybring on cholera morbus. The rind of oranges

known to be a useful carminative, and is a .

le addition to bitter infusion s in cases of dys

and flatulence . I t is with the rind of the

Chara-chin , or small clove orange, that the finest mar

malade is made in India, adding, to give a little bitterness, some of the rind of the common countryorange .

The citrus aurantium differs but little in appear

See his Account of Nepaul .

1 See a Tamool medical Sastrum, entitled Aghastier Vytia

Anyouroo .

1: An acid earth is found in great quantity at a village called

Daulalcie in the South of Persia, and on the Persian gulph ; which,singular to say; is used by the natives for making sherbet a por

tion of this earth has been brought to England by Lieut . ColonelWright, and on being examined by Mr . Pepys, he found that

about a fifth of it was soluble in boiling water, yielding an acid

solution ; which , when tested, gave proof of the presence of

sulphuric acid and iron , and on evaporation , yielded crystals of

acidulous sulphateof”iron . (Philos . Mag . lxii. p .


ance from the citrus medicay except that the leaves,not so large as those of the lemon “ tree, are more

pointed, are“

entire, smooth, and furn ishedwings or appendages on the foot stalks ; it maysaine time be observed, that

”

the flowers are large ,

white, odorous, and arise from t

upon'

simple and branched pe

notices but six species of citrus,is the fourth. Roxburgh makesacida, and citrus medica,so it appears by the B ortna

citrusacida (and by which, wemeant the lime tree, as distinctvarieties are there noticed ; of tvarieties ; besidesfour other spec iesran tium, decumanus, myrtifolia, an

are all growing in the botan ical garden of Calcu

Forskahl iL

gives several Species of c . medica

w ) (Arab . ) comes nearest to the Indian fru

CLIV .

ORRIS COMMON, or IRIS FLORENTIN

ROOT OF. I ran? Lwfil (Hind. ) U ssal

alassmanjoonee Q ua siw

ag s d l M l

I r is de F lorance (Fr. ) Violenwarsel (G er. )

(It . )Inrs FLORENTINA (Med. Botfi

The lemon tree is a beautiful ever-green, of smallwith alternate leaves, of a pale green colour,about four inches long, and two broad, sligh tly

‘ indented at

edges ; and does not appear to have been cultivated in Italy (ao

finding to Willdenow

’

s account,) till after the days of Virgil andmy .

1 See Descrip tiones Plant . , p . 142.

‘286 MATERIA INDICA . PART 1 .

K

spring directly from the root, spreading in opposite

directions, and are of a sea-green colour, but

yellow at the base the stem rises amidst the

leaves upwards of a foot in height, and commonlybearing two large flowers, of a pale whitish colour.

Ii

shall conclude what I have to say of iris florentina,by observing, that Celsus places the root of it

amongst his purgatives (lib . v . cap . adding,“a d

discutienda vero ea, que in corporis parte ali

coierunt, maxime possunt, abrotonum, alba viola,mel , iris, &c . &c .

”(Lib . v . cap .

ORTOLAN. B ergkerz'

e (Hind . ) also

B ag eg/ra (Hind . ) O r talon (Fr. ) O rtolano (It. )EMBERI Z A HORTULANA Var. )

This beautiful little bird " is not uncommon

many ‘

of the Indian provinces, particularlythe Paranzy a country ; and, at certain seasons, is

anxiously sought after by the European inhabitants,who consider it as a great delicacy, especially

"

when

fat. This Indian bird is a good deal like the ortolan

of Europe, and by Dr. Hamilton’s account

resembles much the calandre lark of Latham, though

he suspects that they are still a distinct species. Thequill feathers are darkish, the three outer ones with

i

whitish margins ; the tail feathers black, the twteral ones, externally, white it is somewhat sm

than the yellow-hammer, and makes a singular whist

ling noise . The real ortolan is not found in Great

General Hardwicke informs me , that he observed and drewseveral species of emberiza ; but our article is the on ly one

sought after as food .

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA IND ICA .‘ Q8?

Britain, but i n various other parts of Europe . Thoseof the plains about Toulouse are reckoned superiorto those of Italy.

CLVI .

OYSTER. Alie g ov ? (Tam. ) Putin/re seep ie

( sf/t its : (Duk . ) O str ica (Ir. ) Kustura (Arab .

.

Hind . ) Tirram (Mal. ) Cavatz'

e (Cyng . )O sters (Dan . ) Huitre (Fr . ) Tirz

'

m

also B adlan (Arab . ) M ooroo

ealie). M ow-[e (Chin . ) (”W l (Pers.) O strica

OSTREA EDU LIs .

The oysters of the Coromandel coast, though bymeans large, are inferior to none in any part of

d, and are best in the months of May, June,d August. The places

'

they are found, ofbest quality, are the following : at A lump ar

'va,

ore, and near Ramnad ; at these fisheries theyexcellent ; at Kar i/mal, Top etory , and Sadras,

0d ; at Fort St . David and CuddaloreO n

'

the Malabar coast the bestured at Callicut ; they may also be

n ear Tellicherry, and, in fact,her places along the shore ; also at the

of several rivers, where oyster-beds have

ade by the natives. They are best in Ma

labar in the months of March, April , and May .

The oysters brought to the Calcutta ma1ket aremostly all from Chittagong they me very large, somuch so, that they require being divided before theyare eaten ; at certain seasons they are much prized .

I have been informed, that the variety of oyste

Q88 MATERIA IND ICA .

’

called rock-oyster by the English fishermen , issionally met with in some parts of the Corom

shores ; distinguished by being thin, and h

membranaceous plates, wrinkled into irregular,rupted ribs ; the upper valve flat, and a co

margin half an inch broad ; but I cannot say thathave ever seen it. .

CLVII .

PARTRIDGE, COMMON GREY. Cow

Grai g /T n“(Tam. ) Kowoonza (Tel. ) I bn

Jails Kai/aah J LJ (Pers. ) Te

’

e

(Duk . ) Jéjé (Pers. ) B oorongsofo

Tittlra or Til tirz'

ffifiz—lfi (Sans. )

(Mah . ) also6 53 (Arab . ) 851 5-3 (Malay).

nzoe (It .) Perdr ia’

(Fr. )TETRAO CINEREA

Partridges are common m, I believe, every parIndia, and during the season that the small,

grains are ripe, are sought after ; though,

speaking, they are inferior as food to the

in'

Europe, being dry, and rather insipid . Theychiefly sought after by the Mahometans, who kthem, as they also do quails, loha Infi ll

fighting, as we do cocks in England . Thereseveral varieties of the tetrao cinerea in India, whave not, hitherto, been scientifically examined ;I may add safely, some spe cies

*of tetrao

perdix (Cum), still to be more accur

The excellent Generaldrawn eight sp ecies inscript volume at the —1

Hamilton , thirteen or

gether, are well de

290 MATERIA IND IQ A . PAR

the flesh in incontinence of urine It is a]

medicine amongst the Chinese, who call the bichuh-Ice .

*

CLVIII .

PEACOCK. My le LQ US N (Tam. ) N ilhan

W (Sans. ) N emilie (Tel. ).

M ay zi

(Can . ) M oor (Hindooie) Taous (Ar

M irrih (Mal Paon (Fr ) M ore (Mah .)vane (It. Kung-tseo (Chin .

8 (Pers.

PAvo CRISTATUS (Li

Peacocks, though long naturalized inEuroof Eastern origin . They are found in abu

many pafts of India, and, it has beencommonly in those jungles most resorted toO n the islands of the Chilka lake, n ear

there are great numbers, and so tame that

allow you to pass them almost quite close

taking flight. To see them floating about in theif I may use the expression , in their native wotheir lovely plumage brighten ing in

'

the sun , is

tainly amongst the most beautiful objects in nat1

The peacock when young, or rather the younghens, at certain season s, are not inferioras food ; indeed, in India, they are

.

generally pre

ferred . The flesh is amongst the medicines of the

Dr . Horsfield, in the x iii. of the Transactions of the

Soc iety , describes three species of partridge as nativesl . Perdix chinensis of Latham (Ind:Gm . 652 . which 1s the p ileur

of the Javane se . 2 . Perdix Javanica, the dagu of the Javanese .

3 Perdimorientalis (Horsf.

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA IND ICA . 29 1

found particularly noticed as

the Poorna Sooslrwn , a Tamool medical

which treats of religious disciples and of

ms of devotion, and also of the Materiait is written by Aghastier, and consists of

es. In t he Vy tia Any ouroo, by the same

it is prescribed with greatses of contracted limbs.

never been seen by Alexander tillwhere he found them flying wildthe Hyarotis,

”

and was so much

their beauty, that he decreed a severeon all who should molest them. They

introduced into Rome towards the decline of

epublic, and the orator Hortensias was the firsthad them presented at table, at a feast which hethe Augurs.

” Celsus believed the flesh of the

ock to be particularly wholesome“ item o1u

grandem avem, quales sunt anser, et pavo; etPliny, in speaking of the same bird, says,

in mentione significandum est pavones, fimumresorbere tradi inviden tes hominum utilitatibus,

ter decoctus 1n rosaceo efficacissimus ad munc

omn ium putatur item fimi ejus cin is cum

melle .1’ ”

cocks are common in Guzerat, Cambay, thend Java. A s early as the days

'

of

11 they were imported into Judea, by the fleetsthat monarch equipped in the Red Sea, and

in all probability, traded to the coast of Ma

in every animal capable of being domesticated,so there are varieties of the peacock ; for instance, we

Vide Cels . lib . 11. cap . xviii.1

’ Vide Pliny, lib . xxix . cap . vi.

U 2


know that the peacock of Norway, and whi

grates during winter into G ermany, has the

cheeks, throat, and upper part of the bellyThe beautif ul birwell preserved, at t he museum of the Iand which was brought home from Javaerudite and sc ientific Dr. Horsfield, is, no

distinct species : the n eck and breast, inbeing of a glistening purple colour, is covemoons, much resembling those of the tail

common peacock . Dr. H . has bestowed on

scien tific appellation of p ave p rimus. In

there me two varieties of peacock ; one with a wh

ring round the eye, the other with a yellow one .

CLIX .

PEARL . M ootthoo (Tam. ) Moo

(Hind . and Duk . ) Looloo (Arab . )mareed A

91,” (Pers. M oolze (Hindooie).

(Tel. ) M ahmW T (Sans. ) M oottoo

M ootara (Malay . ) P er la (It . ) Paar len (DP erolas (Port . ) Perle (Fr. ) Perler (Dan . )M alga (Malay).

MARGAR

There would appear to be several Arabicfor a pearl. Jzihzir

jab}; is a com

Arabia for all precious stones, but is

larly applied to the peai l . Other namthat country are g e

’

miin u h? » al

The Arabian physicians suppose the powder

pearl to have virtues in weak eyes ; they al

sider it as having efficacy when administered


islands of M ergui and B orneo.

* What are

the occidental pearls, are procured, in vast quan ear Panama, in Terra Firma proper, betweislands. of Cabagua

’

r and Cache, and the

Californ ia in the gulph of M exico along the

of New Spain ; off S t . M argar ite, or the Pearl Isin the Rio de la H acha and in the islandsM ar tha, Quiho, Gorgonia, &c . In Europe

have now and then been met with on

Scotland, Livonia, Cour land, in the riv

hemla, in the Regen (a river in B avaria), and

certain lakes n ear Aug sberg .

The colour the most desirable in a pearl is a silv

like brightn ess, and with this quality the largestof course; the most valuable ; the most

shape is round it has been observed, thatones have often the figure of a pear.

most remarkable for size, hitherto knownby Tavern i er, at Catifiz, in Arabia, for

tomans a fi

in the days of Pliny i ; it isand shaped like a pear ; the diameter

inch, at the largest part, and the,length

three inches. The same writer tells u

pearl fisheries in Eastern coun tries itserved, that the greater the quantityduring the year, the more profitable ithe fishing . Mr . Crawfurd, in his

Indian A rchipelago, informs us (vol. iii.that the pearls, and the mother

oyster, are productions of the seas of the

See Leyden’

s Sketches of Borneo, vol. v11. of theSoc iety.

1: See Anson

’

s Voyage round the World .

1 Verum Arabiae e tiamnum felic ius mare est ex illo namquemargaritas mittit .

”Pliny, lib. xii. cap . xviii .

MATERIA IND ICA’

. 295

the first, as an object of trade, are found no

but in the Suluh I slands, and the last princihere also . The quantity of pearls annually

e Saluk group to China is reckonedSpanish dollars ; and the

ed there, and

ed to the same country, is about 5000 p iculs,in China, at the rate of fourteen Span ish dol

e picul, dollars, or 15,750l.”

The re

derived from the Ceylon pearl fishery, of latebeen more than 45,000l. per annum.

yster is found at a considerable depthsea ; is very coarse, and forms

food of the Indians ; it is called inThe production of the pearl with

d much curious speculation amongst

e some suppose it to be an acore

imal, of the superabundant matterthe inside of

whom is Reaumur, consider

similar to bezoar ; pearlsbeing composed of lamellm, or coats formed

round a foreign nucleus : in this way, the modernC hinese force certain shell-fish (mytilus cygneus),or swan muscle, to produce p

'

earls, by throwing intothe shell, when it opens, five or six minute mother

_

of-pearl beads strung on a thread ; in the course of

one year these are found covered with a pearly crust,

which perfectly resembles the real pearl .

For curious instruction s for making artificial "

The glass pearls, so much in vogue at presen t , and which ap

proach as near as possible to nature , were 1nven ted by a Frenchbead-maker, named Jaquin they are made by covermg the l n

side of hollow glass beads with the soft sh ining powder obtamed

fromwater in wh ich scales scraped from the fishes, called ablettes,had been allowed to remain some time . See Beckmann ’

s H istoryof Inventions, vol. ii. p . 12.

29 6 MATERIA IND ICA . PART

pearls, the reader may consult Smith’s School

A rts (vol . 1. p . as also a‘

paper of Reaum

in the Memoirs of the French A cademyby which last we perce1ve, that what is usedthe pearly lustre, is often a fine silver-like su

found on the under side of the scales of the

bleahfish . This mode Mr. Smith notices as

for imitating pearls ; in all the methods hemends, however, the seed p ear ls are requirat Rome, where what is called the Roman p ear ls

commerce are made, and than which no real pearl

more beautiful, the purest and finest alabaster

preferred ; the pearly lustre being added by meansthe substance above mentioned, procured frombleak fish .

1I have noticed above, and generally speaking

holds good, at least in Eastern countries, that t

p earl oysters are not used as food by the Indians ;I find from Morier

’

s Journey through

(p . that those of that country are

not at all inferior to the common oyster.

interesting writer tells us (p . that of

pearl there are two sorts, the yellow and

the first is commonly sent to

the white isinto Asia Minor, and thence into the heart

Europe . The seed pearls are arranged roundlips of the oyster, the large ones are nearly in

centre of the shell and middle of the fish . I seethe Journal of Science that very beautifulhave lately been found in oysters procured froriver Tay, in Scotland . Hatchett, by analysis,pearls to consist of alternate strata of a thin

Journal of S c iehce , No . xxix . p . 427 .


Cochin-China, vol . 1 1. p .4143) Thunbergpea is cultivated in most provinces of Japa

have every reason to believe, that it isCentral India, as we find whole fieldsing in many parts of the Mahratta country .

more Southern tracts of the pen in sula they are

cultivated by the European inhabitan ts, who,care, have them in great perfection in the

season .

Some people find peas flatulent, but with ot

they agree well and we know, that the pulses

a peculiar degree nourishing . The varietycultivated in the Northern parts of Hindoo

great . The Afghans, and the Persians of ‘

the

ern provinces, who rear but little rice, feed

on them ; and I am‘ inclined to think, that

one cause why they are the strongest, mos

onlar, and, perhaps, the handsomest race

world. Two of the pulses most in

regions are the towaray and the

landoo The first the Persians c“

the Mahrattas tour , and the Bengalese arhar

the thora p eeru of Rheed, the cily sas cajan

and is sometimes called by the English p igeo

The second is the mowng of the Hindoos

h igher districts ; it is themash of the

the benoomash of the Persians ; thhddale

’

of the Malays, and the chiczidzi of

rese ; in Bengal it is sometimes termedin San scrit it is mdsha $11 6 1;The G reeks called the pea Hie

-ow, from

town of Elis, where, we are told, they grew in

plenty. Pliny seems to have en tertained a st'

idea, that lentils, when taken as food, had, the

of producing equanimity : Invenio

CHAP . I . MATERIA IND ICA. 29 9

fieri vescentibus CelsusiLwas

perhaps he was right, that peas were

than what are commonly called the

es Ex leguminibus vero valentior

quam p isum.

”A very good kind

ee may be made from toasting the chich p ea,

which I find is sometimes done even where the true

coffee should not be scarce, such as in Egyp t, in

which country this pea is called hémas ga p , accord

ing to Forskahl ; it is in Tamool cdda’

lei chdnd

harbhary (Duk . ) sanigheloo

thermal nahhoodfi g

? chennaha

It is the c icer arietinum of Linnaeus, andis, by Professor Link’

s account, much eaten by the

lower classes in Spain }, where it is named garcanzos.

CLXI .

PEACH . 6 35 Kho'whh (Arab . ) Shafi

‘

aloo

Persica (It . )AMYGDALUS PERSICA (Lin . )

and O rd . Icosandria Monogyn ia; Nat . O rd .

em (Jus persica, with care, now grows

Mysore country, and'

in U pper

and produces pretty g ood fruit . By Mr.

accoun t it also grows in Ceylon , whither it

ought from Persia (See his Catalogue of

Plan ts, p .

See, Pliny’s Natural H istory, lib . xviii. cap . xu . p .449 .

See Cels . de Medic ina, lib . ii. cap . xviii. p . 84.See Link’s Travels, p . 19 5.


CLXII .

PELLITORY OF SPA IN. Ahhdrdh

suesefi é oeserrr fj‘m (Tam. ) Parietaria (It . )

r ielaire (Fr. ) Ahharap atla (Cyng .

(Arab . and Duk . ) Py rethre (Fr. )wartzell (G er. ) also P ietro (It . ) Sesin (Chin . )

ANTHEMIS PYRETHRUM (Lin

Cl. and O rd. Syngenesia Superflua. Nat .

Compositaa Discoidea—z. Sp eichelerregende

(Nom. Triv.

This root is to be found in most of the

bazars though I cannot learn, that the plantin any part of India . It is a native of Arabia,Calabria, Crete, and Bohemia ; and it is, no

from the first mentioned of these countries, thbrought to Hindoostan, an export from Moc

am much inclined to think, that it is the

find noticed by Forskahl in his Materia Me

Khairina, under the name of cod alharrahh

( fi ll ; with regard

’

to its A siatic names, there is

peculiarity, that its Arabic, Persian and Dukh

appellations are nearly the same .

The pungency of the pellitory root (whiand tapering, and not thicker than the finger), is

perceived till it has been chewed for a few seco

when it occasions at first a glowing heat in

mouth, soon followed by a pricking sensation intongue and lips. The Vy lians pof it, in conjunction with the lesser galangal sitla

s0g MATERIA IND ICA . PART -1 .

pus ; he also mentions it as useful for opening themouths of wounds .

‘

CLXIII .

PEPPRR, BLACK. are hoow a r-rag (Tam

G 7 (cmg M’

M (Tel.

(Hindooie). M arache

Kali mirchie fi fi 0515 (Du

k. )

Lada5.x (Mal . ) Afar icha (Jav . ) Michaz (Palembang). Poivre (Fr . ) Sch

P i a (Port. ) Karly meerchin g ay (Mah . )lacuna (Chin

PIPER 16 RU M (Li

Cl. and O rd . Diandri a Trigynia. Nat .

Piperitm.

In no part of the world does this species of pgrow in greater abun dance than on the M

coast ; whence it is a most luc rative exp

is, however, a production of many other

countries ; but in all these, Mr . Crawfurd ius, of a quality inferior to that of Malabar .

kingdom of Bantam on Java, alon e, used to futo the Dutch", six milllions of pounds annually

’3 V ide Gels lih . v . cap . iv .

l Dr . Buchanan says, in his Travels through hlysore , Ca

nara,

’’

Rc . (vo l. iii . p: that the heat black pepper that gr owsin Southern India, is that of Naga ra , much be t ter than that of

the M U IM O f Malahar . that 0f 1 s . sells at the rate of 515

ih . fo r 9 2 rupees .

1 See h is H istory of the Indian Archipe lago , vol . i. p .481.

1

See Ske tches Civil and 1 1 of Java, p . 37 .

MA TERIA IND ICA .303

Mr. Crawfurd is of opin ion , that the Javais the worst that grows in the Indian A rchi

O n Sumatra, three differen t -kinds of blackare cultivated ; the lada lawor , the lada

and ladajambee the first or lamp oon pepp er,ckoned the best and strongest. O n B om eo

',

years ago ; the produce of that island is not

is a

produce of Siam,at Prince of Wales

’

s I s

at Malacca, and at the Philippine“

!L

a

g iven to the rearing of this spice .

r n igrum, the tieo-bo of the Cochinis the mé lég lzo-codi of Rheede (Hort. Mal .

t . is a vine requiring the support of

3 ; those commonly planted for this pur

dia, are the betel nut palm (arecha catechu),dica, the

best . The trees commonlyof the Eastern Archipelago,

call the dap ap (erythrina coral

and the mé ngkzidzi (morinda citrifolia).are about four years old before th ey pro

and the berries are n early five 1

Leyden’

s Sketches of Born eo, in the seven thTransactions of the Batavian Society .

Comyn’s State of th e Ph ilippine Is lands , p . 20.

cultivated 1n the provin ces of Tayabas and

highly and justly of the virtues of blackton i c virtues to the bra in as well as the

3044 MATERIA .IND ICA . PART I .

coming to perfection , from the time they first appear.

The plant is the 3115 of Serapio

A rabs consider pepper as powerfully deobstr

and as such, I see it has a place amongst

M zg‘ettekat With regard to the notio

the ancients respecting pepper, the reader maysult Pliny and Celsus ; the first (lib. xii. cap .

tells us where it was produced best in his

enumerates three sorts ; the second mentithe round and long pepper amongst his (1

(lib . ii . cap . Nine species of p ip er are

ing in the botan ical garden of Calcutta; eight 3

grow in Ceylon .

A s a medicine, the native doctors of India con

sider black pepper as stimulant and stomachic, and

prescribe an infusion of the toasted berries in cases

of cholera morbus ; and I have myself k

put a stop to the vomiting in this disease i ,many other remedies had failed . They also prepw ith it a kind of lin iment, which they suppose to

have sovere ign virtues in chron ic rheumatism.

Europe it is occasionally employed as a stimulantretrocedent gout, and in palsy . The

sion has proved a useful gargle in rela

uvula. The dose of the black pepper may be fr

six grains to a scruple . What is commonly cal

white p epp er , is merely the black pepper blanchedsteeping it for a time in water, and afterwardsrubbing it, so as to remove the dark outer coat

considerably milder than the other, and is

The same virtue in pepper is no ticed by Rhazes. Vide

O pera Aphorismorum,lib . i ii . p . 536 .

1 Though a far more certain mode of combating that disease ,in its sporadic form,

is by a speedy use of calcined magnesmfgiven not in milk, but 1n tepid water.

306 MATERIA IND ICA . PART

CLXIV

PEPPER,CAYENNE, or CHILIE. M o

’

gbe‘

fi (Tam. ) M érzipdlec‘

iz’

a

B rahn mar iclia (San s. ) Lr'

il mirchz'

e fi re s

areal l

”

(Hind . ) i gfi'

li Stir/lab

F efbfel-aehmar (Arab . ) M eneske

’

na (Can . )

(Jav. ) Lada mire KJM (Mal . ) Tdbia

P oi'vre d’

I nde (F1 . ) Sp anischer oder lcercker

(G er . ) P epp erone (It . ) Gasmz'

rz

'

s (Cyng . )bhudda meerclzz

'

ngag/ (Mah . )CAPSI CUM FRUTESCENS (Li

Cl . and O rd. Pentandr iaMonogynia . Nat . O

Luridae .

O ur presen t article, which is un iversally c

red or Cayenne pepper, or Chilie by the EnglisI ndia, is not the produce of the capsicum annu

but of the capsicum frutescens which is

capsicum Indicum of Rumphius (Amb . 5. dOM S . t .

it is usually termed the shrubby cap sicumplan t bymists, and is the ed

‘

p é -mo’

ldgo’

of Rheede, in

distinction to the capsicum annuum, which hthe Vfillia-eéz

'

p é-mélcigo'

. The difference betwi‘

two does not appear to be considerable, and

seem‘

chiefly to con sist in the nature of the

which in our article is shrubby ; while init is herbaceous. The Chilie plant is the

the Cochin-Chinese, who use much of

with their victuals (Flor. Cochin-Chin . vol .

It is cultivated in every part of India, on


thepod, or rather pod-like berry, so much used by

the natives as a warm seasoner. A s a medicine, theVy tians believe it, and justly, to be stomachic and

stimulant ; and also prepare with it cataplasms,

which they employ in cases requiring rubefacients.

It has of late years been successf ully given in Engmpanied withDr . Wright

apsicum in dropsies, and other ca

when chalybeates are at the same

ose from gr. vi . to gr. x . in pills ;from g i. g ij. in a glass of water.

is supposed to clean , without imhealing of ulcers in the fauces ; this

gargle, Dr . Thomson'

says, is prepared by beatinginto a paste si. of the cayenne pepper, and Bi. of

common salt, t hen adding 3vi . of boiling water, and

to the solution , when cold, 5v . of vinegar. Withhogs

’lard, capsicum forms a good linimen t for para

lytic limbs.

There are growmg in the botanical garden of Cal

cutta, six species of capsicum the annuum, grossum,

baccatum, purpureum, and minimum.

The grossum is called in Hindoostanie lcfi ie-murz’

ch .

O f our article, the frutescens, there are two varieties,the red and yellow, termed in Bengalese [all

-[un ice

mzZrick and kuldi-Zunlmmzirz'

clz the two last species

have been scientifically examined by Dr . Roxburgh ;minimum is named in Hindoostanie

The c . grossum bears a fruit as large

as a small apple, which is called by the English in

Mr. Moon , in his valuable Catalogue of Ceylon Plan ts, informs us

, that the Cyngalese name of the capsicum frutescens is

gas mirz'

s, and that there are three varieties of the plant in that1slana; awed, a yellow, and a black . See work , p . 16 .

MATERIA INDICA.

“

India cqfi'

rz'

e Chilie it is preferred for pick]skin being fleshy and tender : the seeds

viously taken out . Virey a, in his

“Histoi

des Medicamen s,”expresses a singular notion ,

it is owing to an abuse of this p ickle that th

habitants of hot climates suffer so much from

complaints.

The Chilie plant is constantly found in its

state in the Eastern Islandst , though, from its

so commonly called Chilie, Rumphius argu

American origin . I t seldom rises higherfeet, with a roughish stem, and branchesand often scanden t ; the leaves are lanceol

entire, waved, small, smooth, petioled, alternate or

scattered ; fl owers, axillary, small, white, and five orsix-cleft .

”

Capsicum 1s supposed by the G erman phys1c1ans

to be peculiarly injurious in gonorrhsea,“ imo ges

tatum in linteo supra abdomen, gonorrhaeum post

octo menses resuscitavit”(Murray

’

s Appar. ed.

vol. i . p .

CLXV.

PEPPER, LONG . Tz’

p ilz'

e 5 L L§® S

and Cyng . ) Pzp tZZoo (Tel . ) P ip ilz'

e “Lu

P zp el (Hind . ) Pipp alzmmail also Kr is/ma

(Sans . ) DarJ?J?! Jl: (Arab . ) F ifi li daraz )

(Pers. ) Tdbee$5419 (Mal . ) Chabijawa

See the work, p . 182.

1“ See Crawfurd

’

s Eastern Archipelago, vol. i. p . 37 7 .


thefl owers are small, in short, dense , terminal spikn early cylindrical .

”

There is a large variety of it sometimes met w

in Lower India, called in Tamool ana z‘

lp ille

elephan t peppel ), in Telinghoo it isy eam'

g lza p lp a

and m Sanscrit gaja kannte .

The roof of the long pepper is a favorite mediof the H indoos it possesses the virtues of thebut in a weaker degree and is prescribed byin cases of palsy, tetanus, and apoplexy.

termed in Sanscrit granflzilra U fifl fi and p z'

pp a

fi cqfésfias; in Tamool by the various na

bengala modie, kandas pz'

lz'

, and tip z'

lz'

moolum

Hindoostanee it is p eep lamool, in Persian belle der

filfil (lraz 553 $5115 u s), g

o, and in A rabic so,

»

filfil mooe’

k . The Arabian s consider it as cardiac .

CLXVI .

PETRO LIUM See OIL, ROCK.

CLX VII

PHEASANT.

Era“ Tezarj (Arab .)

roo (Pers. ) Faisan (Fr . ) F agz'

ano (It .)PH

l

ASIANU S

Several species of th1s beautiful bird have bdiscovered amongst the mo1 e Northe1n t1acts of

The Arabians, in the days of Avicenna, thought veryof th is medicine ; he said of it, conc

‘

oquit digeritque cib

ventriculum roborat : libidinem concitat, zingiberis wquatcitatem.

” Canon .Med . lib. ii. tract 11 p . 106 .

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDI CA. 81 ]

nent ; thanks to the interesting research

Hardwicke, and other naturalists. Inoticed (under the head of fowl) thellas, which is the gallas I ndicus of

the g allas sonnerati of Temmink, or wild

of Latham. For the following list of pheasants,

nctly so called, I am indebted to the kind atten

of G eneral HardwickeP itas. cruem‘

us (Hard ), clzelmialz (Nepaulese),oed also by Latham (G en . H ist. No . it is a

ve of Nepal, and the snowy mountains.

pheasan t, which has only yet been examinedwicke, and of which he has a fine

it is a native of Nepal, and called by thets cheer .

heasant, as yet only particularly examinedeman it is a native of the A lmorak

by the inhabitants p ulcraasthe G eneral has a drawing of the bird .

s . Pkasianasfi rrag inis (Hard ). The native name

wn ; it is found amongst

s, and in Nepal .

Pkas. saty ras (T I t is the horned pheaa

of Latham, and is a native of Sireenagur and

al i t is of a reddish-brown colour, is a middlebetwixt a common fowl and a turkey, and is

a callous blue substance, like a

gs from behind each eye .

anus. This most beautiful spec ies

(Pers. ) moonal (Hind . )with the pbas. p ictus

unquestionably, the lopliop lzorus refalgens of

ink, so named from the brilliancy of its plu

being made a bird of a n ew genus in France,

to its having a crest .

;X 44

MATERIA INDICA.

7 . A pheasant only hitherto noticed byHardwicke, who has a drawing of the bird ;jeelmeah of the inhabitants of the snowy moun

who bring it for sale to Nepal, where the fleshis

"

considered as a remedy for jungle fever.

8 . F has. leucomelanus This is a l

b ird it is the coloured~

pheasant of Latham ; an

a native of Nepal, where it is named haledge .

A gentleman sent lately

i

from the Burmah coun

for the museum of the Royal A siatic Society,stuffed p heasants the one has purple wings,ish

a

breasth a beautiful yellowish green n e

crest of dark reddish brown feathers ; it i

nal of the Burmese, a name very much r

the Hindooie name of the lop hop horas

above noticed,and of which it, no doubt, isThe other sent, is called, by the Burmese, s

it is also a most beautiful bird, being of

mottled brown on the back, with‘

small whitef

all over it ; the breast is a pale crimson , haV1ng,

wise, numerous white spots all over it, _ with thi

ference, that each spot on the breast is surrouw ith a black margin ; it has no crest, but

- a

of bright crimson . I t becomes a question 11name

Pheasants, it will be seen by what has be

observed, cannot be procured in India in such

t ity as to make them an object of much req'

u

food . They are well known to be a great de

in Europe, and to be at once light and

The common pheasant p . colchicus, so 11

having“

been originally

'

found inColchis,

years, been ascertained to be a more hardy bird

General Hardwicke believes this to be the species kno

Nepaul by the name ofmenmi r .


plaintive note as in Europe ; it is small, of a bl

grey colour, but as food, it is dry and insipid .

Tamools call it caai‘p ora on the Malabar coatermed ciangalli in Malay 1 9 3 31 3 .

What is termed the g reen p ig eon by the Ein India, is a beautiful bird, found, at certain se

on the topmost branches of the banyan tree

Indica), on the small fruit of which it feeds.

of a bright green colour, with a short bill, in a

degree curved, and has very short legs it is, as

the most delicate of all the pigeon kind . Where

proper place may be in natural history, whethedistinct species of the columba, or a variety of

col . turtur, has not, I believe, hitherto beenascertained . I ts colour and form appear to

n ear those of the columba migratoria (Lin . )Canada turtle, but it is much smaller, and has bmeans the same habits. O n the Malabar coas

’

t it

termed ciala ; the Tamools call it p atchei p ora,ii<

g 1een p 1geon .

CLXIX .

PINE APPLE . Ana'

sie pullum a vg efiju u g

(Tam. ) Ananiis us um (Duk . ) Nanas naneh

east} (Mal . ) Pandang (Macassar). Pandang

ffsi bangala, also M angala (Amboynese).

Cheeha (Malealie). Ananas p undoo (Tel . ) Kapaa

lsjahha (Rheede). Anasi (Cyng . ) Ananasso (It .)BROMELIA ANANAS (Lin .)

In a manuscript at the India House, I find‘

noticed as Indian

b irds, by Dr. F. Hamilton , the c. n icoharica , c. lineata, c. harsala .

Ten species of columba are described by Dr. Horsfield as nativesof Java. See Transactions Lin . Soc , vol . x iii.

CHAP. I .“MATERIA IND ICA . 815

C1. and O rd . Hexandria Monogynia. Nat . O rd .

Bromeliaz (Juss.)The pine apple grows in great abundance * in

most parts of India, and, with a little care, large,

and of an excellent quality ; it is, certainly, a de

fruit, and is too well known to require a

tion here . In hot weather it is most refresh

t, owing to a certain pungency, it does not

b every stomach ; and not unfrequentlycholera morbus.seems still to exist some doubt respecting

native country of the p1ue apple plant : it is, evi

tly, indigenous in Africa. It is common now in

Eastern islands Mr . Crawford thinks it was first(1 there by the Portuguese, from America ;

that may be, I know not, but this is well known ,the plan t is growing wild in the woods of

on yet it is singular, that it is there called bye name it has in America, or n early so, anasi .

finest in the world are supposed to be the sugar

p ines of Brazil ; and n ext to them, those of

tserrat.‘

A very pleasan t wine may be made

this fruit, and which Long , in his'

“ History of

says, is sometimes added to give zest to

work, p . The pine apple was in tro

into Bengal, in the reign of the Emperor

by the Portugese, who brought the seed froma. In 1594, it was cultivated in China ;

brought, perhaps, thither from America, through thePhilippine Islands : indeed, A costa, in his Treatiseon the Drugs and Medicines of the East Indies, tells

Four varieties of the plant grow in Ceylon : the queen red,the white, the sugar

-loaf, and the stone. See Mr. Moon’

s Catalogue of Ceylon Plants, p .

3 16 MATERIA INDICA . P

us, that the fruit was brought from Santa Cthe IVest Indies, and that it was afterwards

plan ted to the East Indies and China. I t

appear to have been first described by G ongal

n andez, who went to America in 1513 . T

grows in great abundance in the fields of CChina, and is there called tlai-lhom (Flor. CocChina, vol . i . p .

CLXX .

PLANTA IN . l e i p ullum (Tam. ) M aoz

(Duk . ) Kay la (Hindooie). Ar ittie p undoo

P esang (Mal. ) Gadang (Jav. ) B iy u (Bali).

teak (Sundu) Ganche (Madagascar) . Kay o (Ba

Tema (Ceram. ) Kehl lrhang (Cyng . ) Kella

Velhzcoy (Malealie). Kadal‘

i'

, or Kaa’ala

orW (Sans. ) Kail (Mah . )MUSA PARAD I SIACA (Li

Cl . and O rd . Polygamia Monoecia. Nat . OMusm (Juss. )The plantain is certainly one of the most deli

of all the Indian fruits, . and one of the safest for

as have delicate stomachs, being entirely freeacidity ; it is, moreover, very nourishing,

always prescribed as food, by the Hindootion ers, for such as suffer from bile and heat 0

It is improved inand sugar, the ro

8 18 MATERIA INDICA .

ullrelb Jug; ( Arab . ) Jawuz alkie

(Serapio) M a-lseen (Chin . )STRYCHNOS Nux V O MICA

Cl . and O rd. PentandriaMonogynia. Nat .

Luridm. Gemeiner Krahenauge (Nom. Triv. WThe seeds of the fruit of the nux

is the goda-kaduru, also divie lcacluru, of the Clese, are , reckon ed amongst the most powerful

table poison s of the H indoos, a nd so Loureiro declarthem to be . The fruit itself is about the size of

small apple, is covered with a smooth, somewh

hard, shell, of a beautiful orange colour

and is filled with a soft, j elly-like, bitter,pulp . I t is in this pulp that the seeds arethey are usually from three to five in number, rouflattish, and about three quarters of an inch inameter .

The Vy tians are of opinion , that if the seedsn ot taken in sufficient quantity to cause death,w ill produce mental derangement : about as muthe powdered nut as will lie on a sixpence is,say, sufficient to kill a dog ; much less will causd eath of a man . When finely pounded, and

mately mixed with margosa’le

oil, the Tamools,

some of the G erman . and Swedish physicians,sider it as a tonic and astringent, given in mid oses ; they also recommend it in chron ict ism,

and, blended with the white of an

-employ it as a repellent . Dr . Fleming informs us,

that the natives of U pper Hindoostan are in the

h abit of adding the poison nuts in the process.of

distilling arrack, for the pern icious purpose of ren

dering the spirit more intoxicating .

A fixed bitter oil prepared from the fruit of the melia azadi

rachta

.r . 1 . MATERIA INDICA. 3 19

[h e root of the tree, as well as that of the strych

colubrina (lignum colubrinum), is amongst the

edies used in cases of snake bites, on the Malabarst . This last mentioned tree is the modira caniramheede (Hort . Ma]. 7 . 10. our article iscaniram of the same writer (Hort . Ma]. 1 . 6 7 .

In Malealie it is cangara.

he Arabians would seem to prescribe the root of

poison nut tree“, as the Hindoos do, in cases of

e bites ; they call it adrahie which is,

erly, a Syrian word. The seeds they place

ngst theirM ohealerrat 55450 0 (Narcot ica) . See

Arabic medical work, entitled Shereh Asbab

I la'

mut £2431: u lm lar

e

, written by Nafis

Aviez, and dedicated to Sultan U lugh B eig

he tree is a native of Cochin-China, and calledcu~chi (Flor. Cochin-China, vol. i. p . also

Persia, and the nuts, by Elmore’

st account, are an

ort from Mocha. It with three other species

growing in the botan ical garden of Calcutta.

strychnos n ux vomica is quite a common tree

the Coromandel coast. Dierbach in his Mat .

11. of Hippocrates, says, it may be the n uxuog

he G reeks. It is of a middling size, with a

1er crooked, but thickish trunk, and irregular1ches ; the leaves are opposite, on short petioles,

te, shining, smooth on both sides, entire, threenerved, about four inches long, and from an

1 to three inches broad ; the f lowers are small,

nish, white, and collected in small terminating

Four species of strychnos grow in Ceylon . See Moon’

s Catae of Ceylon Plants, p . 16 .

See Elmore’

s Guide to the Trade of the Indian Seas , p . 26 8.


Several medical men of distinction on the'

c

tinent, have examined, with great accuracy, theleterious qualities of the nux vomica : such

Gesner , Heyde, cle Wepfizr , a’e H illefeld, cle

and L oss, and compared them with those

up as tienle . A libert, in his . Nouveaux ElemThé rapeutique,

”has minutely described its

on a dog, when given to the quantity of 80

the an imal n either barked nor moaned, but

carried off by convulsion s. It does not appear,ever, that the vomic nut, is equally poisonanimals. L oss assures us, that

siderable quantity of the nuts, withoutthe smallest degree ; and we know, tha

gave very large doses to a goat, without

harm. The seeds of the nux vomica, as w

those of another species (strychnos ignatia),been chemically examined by Chevreul and

p or tes, who ifound, but I shall quote~

their w

que cette substance est formée de malate dde gomme, d

’

une matiere vegeto-an imal, deamere, d

’

une huile fixé , d’

une matierejaune, et p robablement d

’

amidon” (starch). Laterexaminations, however, by P elletier and Caventou,

have discovered in these seeds a peculiar principlewhich they have termed strychnine i ; and which, likemorph ia, they foun d to possess alkaline properties.Mr. Brande tells us, that it is n early soluble in

Marcet, in his Memoir on the Action of Poisons on Vege

table Substances, informs us, that a bean plan t, watered with asolution of ex tract of nux vomica, was killed in a day and a half.

I t has been supposed by some , that when taken by an imals, the

nux vomica poisoned by acting on the spinal marrow, while opium

produced the same effec t by acting direc tly on the brain itself. SeeJournal of Sciences, Literature , and the Arts, No . xxxix . p . 194.

o

f Loureiro informs us, that the seeds burn t till they have become black , may be safely given , and are useful in jluor albus.

See vol . and page above quoted of Flora Cochin-China.

3QQ MATERIA IND ICA .

As a remedyuse of the nux vomica, Roques recommendsand purgatives, and a prompt admin istration of

cilaginous drinks (See Phytographic Medicale, vol .

p .

CLXXII .

POMEGRANATE . M ag ilam palam Lou?

[43:4 5pm (Tam.) Anar (Pers. Hind. and D

Ram (Arab . ) also RomanUL.) (Avicen

Darim (Hindooie). Dadimap undoo (Tel . ) D

( If—

31 1 (Sans. ) Dalema, also Daimeri s},

M elagrana (I t . ) Gangsalan (Jav. ) Grenade

Granatass felschale (G er . ) P omo Granato

Roma (Port . ) Delunghealie (Cyng . ) Da

(Mah . ) Pob‘

za (Mod. G r. ) Nar (Turkish).

PUNI CA GRANATUM (Lin

Cl . and O rd. Icosandria Monogynia. Nat.

Pomaceae . Gemeine Granate (Nom. Triv. WillThe juice of the ripe fruit of the

which is contained in the red succule

covers the numerous small seeds,is slig

extremely pleasant to the taste, not unlikean orange ; it is very refreshing, and well calto quench thirst in fevers. The -Hindoo

prescribe it, combined with saffron , when th

is pre ternaturally heated . The bark of thewell as the flowers, are useful astringentsy

commonly given by the

bined with powde

1 . MATERIA IND ICA . 8 9 8

not accompan ied with tenesmus. The barkroot the Mahometan physicians admin ister ins requiring astringents, and, moreover, con

t spec ific in cases of tape w'

orm”"

n given in decoction , prepared with .two

f fresh bark, boiled in a pint and a half of

but three quarters of a pint remain ; of

when cold, a wine-glassf ul may he drank everyhour, till the whole is taken . This quantityionally sickens the stomach a little, but seldomto destroy the worm, which is soon after passed .

pomegranate tree, which, by Dierbach’

s’

r ac

was the Poa 2 187) of H ippocrates, is a nativeSouth of Europe, of A rabia, of Japan i,and Barbary, but is now much cultivated in

on . In the Indian Archipelago, Mr.

us, it is only found in its cultivatedme gentleman adds, that by far the bests“he ever saw, were those brought intoby the caravans from Eastern Persia.

granatum often rises to the height of

or more, sending out branches the

the leaves are opposite, about threed in the middle, pointed

of a light lucid green colour ; the

at the end of the branches, singly,ogether ; the fruit is pulpy, manye size of an orange . Russel, in his

at A practice most probably borrowed from a perusal of the

writings of their favourite author, Avicenna : Radicis corticis

ex vino lumbricos e t ascaridas pellun t, sumantur autem vel per se ,

prout sun t, vel ipsorum decoctum.

” Vide Canon . Med . lib . ii.

tract 11. p . 272 .

1; See Dierbach

’

s Materia Medica of Hippocrates, chapter iv.

1: Where it is called salcaro (Flor . Japon . p .

O livier, in h is Travels in the O ttoman Empire , informs us

(vol. ii. p . that those of Ghemlek are the finest in Turkey .

Y a

324 MATERIA INDICA.

History of Aleppo (vol . 11. p . obse

there are three varieties of the pun icadiffering in the degree of acidity of the fruit.Arabians and Persians hold the pomegranate fruit

great estimation ; placing the juice amongst th

Cardiacs M ohewyat-dil A: The flowers

the male plantu li l )’

gulnar, they rank amongst th

StypticsManyalroafwuisshaluddum Q ts)

(A l l the blossoms amongst

u w aw (Cicatrizantia) ; and the seeds,they term

b u)”1

7s>

‘

Hubulruman, amongs

Stomachics. See M adeni Shefa us

u m , or

Mine of Remedies, an Arabic work on medicby Aby B en Hussen, of Bokhara.

The ancients valued the pomegranate fruitstomachic : Celsus especially speaks of it am

those things, stomacho aptissima”(lib. ii .

and Pliny informs us, that its flower,balaustium, medicinis idoneus, et tingentibus

bus, quarum color inde nomen accepit”(Vide

Nat . lib . xiii . cap . he describessorts. Murray cautions us against theof the bark of the fruit, in cases of haemorr

unsafe °

non satis fidus tutusque (SeeMed. vol . iii . p . Sloane, in his Nat . HJamaica, tells us, that the leaves of the pomegtree, beaten with oil of roses, applied to the

cures its aching (See Hortus Jamaicensis,

p . In China the pomegranate is of

quality, and is there called sheh-lew.

8i MATERIA INDICA . PART

CLXXIV.

PO PPY. Casa casa eser esev r (Tam. )Cassa cassa P ost (Hindooie): Khush

(”Ls-p ass (Arab . and Duk . ) Koohndr

)u5 ) 5

P ost (Hind, also Sans. ) Abin aim (Cyng . )sagassa (Can . ) Cap sules des p avots blancs (Fr. )hop se ales weissen mohns (G er. ) M-

qxwv (Gr . )

(Japan.) Ying-suh (Chin . ) Papp avero (It. )

PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM

Cl . and O rd. Polyandria Monogyn ia. Nat

Rhoedaee Garten M ohn (Nom.

The small, numerous, white seeds of the

are not considered as narcotic in Europe ; bIndians conceive them to be in a slight deand the Vy tians, under that notion, prescrcertain cases of diarrhoea : theyorder a weak decoction of the

those complaints which require sedatives.

Romans bruised the calix 1Lof the poppy in

which they took to procure sleep ; and we

already noticed, that Pliny affirmed, that thewere an excellent remedy in elephantiasis.

same seeds, however, were sometimes used bancients as food , or rather, as a seasoner of

i t Post i s also a name given , in the higher provinces of I

to an in toxicating liquor, prepared by beating the husks, or

sules, of the poppy , with jaggary and u ater.

1~ Vide Pliny

’

s Histor . Nat . lib. xx . cap . xviii.

MATERIA INDICA . 827

believed them to be nourishing . The

not unfrequently put them into sweet

are much eaten , by the higher ranksos, at some of their festivals. Three

papaver grow in the botanical garden at

of our present article, two varieties,single and red single (See article Op ium).The oriental poppy (papaver orientale) is common

in many parts of Arabia, and is called in that

country mameesa LiM L. it is the papaver hirsutissimum flore magno

.

of Tournefort. The papaversomn iferum, is the reisjun of the Japanese (Flor.

Jap . p .

CLXXV .

POTASS, IMPURE CARBONATE OF.

oopp oo LO O-

L u g . ) (Tam. ) Kshara-lavana

s. ) H indee loonoo (Cyng . ) M anic

Jhar lui némuck fi g U’

Jl‘fi'? (Duk . )

alkalinule cle p otasse (Fr. ) Koloensaures

lit(Ger. )

CARBONAS Porassm IMPURA (Lond . )

The more enlightened Vy tians know how to pre

alkaline salt from the ashes of burnt vege twhich they usually distinguish by the n ame

the plant from which it is ob tained ; such as

Dierbach, in his Materia Med . of Hippocrates, observes,that Opium appears to have been little , if at all, used by Hippocrates, which is the more strange , as it was known before his t ime ,and great abuses afterwards committed by it .

1~ The plants in Europe which contain most potash, are fumi

tory, wormwood, vetches, bean s, and cow-thistle . See Sir

Humphry Davy’

s Elements of Agricultural Chemistry, p . 1 18.

‘

Y 44

828 MATERIA INDI CA . PART 1,

valley elley oopp oo (the salt of the plantain leaf. )The Vy tians con sider it as diuretic, and prescribe itaccordingly it is the potash, or pearl

-ashes of com

merce .

The same description of men also know how to

prepare from that salt, though in a clumsy way, a

sort of subcarbonate of potass, which they c

as diuretic ; they are alSo in the habit

with it a kind of travagum or strong liquor,adding to it certain hot seeds : this they also c

sider as diuretic .

The subcarbonate of potass has long beensidered by European practitioners as diuretic, dstrucut, and antacid ; and prescribed in dos

from gr. viii . to gr. xv. or more, in dropsies, gand stone . The principal use of this salt, ho

1s for the formation of saline draughts, 9 1“salt, to g iv . of the lemon-juice . The dosesolution of potass

’x‘

(Lond . ) may be from ten

to a drachm, in any conven ient vehicle ; the dosethe aqua supercarbonatis potassm whichton ic, diuretic, antacid, and lithontriptic, is abo

gviii. taken thrice daily .

In Travan core, the impure carbonate of

is obtained by burmng cocoa-nut leaves, andcalled z

‘

énnam mul lay chiirum. The people

coun try, as well as the Cyngalese, who knowuse of impure carbonate of soda, overmunnoofor the purposes of bleaching and washing lin

employ the ashes of burnt vegetable, which se

the same end.

Dr. Willan , in his work on Cutaneous Diseases (p .

h e found the best effects from the internal use of this

lepra ; it is given in ch icken-broth, and

that it is most efficacious in theare consequent of acidity in the prlmae V lae.


where, however, though the yam often grow

large size, it is not so delicate a root as in

In the Western parts of the Archipelago it isubi , in Ternate ima

,in Macassar lami

,

boyna heli , and in Banda lulu. O ur name

evidently taken from the Portugese wordIt would seem that no less than fifteen spdioscorea were growing in the botan icalCalcutta, in 1814. The speciesof the Bengalese . What is terdioscorea purpureathe white yam ; it is seldom so dry,

has, I think, a somewhat perfumed taste it i

in \Hindoostanie lal-garanga-aloo.

‘ Mr. Lun

Jamaica, considers the purple yam as only a

of the white yam ; the stem, leaves,

growth being exactly the same . 0

species bulb‘ifera is common ; it is

Rheede (Mal . vii. p . 6 9 . t . 8

the d . alata in having stems even , in p

Notwithstanding the great. quantity

in India, such is the consumption,brought

‘

to the Coromandel coast,

A cheen . For an account of the cult

in the Eastern islands, the reader may consult

phius (Herb . Amb . tom. v. p . What ISby. the English in India sweet-p otatoe, is a root

four or five inches long, and about two or

round ; of a sweetish pleasant taste ; in other re

spects resembling the potatoe, but seldom so dry ; it

is much sought after both b y the Europeans and

n atives, and is considered as extremely nourishing.

I t is suhkaray vallie halting ghe’

naisa

See Hortus Jamaicensis, vol. 11. p . 809 .

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDI CA . 88 1

suhlrara velligudda

{it castilian (Amboynese) ;ay) ; catela (Jav . and It is the

batatas of botan ists, and is now quiten in the Eastern A rchipelago ; it would apbe a native of both the Indies, China, Cochinand New Z ealand . We are told by Mr.

Crawford, in his Indian Archipelago (vol . 1. p .

that there is a tuberous root much cultivated by theJavanese, and called by them kan l

‘

ang , which greatlyresembles the common "‘

potatoe, both in appearance

and quality ; it is, he says, the root of the ocimumrosum The Tamool doctors considersweet potatoe as proper food when the natural

of the body is diminished, and for such as havesion to victuals. See Aghastier

’

s Vy tia An

0, a Tamool medical sastrum.

CLXXVII .

PRAWN. E eral LLS’

ép OV (Tam. ) Jhenga th e:Roielloo (Tel. ) I ssoo (Cyng . ) Godang

matsya 3 1liq (Sans.

ind. ) Gambero marina (It. ) 55) (Mal . )CANCER SERRATUS .

The process ofmaking brandy from the common potatoe has,of late years, been much adopted in Germany, and the Northern

parts of Europe . In Sweden it has been recommended to the

governmen t by Berzelius, and in Denmark, by O ersted. The

method of the last is said to be the best : the potatoes are ex

posed to the action of steam, which heats them more than boilingwater , and facilitates their reduction to paste ; to this paste, boiling water

, is added , previous to distillation , and also a lit tle potash,rendered caustic by quick-lime . The Professor frees the potatoe

brandy from its peculiar flavour by means of chlorate of potass,which makes it equal to the best wine-brandy .


The prawns in India'

are excellen t, ethe Coromandel coast . As food, they are

by the Hindoos, as stimulating and aphrod

to possess virtues in diabetes, which they,haps with some reason, suppose to be often p

by an insufficient quantity of animal food .

make a delicious currie .

CLXXVIII .

QU INCE SEED . B éhda'

na (Tam

B e’

da'

na (Pers. and Arab . ) KuSowa

Hubalsufirjul LA > (Arab . ) B e’

heekeg/

(Hindooie). Semen ale cozgnassier (Fr . )horner (G er.) M elacozfogna (It . ) Abee

Quincuna'

(Fr . )PYRUS CYDONIA

Cl. and O rd . Icosandria Pentagyn ia. Nat.

Pomaceaa(Lin . ) Quitlen B irne (Nom TThe little of this article which is

bazars, is chiefly in use amongst th

practitioners, who occasionally orderdecoction of the seed, as a demulcentand in cases of tenesmus. It is brought to Ifrom the sea-ports of the Persian Gulph .

The juice of the fruit when sour,

the Persians and Arabians place amongst theirmachica M m“3 51 so they also do the apples the

selves when fried<5" u i W ow, sga

l.

The seeds, which are inodorous, nearly insipovate, angled, reddish brown , and coriaceous,contained within the cells of the pear, which is

834, MATERIA INDICA .

from Persia, and are made from the ShirazThe natives of India employ them in theirand opening electuaries. The Persianthem as emollient and suppurative, givquantity of ten direms for a dose ; theyseeds inside, and on that account are termed

fi fl mewez angoor bey daneh . The

Europe are well known to be made from the

named the black-raisin grape and white~raisiand are considered asmore laxative than thThe ri pe fresh fruit is cooling and

and is much prized by the natives of

conceive it to be highly useful in many

pecially in pulmonic affections. The j

grape, the Arabians call umaseen

it is dra/rhhayp iinee ; in Persian 1 al l

ra angoor . The vitis viniferal' is called in

M I dralcsha . Six species of the genus werein the botanical garden of Calcutta, in 18 141.appear that but two species are as yet grow

Ceylon, the vitis vinifera, and vitis Indica ;first known to the Cyngalese by the names of

drap-palam,

nue l-midi, and oowas. See Moon’

s Clogue of Ceylon Plants, p . 18 .

CLXXX .

RENNET. I ’uneermay eh auLo fig. (Pers. Hind .

Duk . ) Unfehheh 3 1151 (Arab . ) Ghuslah

" Thcre are two sorts of Shiraz wine, a r

greatest quantity, b Morier’

s account, comésCorbal, near the vi] age of B end Emir . See h

Persia, p . 74.

1 Thunberg found grapes growing at Nagasaki, and the plant

called by the Japancscf oto, also budo. Flor ap p 103 .

1. MATERIA rnmca. 885

knowledge of the preparation and use of

t in Lower Hindoostan seems to be entirelyiad to the higher classes of Mahometans ; and

e kid that is employed for making it, and not

of the calf, which is used in Europe by the

'r for making cheese, and by the , pharmaco

for preparing whey. The Europeans in India,king what they call cream-cheeses (and which's cellent), also employ the stomach of the kid,

The Arabians suppose rennet to possess

derable medical properties, and to be of a

struent and attenuant quality . They are in

abit of prepari ng it from the stomach of dif

t an imals ; fbr instance, from that of the horse,

1 they call 33 5-51 ; the rennet of a bare, is

f ; ant . J.» the rennet of a male kid of a

tain-goat, is J ai l! the rennet of a

l, is 3531131; that ofa calfiis k zll the

't of the ewe, which the Arabians call unfekheh

rennet of the camel, which the Persians term

L.mpwzeer may eh shooter , they place amongst

7 , article U rgf'

eheh .

l'

e are told by Pliny, that m his days the renn et of a rabbitmedicine m dysen tery . The rennet of the calf the Italians


CLXXXI .

RESIN, INDIAN, or DAMMER.

[cilium g m fi ofi m m (Tam. ) Rail A!)

Dkoom'

i (Hind . ) Goog lzilum (Tel. )

(Mal . ) Yakskadkz'

zpa 318 911? (Sans. )

(Gyms )CHLOROXYLON DU PADA (Buc

Cl . and O rd . Enneandria Monogynia.

O f the substance usually termed dammar,improperly, country rosin , in India there are t

sorts to be met with in the bazars, called in Twallay coongkz

'

lz'

um, carp oo coonghilz’

um, and

coongkz'

lz’

um, or wh ite, black, and coars

It much resembles the rosin obtained by disfrom the turpentine of the pinus sylvestris,appearance and natural qualities, and wouldbe a common product of manyI perceive it is to be procured iin Sumatra, from a tree called by(dammara n igra legitima, RumpJoanna, and several of the 80100 Islandc ommon , and a regular export to theIndia. The coarse, or stony kind, the M

damar 6am, and the Javanese damar selo the

or fine sort, they term (Jamar-p atch .

‘We are told by Colonel Kirkpatrick, that thof a species of p ine was an export from N

the tree yielding it he found growingi i

See Leyden’s Sketches of Borneo, 7 th vol.

the Batavian Society .


gine, can be no o ther than the pmus danmwra (or the dammam alba (RHIDpll .

CLXXXII .

RICE . e f f“? (Tam. ) C/zarrl 3L?

and Duk . ) d ra b! (Arab . ) B ar irje

B eams (Tel . ) Chm l (Hindooie). B ras

Vimmfg (Sans. ) B is (Fr . Ar ms (Port.

(Dan . ) M otg’

, also Game

(Mah . ) Risa (It. ) K0 (Jap. ) Lua (Coch .

O nr za Sar rva

G ramina.

Eastern and Asiatic country ; in the Wes t Iin many parts of America ; and also in some

most Southern tracts of Europe. It is a

wholesome grain ; but, I shoul d be in clined tocontains much less of the nutritive

Tytler supposed to be

modic cholera ; an opin

The different sorts of rice cultivated in India, are

t s admi rable Report on the Ep idec Cholen ,

it appeared on the territories belonging to the MadrM EM ‘

ltshmentw p 43

can ). t . MATERIA INDICA . 339

almost endless ; the author of the H ortus B engalensis

informs us, that on the Coromandel coast alone he

found upwards of forty, well known to the farmersof all these, simply speaking, what are termed the

white and red are the best. The various kin ds of

rice have commonly been called varieties, but Dr .

Buchanan, in his“ Journey through Mysore,

”&c .

(vol. i. pp . 85, has given it as his opinion , that

many of them are differen t species of the oryza, as

d istinct as the different kinds of barley that are cul

tivated in Europe .

In Southern India, three modes of cultivatingthis grain are pursued : l st. the seed is sown dry inthe field this mode is called in Canarese bard balm.

find. I t is made to vege tate before it is sown , and the

when fitted to rece ive it, is reduced to a puddle ;mode is called mola-battu The third

eed is sown thick on a small

and when the plan t is a foot high,this is called nati . Some account

mployed in cultivating rice will be

given in another part of this work . -The rice-pla ntMr. Crawfurd

’

s“accoun t, to be in

in the islands forming the Indian Archithat gentleman mentions with his usual

accuracy, the different descrip tions of this grainreared in those countries ; the most singular of

which is the spec ies termed by the Malays p ulut,

and by the Javanese Ital ian, and which appears to be

the oryza glutinosa of Rumphius : it is n ever used

as bread,but commonly prepared as a sweet-meat.

What is called hill-r ice in Lower India, is that

which is raised in upland, arable lands ; in short,

See Crawfurd'

s Indian Archipelago, vol . i. p . 359 .


such lands, as from their locality cannot be subjectedto the process; of flooding . These, in Malabar, aremanured* with ashes and cowldung, like other dry

grain fields ; the kill-r ice itself is called in Malealie

modun, and is a smaller and less valuable article thanthe common rice . The hill-r ice does not app

be known in Bengal : it is much cultivated i

Eastern islands. Rice, in the husk, is termTamul, also in Malay, p addie, in Dukhanie

¢ ¢m , in Persian shulz'

e “11.-z. In Tellingoo the ‘p

is oorz'

, the grain in the husk oodloo, and the

i tself beeum.

The chief distinction , with regard to appe

and taste, betwixt the Bengal and coast rice,

seem to be, that the former is whiter,'

boilsand is more delicate in flavour ; it is commonthose accoun ts, preferred by the people of

eat with curry : and the Patna is deemed theBut the native Indians of both coasts do not

the rice of the higher provin ces they call it dryinsip id, and say it is apt to bring on constipationIn a medicinal point of view, rice may

be of a less aperient quality than any other

and is therefore invariably ordered as the'

safest

best food in all dysenteric complaints for W

purpose, in the form of gruel, it i s excellent.Vy tians are very particular as to the kind of

they'

prescribe, supposing the ricescrops to have very differen t effects.

crops of r1ce in Southern India, I mean for floodrice, are the w ar and soombak crops ; the last

which is also called the p eskcinum crop it is reapt

The rice reared on marshy land, or rather, that rice which

requires being flooded, is usuallymanured with leaves and branchesof various trees .


CLXXXIII .

RHU BARB . Variatoo hdlung cu m /T 5

Ra'wend (Arab. ) Reg/wand as

,” (Pers. )barbo (Port . ) Rhabarber (Dut . ) Rhubarb

Ta hoam (Coch . Chin . ) Ta-hvvang (Chin . )wan-chinic (Hindooie). Reubarbaro (It . )

RHEUM PALMATUM (L

RHEUM U NDULATUM

Cl . and O rd. Enneandria Trigyn ia. Nat.

Holoraceae (Lin . )I t is well kown that three varieties of rh

to be met with in the shops, the Russian ,and the Indian , or Chinese ; the last I cobe the rheum palmatum, and is what is 0

found in Indian bazars. It is brought fromCWhere it grows in the province of She

’

nsee .

also a native of Tartary, Thibet and Bootan ;

would appear to be the produce of the hardieall the

'

species of this valuable plan t. I t mayknown from other rhubarbs by its strong odour,somewhat nauseous taste ; it breaks smoother,

affords a powder of a redder shade . There is sot imes to be procured on the Malabar coast, an

ferior’

sort of‘

rhubarb, called by the

rewund esbi, and remund khatta'

i which is,

says : In provincus Borealibus imperuhab 1tat, mtra, et extra murum celebrem”

(Flora Covol . 1 . p .

1 See Tavernier’

s Indian Travels, part 11. book 11. chap . xv.

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA INDICA. 343

that kind mentioned by D’Herbelot, as the produce

of Khorasan it is coarse and very nauseous.

Rhubarb is not always to be purchased in the

interior parts of the Indian Peninsula, and rarely of

a good quality ; which is strange considering the

value of the drug, and that it could be brought withtrouble from China. The H alceems (Ma

doctors) are better acquainted with it than

s which is no doubt owingformer have of A rabic and

they find its good qualitiesd . It is one of those articles

practice by the A rabians”“ and

mention is made of it by either

very properly said, that rhubarbor purgative, according to

hence its use m dyspepsia, hypochon~

diarrhoeas. In,the first mentioned com

well to combine 1t with ginger, soda, orcircumstances. S i. or 3 ss. of

the bowels freely ; in smaller

gr. x . it is usually given as a.

dren which are so

vi .four of magnesia, given n ight and

for two, three , or four days together, often

serious ailments, and avert much irritathe bowels, till such time as the tooth

See Histoire de laMedicine, par Le Clerc , p 7 7 1 .

1 In the days of Avicenna its v irtues, however, were fully ap

preciated Dolores internos lenit , singultum sedat, extenuat

lienum , diarrhoeas, tormin ibus, dysenteriae, renum, vesicm, uteri

doloribus auxiliatur, diuturn is febribus opitulatur . Canon . lib . ii.

tract l i .

344 MATERIA ,mmca . PART 1 .

comes through the gum the dose of the tincture of

rhubarb is from gij. to gi .We are told by Mr. Barton that the root of the

convolvulus panduratus, is in i ts-

operation somewhat

like that of rhubarb its dose must be a little largerthan that of jalap it is mildly cathartic .

The following are the component parts of

finest kind of Turkey rhubarb

Water

G um

ResinExtract, tan, and gallic acidPhosphate of limeMalate of limeWoody fibre

1000

See Quarterly Journal of Science and the A

x . 29 1 .

The species compactum and p almatuma re g r

in the botan ical garden of Calcutta. Iclude what I have to say of

that I have found it only essentiin India, when combined with ipecaof the first, and gr . vi . of the last, made into pills,and taken in the twenty-four hours ; the ipecacuanhaappears to act, by exciting a kind of antiperistalticaction, and by exciting diaphoresis.

See Barton’

s Materia Medica of the U nited States (vol. i.p .

346 MATERIA INDICA. PART 1.

When the young rose, m crimson gay ,

Expands her beauties to the day ,And foliage fresh her leafless boughs o

’

erspread ;

In homage to-her sovereign power,

Brigh t regent of each subject flower,Low at her feet the violet bends her head .

But no Eastern poet, I shall be hold to say, has

been half so eloquent on the subj ect of the rose, as

the Rev . Mr. E . Smedley who, in hisa Fables of

my Garden ,” has given us some stanzas on that

lovely flower, which are even more beautifulthe flower itself. I quote the two last,

In Spring I watch its opening hue,

Fair promise of a leaf to be ;

And long before they burst to view,

Its swelling folds have charms for me .

I count each bud with silent hope,”Which summer ripens into flower ;

And when the glowing petals ope,

I treasure them within my bower.

Scarce can the enamour’

d n ightingale,

More closely woo it for his bride ;The bird which in the eastern tale ,

Sits warbling music by its side .

I love it in its earliest blade ,I love it in its richest bloom ;

And when its living blushes fade,I court its memory in perfume

The rosa centifolia, which is, according to Dierbacht, the Pob

‘

ov of Hippocrates, and is the 35 52 ?

of the Persians, is that chiefly employed in makingboth rose water

,

and uttir . Those of the_province

of Kerman are of a peculiar freshness . Kaempher

Author of Prescience .

1 See Dierbach’

s Materia Medica of Hippocrates, chapter iv.

1 ; MATERIA INDICA . 347

'AnuenitatesEr otica (p . speaks highly of

of Shiraz, where, it would appear, that a

quantity of the essential oil, or Jig ; is prepared ;and uttir of Cashmire held in lessEast, as is particularly noticed

excellent Monsieur Langlé s in his “ Re”

sur la De’

couverte de Z’

E ssence de Rose”

The same writer informs us, that the attir

om the roses of Syria and the provinces ofIS of an inferior quality to the Persian .

making the perfume so called, hewas first discovered in 1020 of the

by the mother of Nour-djihan Beygum.

M. Kinneir in his G eographical Memoir of

observes, that in the V icin ity of Bussora

elds of roses are cultivated (p . for the

of making rose water.

dia the petals of the rosa centifolia are con

as a. good laxative for infants, given in the

a syrup . Rose water is much employed as

of tobaccoand in preparing collyria. I have seldom

the rosa gallica* in India, but it is more

mon in the higher,

provinces, and in Persia,re it is called gul Surhh The petals of

species make the best rose confection in Europe ;are also used in making the infusion and honey .

the syrup, the rosa centifolia is preferred : thisrose in Sanscrit is tarani.The following are the spec1es of roses, natives of

India, Booten , and Nepaul, which were growmg m

the botan ical garden of Calcutta in 18143 1 . rosa

It is common at Japan , in the neighbourhood ofDezima (Flor.

Japon . , p . Forskahl in h is Mat . Med. Kahirina tells us, thatit is the Bax/125A of the modern Greeks.

34-8 MATERIA IND ICA. PART I .

Indica Q . rosa glandulifera the

Bengalie name of which is She trufi and, 3 . the rosa

i nvolucrata a native of Bootan . But three

spec ies appear to grow in Ceylon , the rosa Indica

(kappe‘ sewuwandi-mal), rosa semperflorens, and rosa

banksize .

The powder of the red rose petals in doses of gi.

has been recommended in hydrophobia. The leavesof the species eglantaria, are a good substitute for

tea. The uttir of the Levant and Tun is is preparedfrom the rosa sempervirens. The petals of the rosa

damascena are the most purgative. The rosaié

mollissima is cultivated on ac coun t of. its large

edible fruit i In sp eaking of the rose, Celsus says,“ simul reprimit, refrigerat et discutit

”(lib . ii.

cap . xxxiii . , lib . v . cap . XL).

The Persian s and Arabians place rose seedsamongst th eir s ia

‘

tetat (Lithontriptica) ;red roses é f " 3? g al surkh, they class amongst theircarminatives, cephalics, and ton ics. The reader isreferred to a Persian work, en titled b

“? )L:s l

particulars regarding the virtues of roses, also to

Avicenna. See Canon . Med . lib . ii. tract ii . p . 1 14.

A native of Cochin-China, where it is called hoe -houng-coung

gf'

ii Flor . Cochin-Chin . vol. i . p .

1 This is the jul nisrin cfwlé of the Arabians, also the

nesrin in Hindoostanie it i s service , or wa rd chinie ; it is the

fl ow of the Japan ese , and grows in Dezima (Flor . Japon . p .

I See Mr . Gras Supplement to the Pharmacope ia.


Both the leaves and flovifers have a very gratefuland aromatic odour, with a pungent and slightlybitter taste, depending on an essential oil, Dr.

Thomson says, combined with camphor ; this corres

ponds with Kunckel’

s opin ion : and we know that

P roust found 10 parts out of 100 to be camph

this plant.

Rosemary has had particular virtues ascribed toas a stimulan t and cephalic ; and I believe itseffects in nervous headache , and hysteric

will not be doubted, given in powder or in

the first is the best mode, in doses from gr. x .

there is also an oil and sp irit prepared with it.regard to its uses in China, Loureiro merel“cep lmlica , tonica, nervina .

” The plant is

gredient in the famous E au de la reine d’

H

which was prepared by the queen herself, and

which she is said to have cured the gout.Rosemary as a medic ine, however, has not of

years been much employed in England . The m

writers on the continent thinkmore highly of it.

bert 1Lsays, it is beneficial in the glandular enlarge

of children , cl trés amnta g euse

The Italians make use of the plant,aroma to rice ; and the G erman

it as an external application (in infusion),the growth of the hair, and give it a glossyappearance a use I find lately adoptedwith success. To conclude, rosemary gro

abundance in Egypt, near Cairo, where itis greatly esteemed as a cephalic.

See V irey’

s Histoire Naturelle desMedicamens, p . 175.

1“

See Nouveaux Elemens de Thérapeutique , vol. ii.

French edition .

CHAP. I . MATERIA IND ICA.

CLXXXVI .

RU E, COMMON. Arooda a im/5 (Tam.

(Arab . Pers. and Duk . ) Arooda (Cyng . )b

, (Mahl) Saturee (Hindooie). Scidsci w law

Suddap oo akoo (Tel. ) B rz'

ikmz’

alflrfi also

(Sans. ) I nghoo (Jav. ) also

(Arab . ) Rue sauvage (Fr . ) Route

Rum (Russ ) Rum do derp esado (Span . )Jcase-so (Japan ) Rum (It . )

RUTA GRAVE'

O LENS (Lin . )

Cl. and O rd. Decandria Monogyn ia. Nat. O rd.

ultisilique (Lin . )The glaucous, pulpy, dotted, doubly pinnate leaves

graveolens, are well kn own to have a

odour, and a bi t ter and nauseous

considerable acrimony in their fresha good deal dissipated on drying.

and burn t are used by the natives

purpose of ' fumigating youngfrom catarrh ; they are also usedmixed with arrack, as an externalstages of paralytic affections.

e leaves, dried in the shade, and powdered,o doctors prescribe, in conjunction within cases of dyspepsia and suppose them,

ogether with camphor, and the sugar of

toddy, to be inimical to the foetus in

which was also entertained by

352 MATERIA INDICA . PART 1.

The modern G reeks call the plant by the name of

IInyowov 3001 0359 , and consider it as a valuable medicine in ep ilepsy . The A rabians1

Lclass rue

amongst their A ttenuentz'

a a Lit , and Vesicatorz’

a

o b i-Lo , also amongst their Stimulantz’

a

Rue was held in high estimation by thand was a principal ingredient of , the

antidote ofMithridates king of Pontus. Pliny noit in several parts of his Natural History, and

it one of the best medicinal herbs ; but informsat the same time, that the juice of it taken in c

siderable quan tity is a poison , especially that of th

plants which grow n ear the river Aliacmon ,

Galatia. Boerhaave extolls highly the virtuesrue, particularly in promoting perspiration In

Schola Salerni we have the followlng lines

Ruta facit castum ; dat lumen , et ingerit astum,

Coota facit ruta, de pulicibus loca tuta.

”

Amongst many other g ood qualities, Celsustices of rue, urinam movet, sensus excitat,

mollit ; cum allio, recte

tum”(See books 11. v . )

as resolvent and diuretic,ter on female diseases.

lieve r

to be antispasmodic, stimand order it occasionally in hysteria and

colic : a strong infusion of it exhibited per a

relieves the convuls1ons of infan ts, arising

See Michel’

s Della Corciresse Flora, p . 52 .

1 Avicenna, who notices three species, imagined that r

powers as an an tidote against poisons V eneni s resiste t

qui timet et suSpicatur venenem sibi exhibendum, aut mord

Canon . Med . lib. n . tract u . p . 222 .

MATERIA INDICA. PART

CLXXXVII .

SAFFRO N. Kkoongoomap oo g mfimu

(Tam. ) Z afi'

cm (Arab . and Duk . )

(Hindooie). Klzoon/roomap oohoo (Tel .) A

(Pers. ) Sqfdron a u“ (Mal. ) Klzokoon

Caocus SATIVUS

Cl . and O rd . Triandria Monogyn ia. Nat.

Ensatae.

The saffron of the , shops is prepared from

stigmas, with a proportion of the style, of

flowers of the crocus sativus, a plant

well in England, and is a native of the

parts of Europe and of A sia. When of

lity, it has a sweetish, penetratmg, diffusiveits taste is a little bitter, united with a certainof warmth and pungency, its colour a deep re

The Hindoo doctors prescribe saffron

affect ions, unattended with'

vertigo, and

1s no disposition to apoplexy ; they also

have cons iderable virtue in melancholia,

pressions, and kistnalz dosham (typhus

women soon after the pains of childbirth, anof safl

'

ron

'

is frequently admin istered by themidwives, to prevent fever, to support the

and gently to assist in carrying off the 10

CHAP. 1. MATERIA .INDICA.. 355

as an external application in ophthalmia, when mixedwith a small portion of pounded . kadulrdz

’

(Chebulicmyrobolan ), and lime-juice, and applied round theeye and close to it.

iThe saflion procured from Asiatic countries is of

an inferior quality to what we see in Europe beingin odour. I t is brought to

fiomPersia l’,mere : hence

place saffron

t their M 0565654; (Hypnotica), Mo

dil 3s (Cardiaca), and M zgfé ttelzat

(Deobstruentia). The reader will find its

fully discussed in a Persian work, entitled

was? Krabz'

dinie Mamm y , a Treatise on

ne, by Massum Ben Ibrahim Shirazy, A .D.

things are more subject to adulteration §thana fact whibh, I find

’

, was noticed by Pliny, init would appear that the best grew in

amountain named Carcyrus. The G reeks

plant Kgoxog ; its English name is evidently

ty of saffron grows in Egypt ; the best in theabout pounds used formerly to be

in that country. See Niebhur’

s Travels in

eir, in his valuable Geographical Memoir of

at saffron is a staple exp ort from~Herat , a'

an. See : his work, p . 182.

“ roborat cor e t exhilarat ; sed

oflic it ; venerem stimulat, urinam

ii. trac t ii. p . 123 .

Roques informs us, with the flowers ofthe same in telligen t writer says of

that when taken in moderation , either in food or asmedi.gives tone to the stomach , strengthens the circulation , and

the functions of the skin but if taken in an overdose, it

a nari

cbtic poison , and injures the brain and nerves. See

raphie Medicale , vol . i. p ; 132 .


borrowed -from t he Arabic. To en

good qualities, which have been -

at

ascribed to saffron , would occuphere ; it has been supposed

'

of the srrfall pox, keep off sea-sickness,(ation at the heart, induce sleep, &c .

ever, thought less favourably of it, and believ

when too liberally taken , it might destroytellectx Celsus

’r is the only author I am aware

considered it as having a purgative quality.

European practioners have con sideredstimulant and an tispasmodic ; but fromments of Dr . A lexander, its powers doto be considerable . Boerhaave had some

notions respecting saffron , and supposed itthe effect of dissolving the blood when takcess ; but if properly admin istered,to be a valuable aromatic, p ectoralnotic and alexiteric ; adding, that

the forehead it sometimes removed:fessor U ngarellz

’

i expre sses his firmbilitating quality and Murray thinan overdose, it powerfully excites the uterus.

Thornton informs us, that he has often knowfits of infan ts removed by the syrup of saffron .

fila§ in his work on poisons, tells us,

infusion of saffron kills dogs in four

they do not appear to suffer, but gwithout pain . The syrup is given 1

gij. to guj. 1Il c 1nnamon-water : Dr . Alsto

prescribe 9 1. of the substance, gss. of the tinc

De Simplic . Medicament . Facult . lib. v . cap . xix .

1~ Vide Cels. lib . v . cap . v .I See A lib

'

ert’s Nouveaux Elémens de Thérapeutique,

p . 552fi

See Traité des Poisons, vol . 11. part i. p .

'

19 7 .

MATERIA INDICA . PART I .

that the plant wh ich actually yields this substancehas not been hitherto ascertained, but Willdenowsupposes it to be the ferula Persica.

Sagapenum has been considered, by the Arabians",

as lithontriptic and attenuant, and placed accordinglyamongst their g um and a nnu , M zg

futz‘etat andM12

Iiltg'

fizt (A ttenuantia and Lithontriptica). European

practitioners consider this gum resin as antispasmodie

and emmenagogue, and, externally, discutient ; and

order it in cases i n which assafoetida has been founduseful it is usually given in substance, in doses offrom gr. viii. to gij. Virey t, in his Histoireturelle des Medi camens,

”expresses an idea,

sagapenum may be the . produce of a

laserp z’

tz'

um and at the same time informaccording to Pelletier, it consists of resin

gomme huile volatile malate acide, de chdebris végetaux, &c.

”For the notions of the

sians respecting this gum resin , the readerconsult a work, entitled Tu/mz

'

m al Adm'

a as

or the Apothecaries’ Vade Mecum.

Sagapenum would appear, by Murray s acc

to be now little used in G ermany, except-in

paring certain plasters for hasten ing suppur

(Appar. Med . vol. vi . p . 2344)

O f all the Arabian writers, Avicenna appears to

highest terms of sagapenum : Paralyt1c ls auxiliatur,musculorum tendonumque con tractionem ;

causa e t flatibus excitatam discutit. Cano1“ See his work, p . 225.

CHAP. I . MATERIA IND ICA.

CLXXXIX .

GE. Sayselley (gg efi‘

am (Tam. ) Simio car

elley (Tam.) Saookal (Cyng . ) Velc'

iitz'

e

Ira p d'

c'

it & LéU

'

Jx lf (Duk. ) Skingjz'

n

Saug e (Fr .) Salbef (G er. ) Salm'

a (Span . )It .) Salon (Port . ) Salbz

'

ak (Pers. )w i th . (Arab . )

SALVIA BENGALENSI S (Rottler);

and O rd. Diandria Monogynia. Nat. O rd .

illatae (Lin . )species of salvia was first scientifically deby the learned and excellent Dr. Rottler, and

ently by Dr. Roxburgh . The leaves differany respect, from those of the salviaxcepting that they have a peculiarly

and hence their Dukhanie and Ta

but little employed in medicine by the

the Mahometans cultivate it in their garuse it for the same purposes that we do ;with the leaves a sort of grateful tea,

they prescribe in certain stages of fever, andutle ton ic and stomachic .

The leaves ought to be carefully dried in the:“

shade ; they then have an agreeable fragrant odour,with a warm,

bitterish, aromatic, and grateful taste ;

1“It appears by the Flora Japon ica, that the s . oflicinalis is

growing in Japan, and called by the Japanese babinso. FloraJapon ., p . 12 .

A A 4<

3 60 MATERIA INDICA ..PART 1.

and are considered as ton ic, carminative,astringent . The infusion alone, or mixedand vinegar, makes an excellent garglesore throat . In ternally, the powder hasfrom grax . to 5ss. ; or, of an infusion ,

gif of the dried leaves to 0j. of boiling water,may be taken every three hours. Virey tellsin his Histoire des Medicamens peu connu

that buisong e 1s the name of an apple gall, or

cence, found occasionally on the salvia otfi

and which is eaten by the Turks at Con stanEight species of salvia were growinggarden at Calcutta, in I S l ‘h but onl

natives‘

of India, the Bengalensis, brachiaparviflora. Three species grow in Ceylon ,

which is the officinalis, or true sage. The

called this Enema-(pomeg, from the parched co

the.

leaves The well-known verse of the

Sal‘

ernum will Show in what estimation sage

held in those days :

Cur moriatur homo’

, cui salvia crescit in horto

The s pecies salvia Indica, or Clary (sclarea InMiller’s is much cultivated in

leaves, from their fresh and pleasant smell,bruised and put into country beer to improvflavour,Murray, in his Appar. Med . vol . ii. p . 201 .

favourably of an infusion of sage in debilitatin

sweats, as well as of the julee of the leavescases of tertian fever, and the aphthous affectionsch ildren .

See Histoire Naturelle des Medicamens, p . 322.

362 MATERIA INDICA.

Japan and China, is the tetsjee or arbor

sinensz'

s of Rumphius, and is supposed bbe the true libby

" tree of the

is mentioned by Dampier and

ing the sago which is so much eaten

bitants of Tonquin, Ternate, TidoreBorneo ’

r, and all the spice islands ; and which

ported'

into other countries in the form of

round grains. 1

Mr. Crawfurd, in his History of the Indian

pelago, says, that sago§ i s the producemetroxylon sagu, and that it thrives best lnsituations. 1

The tree is the huda of the Ternaat Amboyna it is lap z

'

a ; on Ba'

nda romz'

lzo in

cassar rambz'

ya (and the farina of it p alelzu)Mindanao it is labi. Except the m

’

p a, the sago

is the humblest of the palm tribe, .

higher than thirty feet ; and, except the g omutz'

,

the thickest or largest .”

Its different portionsvarious economical uses : the hard wood of

trunk, called karurung , is used in ship bbridges, &c . the stem of the branch, tenne

gaba, i s used in house building, fortifications, 8:the leaf 18 used as thatch and the bran or refuse

the p ith, called ela, is employed,

for feeding hogs.

Dr. Fleming, under the article sago,that sago is procured from the trunks of sev

palms besides that mentioned by Murray ; suc

from the saguerus Rhumphii which is

9“See Forrest’s Voyage to New Guinea, and the M01

Islands, pp . 35— 40.

1‘ See Leyden

’

s Sketches of Borneo, l n the 7 th volum”Transactions of the Batavian Society .

1 Loureiro says, under the head of cycas inerm1s, that in

Tonquin good sago is made from the trunk of i t. Flora CochinChin . vol . l i. p .. 6 32 .

See the work, vol. i. p . 383.

M‘

ATERIA INDICA .

"

363

gomutd"

of Rhumphius (Amb. i .of a tree, called on Ceylon tcflaghas, and incodda-p auna (corypha umbraculifera), is alsosage, as is that of the erimp ana (caryotaA substance somewhat similar is likewisefrom the meal-bearing date tree (phoen ix

the Telinghoo name of which is01 sirroo eetclzum. Kirkpat

his Account of Nepaul (p . informs us,

p ith of a tree, called in that country Icaholo,

by the natives ; anl hunberg tells us, that'

of the zamia caffra (zamia lanuginosa,Willd. )considered as a sort of sago ; indeed, Barrowtree is mentioned byMr. Crawfurd (Vol. i. p . under

cal appellation of borassus

y the Chinese as a sweet meat . A pro

is obtained from the gomuti tree, resemfound, in a matted form, betwixt the

s ; with it the natives prepare a useful

cordage . This palm, it would appear, is to be met with in the

Eastern Archipelago only . In Malay the tree is anao, and its

toddy tewa/c, and the hair-like material y'

u. The Javanese call

the tree area , the horse-hair-like produce duk, and the toddylagen . At

.

"

Amboyna the tree is naiva, and the material‘

for

cordage malesee . A t Ternate the tree is seize in the Bali tongue

jabaka. The Portugese, and all other European nations, call the

tree sagwire ; at Macassar it is monckono, and the toddyjuro.

Most of the sugar used by the natives of the Eastern islands is

made from the toddy ; and with this toddy, when fermen ted in towine, the Chinese prepare arrack . I perceive that the tree is

one of the many . interesting objec ts that called the atten tion of

Mr . Philebert, during his voyage in the Indian and Asiatic Seas.

1 Amost useful tree in the Indian Archipelago, where it is calledby the Malays nibung , or n ipa . Sugar, toddy, and sago, are all

got from it ; at the top of the tree, as / in the cocoa-nut' tree,

and several other palms, the germ of thé new growth affords asubstance which is an excellent substitute for cabbage .

3641 MATERIA INDICA.

says, that 1t is used as such by the Kaffres of S

Sago, in India, is more useda by the Ma

than the Hindoos but, even by the former, it

n early so much eaten as by the inhabitants ofEastern islands, whose principal food it is.

Cra’

wfurd tells us, that there is but one

the true sago palm, but four varieties : v

tivated, the wild, ONE distinguished byof the

“

spin es on the branches, and ' oNE

dest itute of spines ; which last is usual

the natives the female sago .

“

The first

afford the best farina ; the second a .hard

from wh ich t he farina is difficultly extracted

the third, which has a comparatively slender

an inferior sort of farina

As a diet for the sick, sago is light and bland,is particularly indicated in bowel affections, and

ternal inflammations, when it is best

with milk . Brande, in his Manual of C

1701. iii . p . places sago amongst his st‘

aro

making it his third variety.

CXCI .

‘

SA‘

INTJOHN’

S BREAD, or FRU IT of

CAROB TREE . Khz'

ruoob nubl‘

iGian};

(Arab . )CERATONIA SILIQUA (Li

Cl.and O rd. Polygamia Dioecia. Nat . O

Lomentaceae

This article, which had formerly a“

place 1n the‘

British Materia Medica, was termed by the G re

ke’

raka

36 6 MA TERIA. IND ICA .

Many’

years ago Sal ammon iac was madeon ly, and from that country all Europe waswith it it was there prepared

the soot of fuel 1“ within the lastit has been manufactuthe world what of it is used insome of the Northern counties. Taverni

sal ammoniac amongst the articles, which in hiswere brought from Amadabat to Surat (Reis

p .

This inodorous, bitterish, acrid, and co

salt, the Tamool practitioners, like us, use inas a repellent in cases of local

mour ; they also believe it toretie virtues, and accordingly admin ister ithodrum (ascites), and neer ambul (anasarcamoreover supposed to be a useful remedy infemale obstructions and uterine enlargements,

wag/p oo pavaySal ammon iac i is now seldom given internally

European practitioners, O n account of the cold

produces during its solution in water, it is o

advan tageously employed as a lotion to abate

pain of inflammation , or allay head-ache . I t

The fuel commonly used was the dung of camels. See

Niebhur’s Travels in Arab ia, vol . i. p . 9 7 . Bartolomeo tells us,

in his Travels (p . 82 that sal ammon iac used formerly to be

brou ht to India from Persia and Arabia.1

' hat was called sal ammon iacus by the an cients was no

o ther than impure common salt, perhaps rock salt ; the firstdistin ct traces of sal ammon iac are to be found, I believe , inth e writings of the A rabians. In Geber there is a prescription

how to purify sal ammon iac by sublimation , an d he flourished inthe eighth cen tury , and wrote on alchymy . Avicenna, the chemist,who lived, it is supposed, in the year 1 122, was the first that toldus that sal ammoniac came from Egypt , India, and Forperia. See

Beckman’

s History of Inventions, vol. iv. p . 364511130 p. 375.

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA , IND ICA. 367

excellent discutien t for indolent tumours,or psora, when dissolved in the proportion

of the salt to gix. of water, with gi. of al

some parts of the world this salt is founda product of volcanoes as in the vicin ity of

n the province ofM ekrou in Persia" ; closewhere there is a mountain called Koh

or Sal Ammoniac Mountain . In Europe

prepared by sublimation from a

salt and sulphate of ammon ia,

called secret sel l-ammoniac byte of soda is also formed.

The volatile salt of sal ammon iac, which the Tamools call ndvdckcirci acranum, and in Dukhan ie is

termed soongna is prepared by the former

in the following mannerTake of nava

'

ckarum (sal ammon iac) one polum,

simic chum'

imboo (chalk) two pollums ; dry the two

ingredients carefully, then mix them, and sublimestrong heat.

sal volatilis, the native practitioners of Indiadonot appear ever to administer internally, using it

as a local stimulant to the nose, in fainting

guors, and hysteria. European practitionerst in cases requiring diaphoretics, antnts, and antispasmodics ; in large doses

emetic, The common do se IS from gr. iij.in pills, or dissolved in water to produce

sss. may be given for a dose .

a paper which has lately been published inster

’s Philosophical Journal of Science (No .

Macdonald Kinneir’s Geographical Memoir of Persia,

3 6 8 MATERIA IND I CA ;

it appears, that ammonia has b een foundcomplete antidote to the hydrocyanic or pacid.

CXCIII .

SALEP . Sci lc'

imz'

sr ie 9 =rrox9 rru53 9 9 rfi (T

Salibz'

mz'

sr i u h ? (Arab . Hind . and

Salep (Fr. )Os ca rs MA SCULA

Cl . and O rd . Gynandria Monandria. Nat .

O rchidete . Salep Ragwurz (N-om. Triv. Willd. )

Salep used formerly to be imported from Eastecountries, but is now prepared in several partsEurope ; andMr. Mault of Rochdale has given 11

method of drying and curing the orchis root,

which it is obtain ed . The plant thrives we

England, and Withering has in consequ

p ressed a hope that we shall no longer be

from foreign markets w ith an article o'

ur

try can furn ish us with, m almost any quSalep is considered as a

invigorating virtues by th

according to Forskahl , kkoosie talc!) ca k e“

wa s

Med . Kahirina). A s an article of diet it isbland, and nutritious, and is part icularly indi

and recommended by Dr . Perc ival, in dyse

dysur

ia, and internal inflammat ion ; it is to

w ith in most of the bazars of Lower Hind

and is an export to that country from the

The Arabian physicians prescribe it with great

See Macgill’s Travels in Turkey, vol . 11. p .

37 0‘ MATERIA IND ICA . PART

CXCIV.

SALT, COMMON. O opp oo 2 5 1451,

Ne'

muck di d (Pers. ) N immu/c $45 (Duk .

Hind . ) Loonoo (Cyng . ) Loon (Hindooie).

vana"

(353m(Sans. ) Lawauum (Tel . ) Garam

(Mal .) Uyak (Jav. ) Uy ak (Bali . )soude (Fr. ) Salzaures natrum (Ger. )

(It. ) M eliz M eet (Mah .) Yen (MURIAS

Besides the common method of procuringary salt by evaporating

“sea water, which

adopted in the Sunderbunds, where a

made equal to the consumption of all the

provinces, the native Indians prepare it byation , and crystallizing, from certain red soilscontain it ; such as that found near

in Mysore, in Ayudk, and in the district of BenareThey al so prepare it in inland situations, from s

springs or lakesi , simi lar in their nature to those

Luneburg, and the salt lake mentioned by R

(see his Account of Aleppo) ; a lake of the

k ind we find noticed by Macdonald Kinneir, iexcellent Geograph ical Memo ir of Persia (p .

In Java salt is procured by a similar process. See Cra

History of the Indian Archipelago, vol . i. p . 19 9 .

1 See Remarks 0 11 the Husbandry of Bengal, p . 181.

1: There is a singular salt lake , called lake of Loonar, in

in lat. 10'

and long . 75° 3’

E . The . salt of this lakegreyish co lour, crystallized in cubes ; itby the Mahometans, and in cleaning the

Ed in . Philosophical Journal, pp . 310, 3 11 .

CHAP. 1 . MATERIA INDICA. 37 1

Bag teg(ran, about ten miles from Shiraz, in the pro

vince of Furs. Ki1kpatrick, in his Account of

Nepaul, tells us (p . that salt is an import intothat country from Thibet ; it is a valuable exportfrom Java“ to theWest coast of Sumatra. In India,

quality is manufactured in Cuttaclr,erstand, an annual revenue of not

lacs of rupees ; it is there got b ysea water ; that which 1s subsequently

d by boiling is called p augah.

doos, of all descriptions, set a very high value

using the phrase I eat his salt, to expresse of gratitude, as much as to say I am

to serve himfiritlgfi dty.

” They ascribe manyts to the want of good salt, which, indeed,

rience at places remote from the sea,

they ge t an impure, bitter sort, obtained inreparation of salt-petre, from certain earths

contain it . The Vy tzaus consider salt as we

be ton ic, anthelmintic, and, externally, stimubut do not appear to be aware, that in large

it has been found to check vomiting of blooda considerable aperient quality i whenThe Brahmins, who eat noth ing butbelieve, that without salt they wouldadmirable account of the differentnufacturing salt, the reader may con

nary, art. Mur iate of Soda . Ana

salt was found to consist of

md of soda.

See Sketches Civil and Military of Java, p . 41 .

j There is, perhaps, no passage more just and true in all his

wri tings, than those words of Avicenna : Sal foecum excretionem

ac ciborum descensum promovet ; ad putrifactiones et humorumcrassitiem valet. Canon . lib . ii. tract. ii.

B E 2

37 2 MATERIA '

INDI CA .

’

PA

SALT, ROCK. I ndoop oo J u g ; (TL alzorz

'

e’

nemuc/r $9 45 (Duk . ) Suwinda

(Cyng . ) Nimaki sung (Pers. ) Sm

(Hindooie). Samdluwa Ham”

(San s. )

Rock salt is brought into Hindoostan fromwhere, as well

‘

as in Bootan and in ,N

,

eptells

‘

us, it is used for all

also an export from Lahorecording to Rennel, in a tractIhylum rivers, it 13 ,

found of

to make into vessels. I t is

the provin ce of“

M ekrou and Mr.

his interesting Account of,

Cabul i , inform

n ear Calla baug lz, on the bank of the Indus,immen se quan tities of rock

-salt, in large bl

rocks, in a“ quarry ; and thence exported

and Khorassan . The rock salt

Poland, we are

(vol . i. p .

Rock salt, in

Cheshire,where there 15 a stratum,

feet thick . In December, 1823 , Chaptdreport in the A cademy of Scien ces, of Pan

rock salt of the mine di scovered, in 1820 ,

in the departmen t ofL aMeur t/ze, in France ;

* S ee Turn er’

s Embassy to the Co urt of theTishoo Lama,pp .406 , 4071 S ee I

’ennan t

’

s View of Hindoostan , vol . 1. p .42.

1 See his work , p .40. A lso found at B ulk/z. See same work,p . 147 .

374 MA TERIA INDI CA . PA

also Mesz'

u mentak (Mal . ) U bi a’

r (Arab . )va-ltska

'

ra W IT Sans. )'

Wedie loonoo (C

N itrate de p otassa (Fr. ) Salp eter mares kalz'

S alp eter (Dut.) Nitro (It . )NITRAS Pou ssin (Edi

It is well known that this article, has”

; for

years past, been procured in great quantitiesthe earth containing it in several provinces ofdoostan, but especially in thoswhere the hot winds are more prevalent,tracts extending farther east ; and i t is

that the production of n itre is greatest duringperiod when the hot winds blow : from Bengal

brought to England in an impure state . Salt pappears to be obtained artificially in variousdifferent countries ; in Podalia, in Poland,from the tumuli or hillocks, which are the

of former habitations. In Cabul it is mad

every where from the common soil ;the land after a crop of corn in

lecting the rakings of the streets and in India,some parts, from the earth of old walls, scrapingsroads, cow-pens, and other places frequentedcattle .

There is little salt petre manufactured in

lower provinces of India ; in the Coimbatore

it is made at considerable expence, and of an

quality to that which 0

is a product of the soil in theSiam

'

(in the province of Cori e), also in‘

M elt

and amongst the mountains behind Tehrazm" in

See M . Kinne1r s Geographical Memoir of Persia, pp2241. 40 .

CHAP . 1. MATERIA '

INDICA . 875

O n Java * it is prepared by boiling the soilfrequented by bats and birds, ch iefly swal

e native doctors prescribe salt petreJr for nearly

ame purposes that we do ; to cool the bodypreternaturally heated, and in cases of neer

and kuZl-addyp oo (ischuria and gravel).re also in the habit of cooling water with it,

it does by generating cold while dissolving),

purpose of throwing over the head in cases

eated small doses, not ex

e grains, it abates heat and thirst,action . Dr. Thomson

,

says it is

111 typhus fever and hectic atfec

a small portion of it, allowed to

month, has been found to removei nflammatory sore throat. Mr. Brande in

s us, t hat n itre‘

consists of one proportional ofone proportional of potassa 22 445. I

CXCVII .

S ALT GLAU BER. Sulp hate de soude (Fr. )SULPHAS Some .

See Crawfurd’

s History of the Indian Archipelago, vol. i.

201.

1~Native salt pe tre Cronstedt was not acquain ted with ; such as it

seen as well in Portugal, Spain , and America, as in the

an efllores cence on certain damp and ruin

thy salt petre , and to be distinguished from

of Professor John Bohn ; incrustations on

owever , salt petre ; they are no t rarely soda

The name n itrum

d to both incrust1. iv . pp . 529 , 530.

B E 4<

37 6 MATERIA INDICA .

I percerve by Dr. F . Hamilton’

s A ccount

of the district of Purniya, that he there found akind of G lauber salt brought from Patna, and c

in Hindoostan ie kkarz'

numalc also kbara noon .

*

CXCVIII .

SANDAL WOOD . Ckandanum st a g

also S handcimi-cuttay (Tam. ) Sundel 3am

San'

doon (Cyng . ) Sundel abiez vé g l AM

Sandal safi z'

dm JAM (Pers.) Character:(Hi

Sandalo(It . ) Sandale (Fr. ) Chanda'

na (H

Beng . ) Srz'

g rinda (Can . ) Ty endcimi Mal .)man (Tel . ) Ckandana am also M alayaja

(Sans. ) A ikamem’

l (Timur). Ayasru (Amboyalso Katclzandan (Hind. ) Cayhug/nba

’an

Chin . ) Tan-malt (Chin . )SANTALUM ALB U M

SIRIU M MYRTIF O LIU M (R

Cl . and O rd . Tetrandria Monogyn ia. Nat.

O nagrae (Juss. )Sandal wood in powder is prescribed byVy tz

’

ans in tavajorum (ardent remittent fever),its supposed sedative and cooling qualitiesalso look upon it as a valuable medicine in gonorr

g1ven in cow’s milk ; a virtue we see by Ru

It is to be presumed that it is a verymilton

'

does no t know Whether it is pn ative , which

surface of the soil, as in Hungary .


What is called ag lzilcattay in Tamool,lcag ore by the Mahometans, is a reddis

resinous-fragrant bitter wood,

powder to powdered sandalfragrance . I am not

but am inclined to bealoes Wood, called by the names of

calamiyour (aquilaria ovata). The

Turpin says, of Siam, it is‘

also . to be

Cambogia, Timore, Cochin-China Borneo t

the Sooloo I slands.

I t would seem that much uncertainty had

from the two trees aquilar ia ovata and exc

agalloclia, having been confounded together (anEnglish terms of aloes wood and eag le wood

criminately applied to both), but theydifferent ; the first being of the class and

Decandria Monogyn ia, and the latter of

Dioec ia Triandria. M1 . Martyn seems to

doubt, but that the pe1fume we allude to isaquilaria ovata, which 18 the aloeay lum

Loureiro, and agalloekam (Rumph . A

He says, the wood itself 1s naturally

that when it has aroma, it is a di

o leaginous particles stagnating 111 the ithe t1unk and branches into a l esin , till

tiee dies and when split, the valuable resin islit :

“

he adds, that all the true lignum aloes

c eed from this tree, even th e most valuable,mouly called calumbac.

”(

Perfumes from this

Loureiro says, are highly esteemed by Eas

”'lSee Borr1s s Accoun t of Coch in t China.

1

1' See Lokyer

’

s A ccount of the Trade of India, p .

"

129

;t See further particulars on this subjec t, under the hea

Wood Aloes, in this volume and chapter.

MATERIA mmCA . 87 9

being useful remedies, they suppose, in

palsy, and in restraining vomiting and

A rabians place sandal wood amongst their

(Cardiaca) ; the dose half a

tree is fullydescribed by Loureiro, whohe virtues of the wood Resolvens,

retica, cardiaca,”&c . Vide Flor. Cochin-Chin .

p . 87 .

CXCIX .

ANDARACH. Sundroos (Arab . )JUNIPERU S COMMUNI S (Lin . )

1. and O rd. Dioecia Monadelphia. Nat.O rd .

resinous substance is commonly met with inranules, a little larger than a pea, of a whitishcolour, brittle and inflammable, of a resinousand acrid aromatic taste ; it exudes, we are

given juniperus communis as the plant from which gumexudes in warm climates, from the authority of Dr .

r. Hooper ; but I find,des Medicamens,

”says, it

of Desfontaines (p .

Chemistry applied to the

1 he does on the authority of

Schousboe, who is of opin ion , that the juniperusgrow in Africa, whence the sandarach comes ;Broussonet aflirms, that the resin called sanda

lata, in the kingdom of Morocco .

this is, I cannot pretend to say ; had there been any simi

twixt the two plants, I could have imagined a mistake ,juniper is of the class and order Dioecia Monadelph ia,thuya articulata of the class and order Monoecia Mono

the first has leaves narrow and awl-shaped, the last “

has


told, from cracks and inc isions in the stem

jun iper bush, which the G reeks knew by thof Agxeuflog, and which, by Jackson

’s acco

common at Morocco, and is there called t

arar the roofs of the houses and ceilings areof the wood of it (See

'

his Travels in MO

p .

r

Sandarach is seldom seen in India ; the Aas a medicine, consider it as drying, and ord

the quan tity of half a miscal, in c ases of

and hemorrhage . I cannot learn that th

a varn ish, the purpose to which it,is

Europe, dissolved in spirits of wine . See

Varn ishing, in Imison’

s work on Science an

vol . ii. pp . 8 f£3 , 34444.The juniperus commun is is a native of

called by the Japanese Iy’

a/rusi. Flor. Japon . p .

SARCOCOLLA . U nzeroot (Arab . )

judek KM JJ'

(Pers. )PENAEA MUCRONATA (Li

C l . and O rd . T etrandria Monogynia.

This subviscid, sweetish, and somewhat nau

gum resin , is but rarely met with in India ;what is found, is brought from Persia

T

or

.is seen in small grains of a pale yellow colour.

”

an article of the Mogul Materia Medica,“

and 1s

known to the A rabian s, who suppose it to havetues,

'

applied externally, 111 agglutinating(hen ce its G reek name 0 6 t in flows) ; and

ine ly place it amongst their Yabisaat


to the Coromandel coast from America ;the p er ip loca I ndica, a common Indianwhich is the p eriploca fi liis angustis acutis

B urman (Burm. Z eyl. 187 . t . 83 . Troots very much resemble each other in appand natural qualities both being inodorous,

ginous,'

and, in a slight degree, bitter. The

rivayr is recommended, by the Tamool doc

cases of gravel and strangury, given in

mixed with cow’

smilk ; they also g1ve it in

tion , in conjunction w ith cummin seeds, to

the blood, and correct the“

acrimony of th

The perip . emetica is a native of India,and

on the Coromandel coast . The p . esculenta

scribed by Roxburgh (Cor. Plant . i . t .O n the Malabar coast, the root of the cari 'vi

(smilax aspera"

) is used for the same purposes

the root of the periploca Indica is on the

del coast ; it is the Z utxayya of the moderwho use it to purify the blood . The cari

doubt not, is the plant we find' mentioned by

lemeoT, under the name of the red jlowereddamba, and which is, he says, used for sarsaparthe Malabar coast.

The decoction of the root of the periplocais prescribed by European practitioners in Icutaneous diseases, scrophula, and

t ions, to the quantity of giij. or gim, three

the day . In America it would seem that

plants have, at different times, been used for purifys

See Hort . Malab . vol. vu . p . 7 8. See also Virey’

s HistoireNaturelle des Medicamens, p . 151 .

1‘ See his History of the East Indies, p .417 . Michelle, in his

Della Corciresse F lora (p . informs us, that the modern

Greeks call the smilax aspera Ammaxt xo'

woy , and that the root

possesses virtues similar to those of sarsaparilla.

am p . 1. MATERIA INDICA.

‘

383

in his Flora Peruviana, parns the following : viz. lap ageria rosea,

luzuriaga radicans, and herreria stellata .

The periploca Indica, or country sarsaparilla 1‘

plant, has a twin ing, round, ash-coloured stern ; a

leaves from each join t, almost sessile, brightnderneath,

'

with many flowers,a native of Lower India and

though I do not see that it is noticed by Mr.

in,his Catalogue of Ceylon Plan ts. 1 have

noticed the powerful alterative qualities whichhina root (smilax China) is said to possess ; it

Too-fa}: of the Chinese .

CCI I.

SSAFRAS . Cay -vang-dee (Cochin-China).

Sasafras (A rab .) Sassafras (Fr. ) Sassa

(It . ) Sassafras lobbeer (G er. )LAURUS SASSAFRAS (Lin . )

sandria Monogynia. Nat . O rd . Lauri

plant has a place here from its being a nativeEastern country (Cochin-China), as

”well as

America. Loureiro 1 describes it fully

See Flora Peruvian a, vol . 111. pp . 65, 6 6 . 6 9 .

1‘ It would appear by the Gaze tte de Sante , that M. Galileo

an Italian physician , has recen tly discovered an ac tiveprinciple in sarsaparilla, which he calls parigline ; it is white , pul

verulent, light, unalterable on exposure to the atmosphere , of\a

bitter taste , and slightly astringen t ; it un ites with all the acids,various salts ; in its medical qualities it is sedative and

tic .

1 See Flora Cochin-Chin . vol. i. p . 254.

8843 MATERIA - INDI CA .

Arbor magna, trunco’

erecto, ramis in vertice ,

tentibus, ligno levi, cin erio, odorato,”&c . I t is

this last property in the wood, that the tree is

vated ; it generally r1ses to t he height of twen

thirty feet, with a . trunk . about twelvediameter, . covered with a furrowed bark,the wood, has an agreeable fragrant odour,sweetish aromatic taste ; the wood is of a bro

white colour, and the bark, as Dr. Thomson

describes it, 1s ferruginous within ,spongy, an

divisible layers. In CochimChina, where the

grows in the woods towards Borea and Tun

wood and bark are considered, as in Europe,retic , sudoriflc , and diuretic ; and are takension in cases of rheumatism, and wanderThe character which this medicine once

powerful an tisyphilitic, is now somewhat

and more is, perhaps, justly to be ascribed

guaiac, with which it is usually combined: A l

holds out a caution in prescribing the essentialsassafras, but he does not say why of the barkwood he speaks in the highest p raise, and cites aof obstinate rheumatism in which the infusion

used with the happiest effect, when manymedicines had failed . The sa

’

ssafras met wi

Egypt, Forskahl tells us, in his Mat . Med . Kh

p . 1418, was brought from the A rchipelago in

and used by the A rabians in venereal compl

See Nouveaux Elemens de Thérapeutique,

. 3-

86 MATERIA -IND ICA .

lofty, w ith alte rnate branches ; leavesternate, ovate, blunt, and entire ; theaxillary sp ikes , the

red colour .

” Mr. Brandecolouring matter of this trbut readily so in alcohol .

that Pelletier prepared withresin , obtained from the tree, a

extract, which he termed santaline . Red

,does not appear to possess any medicinal pIt may be found noticed by Avicenna1

L

under the A rabic name sanda

of pterocarpus were

of Calcutta in Eastern plants, exceptdraéo, a native of America, introduced in 18 12,

Captain Young.

The pte'

rocarpus santalinus, and anothe

which the Cyngalese call gan-mala (pterocarpus b

bus), grow in Ceylon . See Moon’

s CatalogueCeylon Plants.

CCIV.

SCAMMONY. Salsmoonia (Arab .)fmaodék (Hindooie). Scammon ée (Fr . )von Scammonea (It. )U M (Duk oj

CONVOLV U LUS SCAMMONIA

See his H istoire des Medicamen s, p . 286 .

1 Av icenna mentions three kinds, luteum,rubrum

,

dum. Affluxum humorum coercet, maxime rubrutumorestract ii.

p .

an excellent and permanen t yellow dye .

calm s r. MATERIA ’ INDICA: 8837 .

resin,'

which is obthined fby'

in'

cision'

of the plant, does not appear tobe at

the'

Hindoos. The Mahometan prac

it ; but, I presume,seldom prescribe it . The Dukhanie name of this

article, as we learn from Sec’

under " is a Syrianword ; and we also learn from the same author, that

the Arabians sometimes bestow on it the appellationof inalzamooda, and hence, no doubt, the Hindooiename.

ii I findithat seammony ismentioned 1L amongst the

Medicines which might be sent to Europe f romIndia it is%oth

‘

erwise, as we see by the U lfa'

z U d

brought to India from Antioch of a good'

which it is, swhen light, glossy, of the colour

easily friable, with a peculiar heavyitterish, slightly acrid taste . The

yria and Cochin-Chinai‘

; and

found in abundance betweenThe gum resin is procured

a milky juice from the root, which isn more than four feet long, and three

inches broad ; the plan t itself; which is'

of

sand order Pentandria Monogyn ia, and na

'

t.

ampanacea rises commonly .

to the

f sixteen or eighteen feet, sending up manystems, with arrow-shaped green leaves on

See hisw ork, entitled J,“ Mafardatie Secundes ,

on the Materia Medica. It was originally written in Syrian , byYahialcoorb, and translated into Persian by Secunder .

on the Husbandry’

and Commerce of Bengal,

wild in the woods of Cochin-China; and 1s called byts khoai-ca-lzoa-vang . Vide Flor. Cochin-Chin . vol. 1.

c c 2


long'

foot stalks ; . flowers in‘

pairs, having a

shaped, pale yellow corolla.

”Scammony is

powerful cathartic, operating quickly, andlarly indicated . in cases of dropsy, torportestines, hypoch

’

ondriasis, and mania ; as well

wo'

rm cases, and in that slimy state of the bto which ch ildren are subject (See Thomson

’s

don

It has been by some authors considered as an

tating and unsafe medicine ; this, however,Thomson appears to th ink it only is, in an

state of the bowels. D ioscorides takes nothe dangerous qualities of this powerful cbut Aitius, Mesue

", and some other Arabian w

scruple not to say, that it ought neveri to beThe more modern Arabians and Moguls

scammony amongst their Mooskilfit-szfi ai

bi n (Chologoga). The usual dose is from gr.

gr. xv.

The inferior sort of scammony exportedSmyrna, called Smy rna scammony , and whi

black, heavy, and splin tery, Dr . Thomson see

think is obtained from the same plant that

kind is ; but is, he says, mixed by thechan ts with impurities. Mr. G ray, howe

Supp lement to the Pharmacop oeias,”tells

“

is procured from a different plant, perzp locamom

'

um (See his work, p .

Celsus recommends scammony in cases of

Vide Mesue, Simp . cap . i. f01.4.7 . is1 I

-

perceive , however, that Rhazes allows 1t to be takenrubeam vehementer expellit .

”

MateriaMedica, article tidy ” .

£ 0 MATERIA aINDICA. PART I .

Italica) (.foliis'

obtnsis), 1ai1d bymo means

as what . is called the A lexandrine senna,

tinent of Euro pe and wh ich Niebhur

hy'

the Arabs to Mec

nearly SO‘

strong as the

is usually carried for sale to Eastern

which grows in -Arabia Felix in theof Mocho .

Most of the senna used in England is theof Egypt, the best sort called in Nubia,where it grows wild. The leaves whendried (in the sun), have a faint, rath

and a slightly bitter, sweetish, and

I twould seem

with the leaves of the coron

G razea, which last increase their purgative quthese may be detected by be ing larger and m

pointed (Deli lle, Egypt )"

The usual and best form of giving senna is in

fusion , the dose from about fg113 to fgiv.

recommended that

bo iling hot water for one

ascertained, I have reason

of Bath, that the infusion

powerful, if the leaves are

the whole

much manna, is a n effectual dose for an adult "

I was surprised to see on reading

Roques, in his Phytographie Medicale,

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA ‘INDICA ; 39 1)

Journey to Ethz'

Opz'

a”(p . that in the district of

Damnalzass senna i s only used as a dye, and not

at all as a medicine . Mr. Gr. Hughes of

a few years ago, succeeded perfectly in

he true senna of Arabia, in 1 the Southern

Indian pen insula ; it is sincerely to‘ be

it may soon becoine general throughout

territories.

'

The A rabian s place senna

their M ooshz'

lat sowa’a is

, “. Q M (Mela

and Sometimes g1ve it the name of hegjasz’

e

prescribing the infusion in doses of 6 or 7

Thirty-four species of Cassia were grow

the botan ical garden of Calcutta in 1814”four of which were oriental plan ts : fourteen

grow in Ceylo

in his “Manuel des

les Indigenes (p . 30. of the Qd . Me

gives us no fewer than six differentch might be substituted for senna ; viz .

alypum anagyris faetidaes of daphne, and the cneor

'

um'

t‘

rico'

c'

con

best of which seemst o us the first , three

the leaves, in decoction, produced ten

In Amel icaand the West Indies, thecassia ema1ginata, and c . marylandica,asionally used as senna.

o Legrange (Annales dc

to be characterized by a

peculiar extractive matter, which, on being boiledfor a l ong time, passes into a resinous substance byabsmbi

'

ng o xygen ; they at the same time con tain aresin, which resists the action of water, but 1s solublein alcohol. The officinal p1epa1ations of senna,

See Brande’

s

.

Manual of .Chemistry, vol. iii. p . 116 .

c c 44

39 2 MATERIA IND ICA . PA

are, extract . cassite senna’

, infus. seance , alreadytioned z

'

nfas . sennce comp osit . dose from gij. to

p ulv. senate composit . from Bi. to’

gi . tinct . sennce

gij. to gi. sy rup . senna? from 3i. to and

sennae from gi. to gv.

The Cassia senna seldom rises higher than

feet and a half ; the leaves are pinnate, a

in alternate order ; the leaflets, of whichhas five or six pairs, are sessile,a yellowish-green colour ; the flowers ythe fruit an ovate membraneous leafy com

legume .

”

I perceive, Dr. Paris,in his Pharmalogia, p .

informs us, that senna leaves are a dulteratedthose of the chynanchum oleafolium (arguel),those of the colutea arborescens.

SNIPE . Woota‘

n m m rr d or (Tam.)' To

gha [coda (Tel. ) Punkookrz'

eu i

Panicoul (Hind . ) B ecassz'

ne (Fr.) 55;

didz'

e (Mal. B eccaccz'

no (It. Ska-okay (Chin . )SCOLOPAX GrALLINAGo (Lath

The snipe is a common bird all over India, andconsidered as one of the greatest delicaciesEuropean inhabitants. The Mahometans

the flesh of the sn ipe as possessing ton ic an

lating qualities. The Jack snipe (scolopax g

Lassaigne and Fenealle seem to be of opinion , th

tivity of senna depends upon the presence of a peculiar

principle , which they have termed cathartine. See A

Chemie e t Physique , tome xvi. p . 16 .


mouly called by the :English'

in India coun

is employed by the as,

a medicine

prescribed by them '

vdz'

voo (tympwhich fdisease they suppose it to have pvirtues. The different articles employed in

paration of it are, ove’

rmunnoo (Tam. ) (ancarbonatearth contain ing a great proportion of carbsoda), pottle oopp o

'

o (salt petre), and ckunamboo

proportions of each of these

they are all bruised together,the whole is added a certain quantity of fresh

then the mixture is well.

agitated for manyand allowed to stand for three daysmatter having fallen to the bottom, the

strained off; and boiled to form the

suffic ient quantity of g ing ilie oil (sesamtale) having been previously added whe

first to boil. It will easily be seen how

imperfect this soap must be, when compared.

the capo dams which is manufacture

Spam . The best soaps in Europe are madeolive oil and soda. Soft soap . is

potassa and some of the common oil

often used for this purpose . Pelletier

parts of new soap, to consist of 609 4: oil, 8 56and 30 50 water.

3“Resembling, m its nature, that species o f 1mpure fossilcalled trona, at Trip oli, which is found near the surface

earth, in the of Al endraé , and which the

Morw co'use

P . 1 . MATE RIA INDICA.

‘ 395

CCV I IL

SOLE FISH . Naale meen gaf f-a g m oor(Tam. )

Km lz’

e mutchie193 6 ; (Duk. ) E ean Ie

’

da Mal. )t . ) also Caddil naa/rmeen

PLEURO NECTES SOLEA .

sole in India is 1eckoned amongst the best'

of

fish kind, being at once light, extremely nu

delicate, and one of those that may with thet safety be given to people of weak digestions.

e common both on the Coromandel and

coasts in the last me

e,[

and are

The .genus pleuron

ctoral fins, and boththe head it contains no less thanderives its name f1om 717 1 :

The sole fish 18 highly esteenie

the C hmese, who call it ta-slza .

ccrx.

SODA,IMPU RE CARBONATE or . Kéram

(Tam. ) also Poonheer [earum (Tilillr)also Se

’

dgz'

e mattie (Hind.

M ata (Hind . ) Stya cara

3 9 6 MATERIA iNDICA . PART 1.

also Saryzkriskcira fi EfiTETt (Sans.) San

munnoo oopp oo (Tel .) Jamerl cheneeL5»

(Arab . ) Carbonate de soade (Fr. ) Kohlensa

natrmn (G er. ) Carbonate dz'

CARBONAS Sonm IMPU

Some of the more enlightened Vy tians knowhow to prepare carbonate of soda from the e

which contain it, (andof Lower India, ) such asThe

‘

soda prepared from the firstis called in Dukhan ie chowr Ice

’

muttialca

that from the second chowr ke’

p ool Ira

the most common name of which is valet'

el

so named from the circumstance of its bei

ployed in the manufacture of glass bracele

Tellingoo it is gas oopp oo, and in Sanscritlancinam as it is found in the bazar, it is in r

whitish cakes about the third part’

of an mob

and appears to containmuch muriate of soda.

The native practitioners of India suppose

have virtues in dropsy, particularly(ascites) it is also used in glass a

(see article Karam in another part of thisThe subcarbonate of soda is not of so acrid a

as the subcarbonate of potass, and is antacid

Called in Hindoostanie rék mittz'

e, in Canarese soula mTelhnghoo savittz

'

e munnoo, and m Sanser1t assara.

39 8 m amm rmmca.

thelwayg rows:at the Cape of Good Hope

there i called by theHottentots canna .

There are other plants in India used for

pose of burn ing, to procure

their names are nart'

e oomar ie

flora), oomarie martin: (Tam. )

in Europe to procuré'

s oda for ;making soap

glass.

I shall conclude this article by observing, thataqua ,

supercarbonatiS‘

sodm,

'

in :doses of a pintmore, twice daily, is

'

an'

excellen'

t'medicme

of facidity in the stomach, and calculous com

half a p int of it poured ove r two table spoo

lemonjuice, sweetened with a little sugar, forms

pleasant effervescing draught.

SORREL, S oolran keeray er as erfiobr

(Tam.) Chukka ad}? (Duk . ) K'

dtoo tampala (

Chukrz'

lcam Sata'védlz

‘

z'

mawmang . )

palung (Beng. ) Chemka (Hindooie). Tursh

(Pers. ) Soorz'

(Cyng. ) Acetbsa (1t.)RUMEx V ESIC

to Burchell’s account

Africa);;

the '

ash eS'

of the salsola aphyllaDutch-

colonists as an alkali in soap making

M «1 . MATERIA.INDICA. 39 9

O rd . Hexandria Trigynia. Nat. O rd .

{The rumex vesicarius has obtained the name of

sorrel in I ndia, owing to its resemblance to the

rumex acetosa, in taste and other qualities it is a n

of'

diet, . and is considered by the natives ascrient, and to a certain extent diuretic .

m inclined to think, the same species that isin Arabia, where it is a favorite medicine,ed by the names of bubuclc khorasa

'

nee“

and'

humaz gap . I t is also a native of

termed by-‘

the Arabs there Lu s h :

of sorrel,was known to the ancien ts ;

f opmlon that it rendered an imal food-Boerhaave extolled its virtuesitutions. O n the con tinent

.

of

such as in Switzerland, an essential Saltt of sorrel, ~

is, prepared from the , r. acetosa.

his Desertatio Inauguralis de Sale Essent.

Argen tor says, that fifty pounds of

only two ounces and a half of pure

termed oxalic acid in England is foundty in the juice of the oxalis acetosella

also in some fruits and rhubarbs.us, that it is most readily procuredn itric acid upon sugar, and hashence

procured in this way, itis in the form of four-sided prisms, transparen ,t and

extremely. acid, and composed, according toBrezelius,of real acid52 , and water48‘

parts. The differencebetwixt the common sorrel (rumex acetosa) and

‘

our

1’

see P hillip’5 History of Cultivated Vegetables, vol. 11. p 221 .

1 A name , I am sorry to say, which often leads to fatal consequences .

400 MATERIA 111111011 .0

artic le is, that the first’

has flowers hermaphro

gemenite, with leaves undivided ; the last, flo

dioecous, leaves oblong, sagittate . The Peruv

according to the Flora Peruviana, give an

sorrel in cases of depraved habit of bnatives call it acelgas. In Chili it is called

CCXI .

SOU THERNWOOD, INDIAN. Mar iko'

lz'

n

Downah ,

wanum (Tel . ) Ky soom pm» (Arab . )

d u g-i) , (Pers. ) Gundmar (Hind .)

(Sans.)ARTEMI SIA AUSTRIACA

Cl. and O rd . Syngenesia Superflua. Nat.

Compositae Nucamentacem.

This species of wormwood has, improperly,the name of Indian southernwood, by the Euroinhabitants on theCoromandel coast, fromblance to the artemisia The

sometimes mix the fine powder of the leaves

gingilie oil, and anoint themselves with it aftering ; the Mahometans prize it for its fragranceflower ; it is one of those sweet-smelling herbsare strewed before the Hindoo godsceremon ies.

But two Species of artemisia grow in Ceylon ;a. Indica (wal and a; maderaspatana

kolona’u).

Which is, however, I perceive , a native of Co chin-Chinafive other species), and there called thank-baa. Flor. Cochinvol . ii. p .490. It also

p . 309 .

402 _MATERIA IND ICA . -PART, 1.

Spongia cum pice usta accommodatum es

sanguin is prze sidium.

” Canon . Med . lib . 11. t

p . 47 .

CCXIII .

(Duk . ) U nsool 3111411: (Arab . ) also'

I skeel

(Arab.) Kanda (Hind . ) Peyaz-idesktee

(Pers.) Nurrz'

ala (Cyng. ) Addim’

tella

(Tel . )ERYTHRON IUM INDICUM (Ro

Cl. and O rd . Hexandria Monogyma. Nat.

Sarmentaceaz.

The bulbous root of the erythromum Ind

(Rottler), has got the name of squill in India,its resemblance to the root of the scillaappearance and natural qualities it does not

so large as the sqnill, and 1s rounder 1n shape

formed in a similar manner, with fleshy scales

is of a bitterish, nauseous, and acrid tastespecies of erythron ium, would seem to havefirst scientifically described by the excellentRottler, of Madras ; and appears to differ fromery thronium‘

a’cn

‘

s canis, in having longer and

rower leaves, with larger flowers of a paler col

The true squill, or Eamon; of the G reeks, hassaid to grow in Ceylon ; though -Dr.White, of Bbay, was of opinion, that this was not the case

that the amary llz'

s’kzeylan ica had been mistaken

,

the scilla maritima.

O ur article is chiefly employed by thefarmers

Which is the goda-manel of the Cyngalese .

CHAP.

‘1 I . MATERIA IND ICA .

horses, in cases of strangury and fever ; it grows inabundance on waste sandy lands, in Lower India,especially in situationsjnear the sea.

The Arabians and Persians place squills amongsttheirDiscutientia,M okelzlat g uts —o, and Attenuantia,

mhalf a drachm to

the orymel from half a drachm to gij.root~of the scilla maritima contains,

to a bitter principle, to which he. the name ,

of scillitz'

n, united with a gum,

Roques speak of the occasionalsquills, on an imals ; occasion ingvertigo, and violent convulsions ‘

The latter obsei ves, that, as a.me

, squills had great fame amongst the Egypand was supposed, by Pythagoras, to have the(if prolonging life . Roquesi thinks it moreed

”

in dropsy than any other malady.

says of 1t, Scylla calida e t acuta, haec autem epileptumore Splen is necnon , e t ejus magn itudin i atque viperarum

morsibus, et dyspneas ve tustas auxilium tribuit .’

Vide O per .

de Re Med . lib . iii. p . 7 9 . Avicenna extols the manyof squills ; externally, he says

'

,it does good l n epilepsy

elancholy , app lied to the head . V im nacta est discusso

quam excrementa foras protrahit . Canon .

imie , lxxxiv .

work , e ntitled Phytograpln e Medicale ,

D D 2

squill, to produce expectoran t and

the substance is the best form gr. i .ng and‘

evening,‘

graduallys increasingv. or until nausea is broughtctorant or diuretic operation is oh

to excite

404 M‘

ATERIA IND ICA . PART

CCXIV.

STARCHo' Abgoon u fi .

‘(Arab . ) Nes

“ Us; (Pers. ) Geekoonkaheer (Hindooie)

The Mahometans know well how to preparefrom wheat as we do ; they also sometimes mfrom the large

redible roots, such as from

the kooci curcuma angustifolia, &c .

A rabians place starch amongst their Anodynes .

suckencit c 'ayci 5G )

! their Styptics, andA stringents,

'

Kcibiztit Starch is chieflyby European practitioners in the form of enem

sheathing the rectum, in cases of abrasion,flammation of the gut ; and for allaying theeffects of acrid bile . The conversion of st

sugar is a curious fact, first discoveredKirchofif and subsequently confirmed by M .

la Rine, Saussure, and others. Perhaps the f

analysis of starch is that by Berzelius

100 000

See Thomson’

s Annals, vol. V.‘

MATERIA mmox. PA

is now but little used in practice ; the dose

gr. viii . to Bij.The physicians

'

on the continent of Europe"

sider storax - as resembling the balsam of Perunature, and think that it might be substitutedBut this last mentioned substance possesses viwhen applied externally, 1n arrestingphageden ic ulcers and mortification,

gether peculiar to itself. Many’

are

discovered that it

an immediatec heck to sphacelous affections,in .w11ich every thing else had failed . I used

way ; lint” drenched in the balsam,rwas

inormn‘

g and even ing to the'

face of the Isore,

three days togetherz. sometimes '

by, the end o f

second day the face of t he sore was clean.

CCXVI .

SU ET, MU TTON Aato

’

o Icelupoo 631 1.

errr'

Q u u (Tam.) Vaynta-kovoo (Tel.)(Mal . B uclrre

’

kéckz'

rbz'

e 13K. (Duk .

loo muss tail (Cyng. ) Aditja vuppa (Sans.

SEvUM O VI

‘The native doctors employ this, as we do,

p reparation of ointments they also

internally, ln conjunction W1th the fruit ofmarum (monetia barlerioides), nutmeg,andin cases of hemoptysis, and i n certa1n stages

phthisis pulmonalis.

“

See Murray’

s Appar. Med . vol; i. p . 114:

1. MATERIA . . IND'

ICA: 407

CCXVII .

UGARI Sankara g as es-

gy n (Tam. ) ~Sarkara

(Sans.) Sucre (Fr. ) Z uclcer (Ger. ) Azu

Shukl n'

r,i a (Pers. and Duk . ) Cléénee

Goola J, £ (Mal ) Panclzadara (Tel .)Arab . ) Kussz

'

b su/cl n'

r i i ; w e : (Sugar

Arab .) Saker (Mah . ) Assucar (Port. ) Z ac

(It . )SACCIiARU M OFFIC INARUM (Lin . )

and O rd . Triandria 'Digyn ia.

author of lth‘

e Remarks on the Husbandry(13. me ), seems

n, that the sugar-cane grew luxuriantly

'

ut Bengal, in the most remote ages (p .

from India " it was introduced into Europeca ; and it is a fact, that from the Sanscritmanufactmed sugar (sakkara), are derived

rsiah, Greek, Latin , and modern Europeanof the sugar

-cane, and its produce : the s ament author expresses adoubt,if the sugar

-cane

in Americal , as historical facts seem

Assam‘

.

-to‘

these of Catac, there is

inBengal, inwhich the sugar-cane

rg, there called by the na

42 . Loureiro says of-Chinensis. Vide Flor .

the Spaniards

Islands to St .

rst sugar:canes,

econut of New


does not flourish. The growth of sugar for h

consumption 1n India is vast, and'

it only needscouragement to equal the demand of Europe ;how far encouragement to this extent would

politic, having in View our West Indiaanother question, and foreign to my pursuit.

-The sugar-cane is also cultivated

facture of sugar, in many parts of

belonging to the Madras establishmenBombay ; it is a product of variouscountries ; for instance, according to

three varieties are indigenous in the In

pelago . Much sugar is made in Siam.

was manufactured to a great extent by thso much so, that in the provin ce of Jaccatr

in 17 6 8, no less than thirteen millions 0

were produced . The sugar of " Lahoreexcellent quality ; it may be procured intity in the Philippine Islands, but littleexported by the Span iards. In Persia, in th

vince of Kuzistan, it is successfully cultivated .

The Hindoos value sugar very highly : iunrefined state it is offered at the shrines of

gods ; it is presented by inferiors to superiorsmark of respect ; and is considered by the

as extremely nutritious, pectoral, and

The Arabians reckon it detergent and emollientdoses of twenty direms. Dr. Cullen classes it

See Sketches Civil and Military of Java, p .40.

1; In the days of Pliny, sugar appears to have been

Rome from Arabia and India (Nat . Hist . lib. xii. capArabians, in the days of Av1cenna,regarding it : U tile est ven triculo, qui bilis non ferenem n ocet, quod videlicet facile in bilem VidMed . lib. ii. trac t ii.

Sh; See Ma

l

teria Medica, by Noureddeen Mahammed1razy, artic e 1015.

410 MATERIA“ INDI CA. 1 )

Sugar,“

asanalysed byThenard, consists of

Carbon

Hydrogen

1000

According to Berzelius :

CarbonOxygenHydrogen

1000

I shall conclude this article by observing, thatB engal the1e are three va1 ieties of the sugar

the p earl, the Icajooll, a

The second of these, or purple cane, producessweetest sugar ; the first, or yellow cane, yieldsn ext best ; the last, or light-coloured cane

, yiel

sugar which is of inferior quality. In Mysokinds of sugar cane are chiefly cultivated, theand puttap uttz

’

, both yield bella or jaggery .

‘

restalz'

will not survive for a second crop ; b

p uttaputtz'

may be followed by a secondThe jaggery of the sugar

-cane“

is called innulla vellum, from being

'

the best ; that'

of

toddy is termed lcarap ootz'

e (T am. )For an account of the different modes

i

of

vating the sugar-cane, and manufacturing sug

In Ceylon five species of saccharum grow : the s .

is there called in Cyngalese ale-gas there are three

common , white, and purple . See Moon’

s CataloguePlants, p . 7 .


Indian provinces, is brought fromMuscat,

matra or from the Banda Island, called Gwhere it is a volcanic production.

Abel had some most beautiful andsulphur brought to him, from the c

Karang . Sonnerat informs us, that iPegu J

’

, and we know that it is . a

Philippine Islands 1, particularly in th

Ley te, whence the gunpowder works ofsupplied . Most of the sulphur we get in

Contains a considerable portion of orp iment,much less pure than either that which is dugthe solfatara, near . Naples; or that importedSicily ; . which last, Dr . Thomsonseldom more of impurity than aboutof a simple earth . A bright-shin ing yeis sold in the bazars of Lower India, uncleof nelli/cal ghe

’

n

'

drigum‘

By Dr.

ton’s excellent Account of Nepaul (p . 7

pears that sulphur mines are thereful article is also found iTehran and in the same country, in mountai

of Kela'

t in the province of M ekran g Iwith in Cabul in the district of B ulkk I], it

product of Armenia-

ll, of M oultan“ , of

Thibet’rl ; also, according toMorierii , at B alzouba

Persia, in the district of Kalcat. With; regard

See Elmore’

s Guide to the Indian Trade, p . 57 .

.

“

I" See Sonnerat

’

s Voyage to the East Indies, vol . i ii. p . 26 .

1 See De Comyn’

s State of the Philippine Islands, p . 37 .

See Macdonald Kinneir’8 Geographical Memoir of

pp . 40 and 224.See Elphinston

’

5 Account of O ahu], p . 146 .

See Geographical Memoir of Persia, p . 319 .

See Pennant’

s View of Hindoostan , vol . i. p . 37 .

H See Kirkpatrick’

s Accoun t of Nepaul, p . 206 .

11 See Morier’

8 First Journey through Persia,

4444 MATERIA

says, Conqult et monet p us ap erit

Sulphur is too well known to require a pa

description . Its specific gravity is 1 9 90 byit becomes negatively electrical ; it is pmineral product, and occurs crystalliz

with in masses in which state it is chi

from Sicily.

'

In rolls or stzclrs (as obtainEngland from roasting pyrites), if g1aspedwalm

,hand it crackles. In the form of p ore

it is called flowers of sulphur or

what is termedmilk of sulphur ,

precipitated for pharmaceuticalline solutions, by an acid, and

and dried. Sulphur if pure, wh en

on a p iece of platinum leaf will totallyand is pe1fectly soluble ln boiling oil of

(see B 1ande’

s Manual of Chemistry, vol. i . pp.

Sulphur is spoken of by Hippocrates u

the name of (9 51011 and was prescribed by him

his followers in asthma and cutaneous complai

CCXIX .

r SUMACH,

P

ELM LEAvED. Sumah'

(Pers . ) -Tumtum (Arab . )RHU S CORIARIA

Cl. and O rd. Pentandria Trigynia. Nat .

Dumosze . ,

See an acceunt of Dierbach’

s Materia‘Me ica

a

ofcrates, in that most valuable publication , theand Surgical Journal, for July 1825, p . 158.

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDI CA ; 415

g, The rhus coriaria does not grow in India but I

perceive that the'

plant‘

has a place in the U lfazU d

wiyeh, and is therefore known in the higher tra’

cts iof

Hindoostan . I t is'

a' '

native of Persia, Syria, Palestine; as well as of Spain , France and Portugal . The

employ the leaf and seeds in medicine con

them as useful styptics and astringents.

“

The

merchants sell them at Aleppo, where theyinternally by the inhabitan ts, with a viewing an appetite . In Spain , Portugal, and

in France (about Montpelier, where thecalled redoul) it is cultivated with greatshoots being employed for the purposemfeather. Sumach is no longer an article of

edica. We are informed by Virey instoire Naturelle des Medicamens” (p .

plant, which the French curriers term roure,

ered as antiseptic ; and that it is useful in

- scorbutic complaints. The fruit isd astringent, and at one time was much em

ih dysen tery, in France, in doses, of the subof gr. xxiv . , also in decoction . The barkstem is a yellow dye, that of the root a

rhus c oriaria has a strong woody stem, withrregular branches ; the leaves are composed

or eight pairs of leaflets, terminated by an

one. The leaflets are about two inches long,of a yellowish-green colour. The flowers growoose pan icles, at the end of the branches ; and

of a whitish herbaceous colour.

all astringents sumach " bears the greatest réce to ga

‘lls. Alone it gives a fawn-colour to

Plantes'

U suelles Indigenes.

416 MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1.

green but cotton stuffs which have been impreg.

nated with printers’ mordan t (that is acetate of alu

mine), take with it a pretty good and durable yellow.

It is with the branches of this plant that Turkeyleather is tanned . The leaves and seeds of the coriariamyrtifolia may be employed like sumach in

and dyeing . The Arabians place the seeds anof sumach amongst theirKahisat Astri

and Tonics was . O f the stypticleaves of the sumach amongst the

reader will find some account in DiosMed . lib . 1. cap . The species toxicode

p oison oak, is an article of theBritish MateriaMe

CCXX .

SWALLOW-WORT, G IGANTIC .

ticle Yercum nag/m end its use in leprous

in this part of the work .

CCXXI .

SWEET FLAG, ROOT OF.

GL F zLDq (Tam. ) B utch(”

E-3 (Duk . )

The shoots are cut down every y ear quitefully dried, and reduced to powder by a mill,for the purpose

yields, on being1n the province of Itsikoka and Figo (Flor. Japon . p .

species Javanicum is the xiong tsat of the Chinese ,an oil from its berry, wh ich they use as a varnish .

Cochin-Chin . vol . 1. p . 183.

1 The powder of the leaves 15 g1ven 1n palsy , in the quanof from gr . iss . to gr . iv . In theMedical and Surgical Journal,July 1825, p . 82, a case is detailed, of the good effects of

tincture in palsy a drop n ight and morning, increasing the dose

to ten drops .

418 .MATERIA 1111110 11 .

fusion of the root, is there considered‘

as an

cions remedy for epilepsy in children . The

ig z'

r is an export from Mocha, and 1s much

the modern Arabians and Persians,root amongst their Aphrodisiacs and

and Shroder (p . 526 .

that it possessesvirtues in obstructionsspleen , and liver. O n Java it iof der ingo. The Egyptian s, who

bamz'

ra M U “,hold it in high

aromatic and stomachic . The Turksand regard them as a prevenThe variety of the acorus c

pears to differ but little

plant . Dr. Barton , in his Vegetableof the U n ited States, says, that the root is

sidered as a valuable carminative and s

the same excellen t author tells us, that

observes, that the leaves are noxious to insects,that nokind of cattle will eat any part of the p

Bautroth has used the whole plant'

for tan

leather, and Bohmer IS of opin ion , that the

snuff receives its peculiar flavour from the roo

European p1act1tloners have cons1de1ed the

the sweet flag as tonic and aromatic ;ally

'

prescribe it in cases of intermitten

dyspepsia, in doses“

of from 9 1. to 3 1.

stance ; or, in infusion , to the extent of a'

I find this article noticed by Avicenna under the

A l M U , he says of it,“ menses urinasque

tussi suffitu medetur tam per se, tam etiam cumth in ia, ore nimirum hausto per fistulam fumo . Vide Canon .

lib . ii. trac t i i. p . 255.

1 See Barton’s Vegetable MateriaMedica of the U nited States,

vol . ii. p . 6 9 . 7 1. 7 3 .

j]; Withering gives a faithful -account of the plant.

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA ‘

. IND I CA . 419

twice daily ( 3vi. of the bruised root to 31111. of

The acorus‘

calamushwhich appears to grow in

many different parts of the world, has leaves whichspring from

'

the root, they are sword-shaped, aboutthree fee t in length ; the flowers are small, and are

ellated con ical spike aboutcalyx, the petals areen colour . Thun

plan t growing near Nagasaki, in

so near the temple of Meosus (Flor. Japon .

Loure iro says, it grows in mountainous

Cochin-China ; of it, he observes, vocem,

et visum acuit, contramelancholiam, et ver

em prodes Flor. Cochin-Chin . vol . i . p . 208 .

CCX X I I .

BASHEER. M oonghil 00pp oo e fi m

(Tam. ) Tiibc'

i-sheerf ?

“ Lab (Arab . and

Tc‘

ibc'

isheer J u ; DJ: (Pers. ) Védziroo oopp oo

B ans/c (Beng . ) M ak-Icshird 66W ]

O onamakoo (Cyng . ) also U nw iee . Chuk

(Chin.)BAMBUSA ARUNDINACEA (Schreb . )

o rd . Hexandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd .

is very scarce in many parts of Hin

doostan , and appears to be only found in the female

bamboos growing in certain tracts ; it is a blueishwhite, concrete, light substance, which sticks to thetongue, and is of a very singular nature, consideringits vegetable origin , as it resists acids, is undestruc

tible by fire , and forms, on being fused w ith alkalies,


“

a sort of glass ; so‘

far resembling silex .

esteemed by the Hindoos as a medicine,amongst the G entoos

consider it as a po

efficacy in internal bruises. The Persiansfor its cardiac and strengthen ing qualities,cording to Dr . Russel

’s account, have it

into ‘their country from Sylhat, and other

India ; as a medic ine it is also employedTurks and Syrian s. The Arabians, who

tree which yields it kussz'

b 9 155, and the t

ussul d l kassa'

b w i ll M ", or honey of the

place the latter amongst their Kabizat a u nt'

s

gentia), and M okewya'

t dil j: (CardiaTabasheer would seem to have been first

to the notice of Europeans by Dr. PatrickDr . Brewster made it the subject of a paper

Transactions of the Royal Society for 18 19 .

’r

the analysis of Mr . Macie (now Smithson), itappear to be first liquid, and gradually to bthick and dry

‘

; in'

which state,

identical with common silicious earth. H

found tabasheer in the bamboos ofP inckinch

portion of what he brought home with hi

America, in 18044, when examined by

'

Va

consisted of seven ty parts of silex, and

potash . Roxburgh, in his Coromandeltells us, that much tabasheer, of a saline c

tion , is obtained from the bambusa

(a very curious plant), and is called by tchuna, or lime . This species of bamboo rs the

See Avicenna, p . also Historia rei Herbariae

p . 256

1 111 which paper he describes the peculiar optical properties

of silica obtained from it .

4QQ MATERIA iNDl CA .

ful translucent flakes are used by the native

for ornamenting many of the baubles empl

their ceremon ies ; they also, like the Chinessider it as possessing medicinal qualities : thesuppose

"

it to have virtues taken, internally,monic affections ; the ~ latter imagine it to h

power of prolonging l ife .

Several varieties of talc and mica are fo

India and Ceylon : of the first, Kirkpatricthere is abundance in Nepaul (see work, p . 1

particularly in the beds of streams which springthe South face of the Koomrak moun tains ; the

esteemed by the natives is a dark-colouredkouskno abruk. The common grey mica

of Werner) is in Tamool called vullayand in Hindoostanie safiiad talkdarker species of mica

,termed

kistnak app racam, are prescribed bsmall doses, in flux cases ! they a

for ornamenting fans, p ictures,“

&c .

Cyngalese call them mirz’

nam, and

umbrellas (talpats) with them. The

low micas, in powder, are used for 3

while wet ; by the names of gold and

In Europe, talc enters into the co

cosmetic, called rouge . The R0 1

it a beautiful blue, by combin inging. fluid of particular kinds of

Talc is found in plenty in B ehar , andIndia, also in Persia , and in China

mentioned country ornamen ts ‘

are mad

w ith different colours. Most of the

merce in Europe is brought from Siberegularly mined : the chief mines ar

banks of the rivers Witten and O ldan . , By Brande’s

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA INDICA‘

Z 49 8

analysis of talc, it consists of nearly equal parts ofsilica and magnesia, with not more than six per c ent .

of lime . Mica, the same distinguished chemist says,consists principally of alumina and silica, with a littlemagnesia and oxide of iron .

CCXXIV.

ALLOW. M aat kélzlp oo

(Tam. H zlrrzik tail (Cyng .) B eg/l ke’

ckirbie

(55 A,“ (Duk . ) Shakzim

r‘ “ (Arab . ) Peek

Per .s ) Ckzrbee (Hind . ) L emakckair (Mal. )aram kowao (Tel. ) Géwapa W(I t. ) Suif (Fr. )

ADEPS JU VENCI .

les are seldomLmade of tallow in India ; inss by Europeans, it seems to be little / em

any purpose, the . bullock being a sacrede are told by Sir Stamford Raffles, in his ex

of that islandthe nut of the

or mam tree O f this Mr:

peaks, and tells us,that the tree is

having a smooth ash-coloured bark,those of the keinar i, the nut !

mbles that of the krinarz’

, but has not a hard

nder its soft covering is a firm medullaryof a harsh, bitter, and unpleasant taste .

nut, by boiling, yields the tallow. Mr. Craw

(Hist . of Ind . Archip . vol . 1. p . thinks,in a more advanced state of the arts in Eastern

E E 4

MATERIA 1119 10 11 . PART 1.

countries, this material, which is che’

ap and

will; become much prized ; particularly inWhere there

oils . Mr. Crawbassia ; and we

Mr.Gott, that th

from which by

to heat, a rich oily substancenatives of some mountainous partsas a ghee or butter. The tree is

A lmora'

hills (see article Tyre), an

than probable that it is no othe r

the Malays ; and in the

Science, Literature, and thean admirable paper by Dr. B . Babbington, jun .

a peculiar vegetable product, possessing the

perties of tallow . I t is obtained by boiling theof the p eym

'

e marum (vateriaf Indica, Lin . )comes to the top . It would appear bybington

’s analysis to be of a nature betwixt

and oil it is a concrete inflammable substance,

is used medicinally by the natives of the Ma]

coast, as an external

The Doctor prepared most

which burnt like those mad

this singular oil forms a solid cake , generallybut sometimes yellow ; it is greasy to , the

with a degree of waxiness, and has rather an

able odour.

Dr . Abel, in his Journey into the'

Interior of

(p . found, that the fallow-tree, properlyis there quite common . It is a large beautiful

See Asiatic Researches, vol. viii . p . 49 9 . el seq.

1:The same tree which yields the famous p eym'

e varn ish,riot m Part III . of this work .

MATERIA IND ICA ‘;

Cl . and O rd. Monadelphia Triandria. N

Lomentaceae.

The tamarind tree, the balam pulli of Rthe tetul of Upper Hindoostan , is common in

every part of India, and is, without doubt,the . most beautiful and useful in the worldnatives, like us, consideris certainly the safest of all vegetable aci

ing and laxative ; and prepare with it

sherbet, of which they drink freely in hThe Vy tians use the pulp as an ingredient ilaxative electuaries (laygiums) ; a decoctionacid leaves of the tree they frequently employnally, in cases requirinleaves are, moreover, used forinternally, they are supposed, in _

conjunctionsome other medicmes, to possess Virtues in wh

Tamool doctors call camalay (jaundice).The natives of India are impressed with a n

that it is dangerous to sleep under the tamarindespecially during the n ight ; and it is a certainthat grass, or herbs of any kind, are seldom

growing in such situation s, and n ever with inance ; the consequence, it is to be presumeacid damp from the tree . We are told by Rthat the inhabitants of Amboyna

"consid

rinds as injurious in cases of weak digeobstructions of the spleen, unless when in

t ion with aromatics.

The tamarind tree g1ows most luxuriantly in

the Eastern islands. The soil of Java’

r appears

bring the fruit to the greatest perfection and

See Rumph . Amb . vol. 11. p . 9 3 .

4Hence its Javanese name assam-Java, also Malay,whichnifies Java acid .


s of the depending island of Madura, arethe best ; they are of a dark colour, with a

pulp to the seed . Mr. Crawfurd

ed from one part of the

merely dried in the sun ;-Europe are cured with salt. In the .

the tree is called champa‘

lzu.

Thornton informs us, that he found the pulptamarind of the highest use in sore throat, as

leanser ; dose of the pulp from gss. to

officinal preparation , the infus. tamarindinnae, the dose is from gij. to 31V . Tamarindsingredient i n the electuar. sennae comp . It

uld seem, by Dr. Thomson ’

s analysis, that n i.

the prepared pulp of the tamarind contained giss.

citr ic acid, but only g ij. of the tartaric acid, gss.

supertartrate of p otash, and sss. of malic acid . .

the tree, which will be mentioned in several

parts of this work, I shall simply state, that it

d spreading, with leaves abruptly pinnate, .

are composed of sixteen or eighteen pairs.

leaflets, half an inch only in length, and

w, of a lively green , oblong, and,obtuse ;

are of a straw-colour, and are in loose

five or six coming out from the sides of

hes ; the p orts are seven or eight lucheslong, and contain five seeds, or more, which are

shining, angular, and flat, and covered with a,dark~

acid pulp . These seeds or stones, in times of

scarcity, are eaten by the poor in India : they are

first toasted, and then soaked for a few hours in

Water, when the dark skin comes easily off; leavingthe seed below white and soft ; they in taste some

what resemble a common field bean, and are boiledor fried before they are eaten .

4Q8 M '

A'TERIA INDICA .

The tamarind tree is the cay-me

Chinese . I t appears, by Loureiro’

s

only cultivated in gardens in CochFlor. Cochin-Chin . vol . 11 p .403 .

many parts of Africa employ the fruit ofsonia digitata for the same purposes that

are used in India.

CCXXVI .

TAPIOCA .

JATRO PHA MANIH OT

Cl . and O rd . Monoecia Monadelphia.

Having found that the jatropha man ihot ggreat abundance and luxuriance in manyLower India, I, some mon ths

country, in 1814, attempted to mroot, and perfectly succeeded ;that ever was made inaccount of the

in the Madras Courier, under date 13th of

1818 .

“

An amylum, or starch, is first to be 0

from the fresh root, which starch, to form it

tapioca, must be sprinkled with a little water,

then boiled in steam it is in this way converted

be broken into small grains for use . Tap ioca is anadmirable diet for the sick, being at once light, ex

tremely pleasant to the taste, and nourishing ; it may

be e ither simply boiled in water, like sago, and sweet

ened with sugar, or it may be boiled in milk .

The tapioca plant is called in Tamool mardvallie,

and, from the c ircumstance of its having no Sanscrit,


p'

endadactylibus, radice con ico oblonga, came sub.

lacteaa”(p . I t is said to

'

contain

poison termed mam'

p zwra,

it, and is, therefore, al

after which the root is as safe to eat as that of

other variety . B efore concluding all I have toregarding this valuable article, I must observe,the flour or meal of the sweet cassava root

good biscuit and bread ; to prepare Which th

is to be first well soaked in fresh water, and

quently dried in the sun, and then poundedflour for use . Bread so made, Baron de Hum

observes, is considered by the inhabitants of

Spain as particularly nutritious.

‘

Four species of jatropha were growmg ln

botanical garden of Calcutta in 1814: manilzot,tijida, carcas, and grandgflora. Three 5

on Ceylon, where our article is called mangy o

(Cynsoo

CCXXVII .

TAR. See article Turpentine .

CCXXVIII .

TEA . l éa h, also Thé lz (Chin . )Cha L=, (Arab . Pers. and Duk. )

THEA VIRIDI S

O n no subject has‘

there been more writtenon that of tea ; and yet strange, however, as it

See Baron de Humboldt’s Political Essay on New Spain,vol . il. p .435. English trans .

1 . MATERIA IND ICA . 481

be to say, there are still many doubts respecting thetree or trees which yield the black and green teas.

O ne of the latest scientific travellers into that country,Dr. Abel, expresses in one part of his work an uncer

tainty, whether there is more than one variety of the

from which both teas are prepared ; but

adds, that he is more inclined to believe,are two and that from all he could learn ,

uld yield both the black and green

the mode of preparation adopted .

such as that ofKeangnan‘r, most

'

is paid to the cultivation o f"

green' tea ;

others, such as Fakieh the natives attend

the black .

“'

I think there is little doubt

the pri ncipal difference betwixt the black11 tea is the age of the leaf ; the latter being

hen in its less mature state, and

quantity of viscid, and to a cer

juice, which gives the peculiar

aves slowly dried will naturally re

green colour, than those that -are

The same gentleman informs us, thatt tea - he saw in China barely coloured

tea district in the rovince of Keangnan is em

the 29 th and 3 1st of Northern latitude ;en is con tained within

ude .

Wechafu .

le accoun t of an Embassyon .

Repertory, vol . 11. p . in which he

Chow-qua, who’

had been eight times

1; The green tea is carefully dried byexposure to the open air

in the shade ; the black by means 0 artific ial heat, in shallow

pans over a charcoal fire .


the water ; and on

sion , he perceived thatexpandedb udsf Mr. Philips, iin his Treatisetivated Vegetables, has brought forward muchand interesting information .

on tea a nd

teas commonly met withwhich is very strong,

round ; the hy son'

l, an admirable tea ; it isleaf, closely curled, and of a blueish green .

bloomxtea, and Sin g lo teas, (also green teas),say little from my own experience ; Ethe

'first i

light green colour, and has a loose leaf : the

is named after the place where it is cultivated .

O f the black or bohea teas, five

sorts have been mentioned byshall only notice three . First, tcalled in India and in Europe ,lieve, what is -also sometimes named p adreit is peculiarly delicate in flavour, and is

‘

brought from China carefully packed -upeach contain ing about a pound .

-I havewith it in Europe but hesitate not

the best and most . delic ious of all

the common satchong , too well

description ; it is that black-tea which iin England, selling commonly at from

shillings or more per pound . Lastlyblack or bohea tea, which the Chinese calland the best of which they term tao-kyomz: this

prize much for their own domestic use .

See Abel’s Journey into the Interior ofAfrica, pp . 222 and

1 Hyson tea, generally speaking, the Chinese call lie -chan

they export it.1 The bloom tin t is given by means of the fumes of indigo

while burning .

434 MATERIA INDICA}

and worn by incessant toil experiences in tsion the most cooling and balsamicvirtuesof his blood abates, his spirits revive, hisskin relaxes, and his strength 1s renovated.

”In

eulogium I most cordially join from my own

Sonal experience ; that the uSe of tea may be ab

like any thing else, no one will d ispute ; and

green t ea drank in any

on watchfulness,

to allow but I must at the same time maintain,the better kinds of black teas, so far from beingjudicial, have positive virtues in cheering the sp

strengthen ing and comforting the stomach

giving after great fatigue, a new life and tone

whole frame . Tol the sedentary and literary,certainly a great blessing ; as

heating,’

nay, I should almost be 1

further, and partly a scribe to it

what of that brilliancy of 1mag1

of fancy, which"

so peculiarly distinguish tand novel writers of our happy country !

much is drank .

O f late years there has been much coun

exposed for sale a crimeseverely pun ished. Mr. Phillips observes,counterfe it black tea produces a deeper

“

infusion than the real tea, and that a littl

put into it, will turn it to a light blue,W1se ought to be of a deep blue incl

This notion may, by some, heshall, therefore , bring i n support of 1t

and valuable writer, bel

CHAP. 1. MATERIA INDICA . 435

If green tea be adulterated, put a bit . of gall‘

into the

liquor, which will turn it to a deep-blueish colour ;

this it will not do, un less there be either vitriol or copperas in it, as galls do not tincture the proper tea.

”

Willdenow, following the notion that had b een

Linnaeus, makes the black and green tea

species describing the first as havingflowers, and the last n ine . But Dr.

his excellent History of the Tea Tree,after an examination of many hundred

Bohea and green tea coun

that their botanical characters always apto him un iform. The tree, or rather shrub,rising higher than six or seven feet ; havingalternate, elliptical, bluntly serrate, excepthe base ; with a white corolla, varying in

size of the petals. Loureiro givesrent account, making the leaves toand acutely serrate . This author

es by observing, that, upon the whole, he

that of the commonand proper tea there

one species, the apparent differences profrom soil, culture, and preparation : he,

gives us two other species of thea, viz. thea

inensis" , having a five-petalled corolla, and

used in that country'

as a sudorific ; and

a native of China, from the seed of

obtained fit both for the table and

fruit of which is rather a berry thans last is now ranked under the genusis denominated the camellia ole

‘ifera.

another Species of this genus, the c .

The chean-nam (Cochin-Chinese).1 The che—deaa (Chinese). Vide Flora Cochin-Chin . vol . 1.

p . 338.

F r 2


sasanqua, and which the Chinese call by the namecha a ha bear so close a resemblan ce to thosethe real tea plant, both in appqualities, that the Chinese mixa lavish hand : they have a

to be with the small, white,of

ous are the leaves which have at

used as substitutes for tea. In New

of the corra’a alba are employed, in thethose of the p edicularis lanata, in Ne

of“

the ceanothus Americanus are

G ray says, that the leaves of the

sometimes prepared for the same pin his History of Brazil, mentions th

Qf Paraguay , as being as universallythat part of South America as the

England, and taken with milk and sugar.

Paraguay , is obtained from a tree whichfl ies call caa the foliage of which resem

the orange tree, and has white flowerssmall cymes, in the axiles of

would appear to have a veryfound both in Paraguay and Brazil .find some accoun t of it in the His

les plus Remarkables du Brasil et da Paraguay,”

(tom. i . p .41 . of the Introduction, )de St . Hilaire ;called by the Span ish Americans

on da congon ha and that there is

betwixt that which grows in Paraguay and

See Sir George Staunton’

s Embassy to China, vol . 11. p .46 7 .

23


it, supply its place, with the leaves of'

the

ing plants.

I

Saxifraga crassifolia B adan,

Tamarix G erman icaPotentilla rupestrisG licyrrhiza hirsutaPolypodium fragrans

and also occasionally with the leaves of a speciesSanguisor ba, called in Mongols chadou.

I t appears that the French are likely to sue

in cultivating a new sort of tea (zenopomaSinensis) in the South of France,known to us it was brought into

years ago, by a Russian , and .haviby the academicians of Paris, was report

qualities sudorific and stomachic . (See PhillipCultivated Vegetables, vol . i . p .

By Dr. Lettsom’s experiments on tea, it appe

that the infusion is antiseptic and astringentis no doubt, by that happy combination, addedknown efficacy in enlivening the spirits, that ionce gently ton ic, soothing, and refreshing !experiments made on teas, black and

which may be seen in the Journal ofJanuary, Number xxiv. p . it

one hundred parts of g

on infusing, by weight, thirty-five per cen t. the in

fusion thus obtained, on being evaporated, yielded a

dark brown transparent extract . The leaves on being’

again' dried and infused in alcohol,

(

lost twelve percent . the extract thus obtained was ofamore resinousnature and agreeable smell.

'

So that in all, of soluble (j

matter, forty-seven partswere procured from one hun 11


pogon schoenanthus, or lemon grass ; also in

dried leaves of the ocimum album whiocwy

'

am korag/ szgfiaid toolsie

tolasie hadrooj abees

is commonly known on the Coromandel coast byname of toolsie tea.

Dr. A . T. Thomson , the correctness of

judgment and admirable discrimination on

subject connected with medical science, the

public have justly appreciated, seems disposed tthe thea viridis and thea Bohea distinctand has been so kind as to transmit to me thmg descriptions

.Thea B ohea,“ leaves alternate, on very

p etioles, elliptico-oblong ; in length about two inin breadth three-fourths of

acuminate ; disk equal on bothupper surface olivaceous green , sh in i

granulated ; under, pale : margln obsole

Thea viridis,“ leaves alternate, on

tioles, oblong, in length about three inches,scarcely one inch, pointed at the apex, antowards the base ; the disk unequal, the

(looking at the under surface of the leaf,

narrower than the left, and more taperingthe base ; upper surface smooth, shining,emerald-green colour ; the under, vrib very prominent, pale ; margin de


'

pm 1 .

CCXXX .

THO RN A PPLE, PU RPLE . Karoo oomatay‘

a Qsm rLoa‘

Qg g (Tam.) Kam dahtoora 315

(Duk . ) Dhe’

toora (Hind . ) Jowz

ASL.» (Arab . ) Goozgiah xlfi j’fi (Pers. ) also

B iinjdeshtee (Pers.) Rotecubung , also

Kechubung (Mal. ) Hummatoo (Hort . Mal . ) Nul

la oomatie (Tel. ) Kala dha toora (Hindooie and

Beng . ) Kaloo attana, also antenna (Cyng . ) Da

tro (Port . ) Krishna dhattztra Fih-

GUTW (Sans. )

Umttna (Malealie). Kecha-booh£ 51 (Egypt.

Arab . )DATURA FASTUOSA (Willd .)

Cl. and O rd. Pen tandria Monogyn ia. Nat . O rd.

Luridaz.

This species of datura (both the double and single),as well as the daturametel, g

‘

rows wild in many partsof India, generally on waste lands. The (1. stramo

n ihm,I am inclined to believe, with Dr. Fleming, is

not to be found in Hindoostan ; it is the specieswhich has a place in the London Dispensatory, andis the stramon ium man iacum (Col . Phytob .

The datura fastuosa is the datura rubra of Rhum

ph ius, and the solanum foetidum of Bauchin ; and

is distinguished from the d. metel by having darkcoloured flowers, while those of the metel are white

This is more properly, according to Avicenna the

Arab ic name of the dat . metel.

MATERIA IND ICA.

ubstantial difference is, that the d . fastuosa has

rps tubercled, nodding, globular, leaves ovate,while the metel has pericarps thorny,globular, and leaves cordate, almost entire,t .”

The datura metel, we are informed bykahl, in his Flora Arabim Felicis,

”has no less

than three names in Arabia, g

'

, 52—0

, and

Rhumphius calls it datura alba, and Rheede hammata ; it is the 'aullay oomatie of the Tamools, and

the cd -duoc‘

of the Cochin-Chinese .

* The karoo

oomatie (d . fast ), which is the most common speciesin India, grows to the height of about four or fivefeet ; the flowers long and narrowish, bell-shaped,and straw-coloured ; the leaves long, dark, and of

an irregular angular shape .

”The d . metel seldom

reaches beyond a foot and a half in height ; flowerbell-shaped, and long ; leaf about six inches inlength, and pointed .

”The smell of both plants is

peculiarly fetid, and both have a somewhat bitterishand nauseous taste . The datura stramonium is not iL

a native of India, but it grows in the botan ical gardenof Calcutta, introduced there from America byW.

Hamilton, Esq. Thunberg found it in Japan i , andwe learn from the same author, that it is a native of

Java. § It is the Er guxvog you/mag of Dioscorides,and was, therefore, received into our Materia Me

ii f Vide Flor Cochin-Chin . vol. i. p . 110 .

1 Since wr1ting the above I perceive , that a variety of the

datura stramon ium, var . canescens (Wallich), is quite common in

Nepaul and the Northern tracts of Hindoostan , known by the

e of p arbutteeya the whole plant pubescen t, glaucous,flower always single , and

'

of a yellowish white colour. See

a Indica, vol . ii. p . observation by Dr . N . Wallich .

:t Flor . Japon . p . 9 1 .

See his Travels (vol. iv. See also a paper on the

poison tree of Java, by Dr. Horsfield, in the seventh volume of

the Transactions of the Batavian Society .

444 MATERIA INnICA . PART 1 .

dica. The intoxicating and narcotic qualities of the 1

daturas seem to be well known in Eastern countries,and are , particularly mentioned by ColonelH ardwickeip

'

his Journey to Sirinagur. Captain Turner saw

the thorn apple at Bootan , where he was told that itwas considered as a medicine.

I was at much pains to inquire amongst the

Vy tians of Southern India, whether the root, dried

capsule and seeds of either of the daturas, I have

mentioned as Indian products, were ever recom

mended by them to be smoked in cases of spas

modic asthma, in the manner admin istered withsuccess on Ceylon , and in the more Northern ’“ tracts

of Hindoostan ; but they appeared to be totally un

acquainted with their virtues in this disease, indeed,they would seem to prescribe the oomaties very cau

tiously on any occasion . In those viol ent and deepseated head-aches which often precede epilepsy and

mama, the Mahometan doctors sometimes order theroot of the datura fastuosa, in powder, in very small

doses, not exceeding from a quarter of a grain tothree grains. Dr . Barton , of Amer ica, I find also prescribed the thorn apple with great success in similarcases he gave the leaves in powder, beginning witha quarter of a grain, and graduafly increasing the

dose to fifteen . or twenty . In large doses the datura

produces vertigo, and has the effect of dilating, in a

singular manner, the pupil of the eye . Bergius and

Stoerck ordered the mspissated juice of the leaves of

f I am informed by my friend Dr. Sherwood, who was longstationed at Chittore, that the native doctors there , and in the

n eighbourhood, are in,the habit of employing the karu oomatie

(datura fastuosa) in asthma ; all parts of the plan t, except theleaves, being cut in to small pieces and dried, and smoked n ight ,

and morn ing for three days together ; the valley oomatie is not

iised for this purpose .

446 MATERIA 111131011, PART 1.

thelmintic, and‘

use externally in herpetic diseases.The first, kootshoobung (dat . ferox), Mr . Crawfurd“

informs us, is given by the Malays to produce themost complete stupor ; and is a p owerful engine inthe hands of the Chinese for effecting varioand tricks in trade . O rphila1

L

places the

stramomumi, metel, and ferox, amongst histhe seeds of the last of which, according to

produce delirium. The A rabians rank the

apple amongst theirM okea’errat 5533

» g(Narc

The d . stram. , according toWedenberg, containand resin , a volatile matter (which Dr. Thomson

found to be carbonate of ammonia), and a narcotic

pr1nc1ple, ascertained by Mr . Brandes to be an alkaline salt.

Roques notices the datura fastuosa in PhytographieMedicale, vol . i . p . it is classed, he observes,amongst the Poisons, and has got, by some writers,the familiar name of trompette du jugement. Fourspecies of datura grow in Ceylon .

See his History of the Indian Archipelago , vol. 1. p .46 6 .

1 See Traité des Poisons, vol . ii. part i. p . 244.1 Roques gives several frightful accounts of the effects of the

seeds of stramon ium, when taken internally, in producing man ia,&c . Hufeland recommends a tincture prepared with the seeds,twen ty drops of which produced a better effect in spasmodic alfeo

t ions than opium. In France the datura stramon ium is vulgarlytermed herbe aux sorciers .

” O n a obtenu, des semences unalcali vegetal compose nommé daturin .

”See Phytographic Me

dicale .

See Materia Medica, by Noureddeen Mohammed AbdullahShirazy .

AP. 1 . MATERIA INDICA . 447

CCXXX I .

TOBACCO . Poghat elley

Tumbakzi 3 51513 (Hind . and Duk. ) B zgjerbhang

$5LGJJ §3 (Arab . ) Tabaco (Japan . ) Doonkola

(Cyng . ) P ogha'

ko (Tel. ) DhiZmrap atra SETH?"

(Sans. ) Tambra'

coo (Mal. ) Tambroco (Jav. also

Bali . ) Tabac (Fr. ) Taback (G er. ) Tabacco (It . )Tamer (Tart . ) Quaury etl (Mexican). Yauly

araub.) Sang-y en (Chin .)

NICOTIANA TABACCU M (Lin .)

Cl. and O rd. PentandriaMonogynia. Nat. O rd.

uridm.

The tobacco plant is now cultivated in almost everypart of India, Lower as well as U pper. By a pro‘

clamation of Jahangir, and mentioned in his own ,

-Memoirs, it would appear, that it was introduced intoIndia either in his, or the preceding reign ; and :the

truth of this, the author of the Remarks on the‘Husbandry

t‘of Bengal

” justly observes, is not im

peached by the circumstance of the Hindoos havingnames for the plant eviden tly corrupted from Euro

pean denominations of it . We are informed by

B . Humboldt, in his Personal Narrative, that this

plant was first discovered in the Mexican provincesof Yucatan , in 1520, and that it was there called

p etum it was afterwards transported to the West

Indies 'and North America, and brought to Europe

See work , p . 121.

448 MATERIA INDICA . PART 1 .

by Hernandes de Toledo, who came from Fl orida toPortugal, in the beginn ing of the sixteenth century .

The seeds were sent from Portugal to Catherine deMedicis by Jean Nicot, an agent of Francis after

whom it received its generic name Nicotiana ; thespecific appellation being taken from tabac“, thename of an instrument used by the nativesAmerica in the preparation of the herb . byway, it is a singular enough fact, that the Core

word for tobacco, Captain Hall‘

l found the same

ours, or nearly so. As far as I have been ablelearn, tobacco was first brought to Iabout the year 16 17 some tlme later t

cultivated in England, which was, according to

Label, in 1570.

There are various species of the plant, and great

differences in the qualities, according to the soil andclimate . The finest kinds in India, and perhaps inthe world, grow near the village cf Woo

’

da'

nam, in

the Northern Circars, and in some of those low

sandy islands formed at the mouth of the riverKr ishna (from which is made the famous Masulip a

tam snufi ) ; also in the Delta of the Godavery,

where the soil is peculiarly rich and fertile.

Tobacco is universally cultivated in the Easternislands ; but in M indano, Laconia, and Java alone,

in such quantities as to admit of its being exported.

In the last mentioned island, in the rich valleys ofKadu and Ladok, it is of a superior quality ! It is a

common produce of Siam.

Another account is, that the specific name is taken from the

word Tobasco, a p1ovmce of Yucatan , where it was first discoveredby the Spaniards, and brought to England by Sir Walter Raleigh,about the year 1585.

See Captain Basil Hall’s very interesting Voyage to Corea

and the Island of LO O »choo, last edition, p . 7 6 .


as have suffered much from venereal complaints of

long standing, and protracted courses of mercury.

European practitioners in India occasionally preparewith tobacco certain unguents for destroying cuta

neous insects, and for cleansing foul ulcers. Injections of the smoke by the anus I have known resortedto with success, in cases of obstinate constipation .

In an interesting work lately published, entitledColombia, (pp. 608, the author, in treating of

tobacco, observes, that the O tomacs produce a peculiarkind of intoxication by means of a powder made .

from the long pods of the‘

acacia niop o, which theycall the niop o, or czirzip a tobacco ; this abominable

p owder, he adds, intoxicates by the nostrils.

In speaking of the tobacco of Eastern countries,I ought sooner to have mentioned, perhaps, that ofDaraly

'

erd ", in the province of Furs, in Persia, which

is sent all over the East, so much is it esteemed but

Niebhur seems to be of opinion, that that ofManilla’

r

is the finest in the world .

Seven species of Nicotiana were growing in the

botan ical garden of Calcutta in 18144, '

all originallyintroduced fromAmerica.

Dr. Paris informs us, that the great superiority ofthe Macuba snuff is owing to the fermentation itundergoes, by being mixed with the best cane juice

(Pharmacologia, p .

See M. Kinne i r s Geographical Memoir of Persia, p . 7 6 .

TSee Niebhur’s Travels .


gm Saina'ee (Duk . )

Toddy is the general name given by the Englishto those sweet, delicious, and refresh ing liquors,which are procured in India by wounding the sp atlza

of certain palms, when' it exudes, dropping into

earthen pots which are attached to the superior partof the stem of the tree for receiving them. The

best of all,these is that obtained from the cocoa-nut

tree (cocos nuciferafl , and which is called in Tamool tennang kkulloo, in Dukhanie narillie

in Arabic narg ilie “Di p , and in Tellinghoo téhlriiia

Taken fresh from the tree, early in the morn ingbefore the sun is up, it is certainly a luscious and

most pleasant drink, cooling, refreshing, and nourish1ng ;

' it is, besides, employed for making the bestkind of Indian arrack, and yields a great deal of

sugar, called in Tamool te’

nne’

vellum,

in Dukhanie

naril 1mghore ”n: and in Tellinghoo te’

nkdia

bellum. Europeans, especially delicate females, in

India, who are apt to suffer much from constipation ,find a cupfull of this toddy , drank every morn ing at

five. o’

clock, one of the simplest and best remedies

they can employ. The Vy tians prescribe it in con

sumptive cases. When the heat of ‘ the day has

Cay-dud (Cochin vide Flor. Cochin-Chin . , vol. ii. pp .

where the many properties of this plan t are fully stated .

,G G Q

MATERIA INDICA . PART 1 .

commenced , however, it is not so safe, as it then

undergoes a degree of fermen ta tion , and is apt to

intoxicate and occasionally bring on cholera and

bowel complaints. The different toddies to be metwith in India are : 1 st . The cocoa-nut toddy justmentioned . Qd. The Palmy ra toddy (or toddy of the

borassus it is also sweet and plea

sant tasted, but in ferior to that of the cocoa-nut ; it

isp anhang kkulloo tar ie and tdtie

khzilloo from it too sugar and arrack are

made . 3d . The koondel pane'

l i toddy (or toddy of

the caryota urens) it is not equal to either of the

other two , and is ch iefly used on the Malabar coast,where this palm is termed er imp ana sugar is also

p repared from this palm. In the Eastern islandsthe tree is called nibung , and is the true mountaincabbage tree the top of it (the germ of -the future

foliage) is, like that of all or most of the palms,

edible, but much more delicate than the others ;

some of the coarser parts of this top taste like a

tender cabbage-stock, while others are so delicate as

more to resemble a filbert . 1 N ibzmg is, properly,

the Malay name ; it is andudu in Bali, p alm: at

Amboyna, and ramisa at Macassar. 4th . Teddy ofthe wild date tree (or elate silvestris), called in

Tamool eetclzu’

m Irhu’

lloo, in Dukhanie sayndie gm ,

‘

in Tellinghoo eim‘

a lclzzilloo, and in Sanscrit Ickmjz'

ira

552513;

this is a pleasant tasted toddy,

4“ Ex hac palma praecissis jun ioribus spadicibus fmmineis,manet liquor, ex quo ab Indian is fit vinum, sum dictum, etiamsaccharum.

” Flor . Cochin . vol. ii. p . 6 18.

f The pith of this tree is a kind of sago , and is eaten by thenatives ; the tree

‘ is common on Ceylon, and is noticed by Rumphius (Amb . i . tab .

1 See Crawfurd’

s History of the Eastern Archipelago,‘

vol. i .

pp .447 , 448 .

45d MATERIA .mc . PART 1:

CCX‘XXIII .

TU RMERIC . Mun l LD ‘ESG

’W (Tam. ) Timmer

”3 (Egypt. Arab . ) Huldie s ad» (Duk. ) Z irsood

fir m/i (Arab . ) Z irdclzoobek egg s”: (Pers. ) Huldie.

(Hindooie). Kurkum (Hebrew). .Arsina (Can . )

Passap oo also Pamp i (Tel.) M iingellacua (Hort .

Mal. ) Haradal (Guz . ) Haridr ii Eli Z T (Sans. )H ulud (Mah . ) Turtumag lio (It .) Keang whang

(Chin . )CURCUMA LeNGA (Lin .)

I

Cl. and O rd. Monandria Monogynia. Nat . O rd.

"

Scitamineae (Lin . ) J

This root the native Indians consider as cordialand stomachic ; it is a constant ingredient in theircurries, and is prescribed by the Tamool doctors inthose watery diarrhoeas, which are

~often so trouble ,

some and difficult to subdue in weak habits. Bout instells us, that in Java the same medicine is celebratedfor its supposed virtues in facilitating child-birth, mmysen teric obstructions, and certain complaints of

the urinary passages ! The greater part of the turl

meric ‘

used in India as a dye, medicine, or seasoner,is either the produce of Bengal, or is brought fromJava. There is a Wild sort which grows in Mysore,and there called ciid arsina Turmeric hasnow no longer

“

a place in the London Dispensatory ;it has, however, been celebrated in its day, in cases

of hepatitis, jaundice, and dropsy, in doses of from

a scruple to half a drachm. The nativepractitionersconsider turmeric as an excellent application, i n

powder, for cleaning foul ulcers.

9 2


Turmeric is a common produce of the Eastern islands, where it is indigenous. Rumphius enumerates

three varieties a wild, and two better sorts. In Ja

vanese, Bali, and Malay , it is termed leiiny’

il in Am

boynese unin and in Ternatese g ordclzi, which, Mr.

Crawfu’

rd tells us, means g olden . Turmeric has

been analysed by Vogel and Pelletier. Mr . Brande

notices the great quantity of colouring matter it

yields on being digested in water or alcohol, re

gretting that it cannot be rendered permanen t as a

dye . No less than seventeen species of curcuma,as determined by Roxburgh, were growing in the

botan ical garden of Calcutta in 1814, all o riental

plants, and most of them Indian . O ur present

article, curcuma longa, like the others of its genus,

has no stem ; it may be distinguished from the

c . rotunda .by its leaves being simply lanceolate, andlateral nerves very numerous. Koenig

’

s descriptionof the plant by Retzius is, in Roxburgh

’

s op in ion,

quite exact. Flor. Ind. vol . i . p . QQ . The root is too

well known to require a particular description here ;in its fresh state it has a rather unpleasant smell,

somewhat resembling cerate, which goes off a gooddeal on drying ; the colour is that of saffron , and

the taste bitterish.

Seven species of curcuma grow in Ceylon, wherethe curcuma longa is called in Cyngalese haran-l mka.

The curcuma longa grows wild in Cochin-China, andis there called kuong huy nh . Loureiro g ives us a

long list of its medicinal virtues in lepra, jaundice,and other disorders. Vide Flor. Cochin-Chin . vol. i .

p . 9 .

456 MATERIA INDICA . PAR

CCXXXIV.

TU RNIP. Sugjumi M g». (Arab . )

riv: (Pers. ) Navel (F Kabu (Japan . )

BRASSICA RAPA

Cl. and O rd . Monandria Monogyn ia. Nat.

Scitamineae.Turn ips in India, as in Jama1ca, are reare

means of seed from Europe, though Whatfrom the Cape of Good Hope is often

answer as well, at least on the

O f all the European vegetables th'

found good in~

our'Asiatic domin ions, being,

most part, what is called stringy, unless theytivated with much skill and care . The nativeknow thembut by name, nor sho

mentioned here , but that theythe medicines of the A rabiansconsider them as diaphoretic . The seeds, whichcommonly known in the Arabian bazars undername of

’

bnzirullufl 63511553,are considered as hotmoist, and are admin istered in doses ofThe ancients, as we see by Celsus (lib. v .

used a fomentation prepared with turn ips incases when the feet had become ulcerous fro

treme cold : In pr1m1s multa calida aqua foveest, in qua rapa decocta.

” When of

they are, m my

i

opinion, one of our

being delicious in taste, cooling, andthough they have, perhaps unjustly,some as difficult of digestion . O ne

458 MATERIA mc . PART 1 .

Turpentines are zlittle used by the medical practitioners of India ; but they, with their essential oil,are well known in Europe to be anthelmintic, stimulant, cathartic " , and diuretic . For expelling the

taen ia, the oil has lately been given in doses of

from gss. to gij. with success, repeated every eight or.ten hours, till the worm is expelled . I t i

Lhas also ob

tained celebrity in chron ic rheumatism,haemorrhages,

and epilepsy ; top ically it is employed with advan

tage, in cases of obstinate costiveness, and ascarides ;and as a useful primary application to burns.

Turpentines-”P are admin istered in doses of from

grs. viii . to gi. best diffused in water by means of

mucilage, or the yolk of an egg. The oil of,

turpentine, in doses of from g rs. x11. to g i. is diu

Dr. Latham has long considered it as a valuable medicinein epilepsy in this case , it must Operate chiefly by un loading the

bowe ls . A certain affection of the head, approaching to in toxi

cation , is apt to succeed to a large dose . See Paris’

s Pharmaco

logia, p . 541 .

1’ See a most valuable paper by Dr. Copland on terebinthinous

medicines, in the Medical and Physical Journal, vol. xlvi. p . 186

206 .

i Turpentine, commonly so called, is a resinous juice which

exudes from the wild pine (pinus silvestris), or Scotch fir ; in

cisions having been previously made in the inner smooth bark,near the foot of the t ree . O il of turp entine is made by distillingthis substance in a common still

, when the oil will be found in the

re ceiver. Common resin , or yellow resin , is the residue of the

distillation of turpentine when the dlstillation is performed without addition it is called common resin , or colop hony , but when

agitated with about one-eighth of fresh water, while yet fluid, itis named yellow resin Tar is got by the application

"

of heat,in a certain way, to b1llets of the branches of the tree (pinus silvestris). Venice turpentine is obtained from the larch tree (pinuslarix) The Canada balsam, orfine turpentine, is collected from

the p lnus balsamea. The Chio turpentine is got from the pistacia

terebin thus. B urgundy p itch, and the thus or resin of the LondonPharmaCO poeia, are both obtained from the pinus abies, or NorwaySpruce fir

, a native both of China and Japan . See Flor. Japon .

p . 275. , also Flor. Cochin-Chin . vol. ii. p . 57 9 . The last exudesspontaneously ; the first by means of incisions through the bark ,deep enough to lay the wood bare . See Thomson

’

s Lond. Disp .

fr. MATERIA ; INDICA; 459

in larg er doses its effects are more general

e system ; and it is then best admin istered,(1 with aromatics. and spices, and rubbed upcilage or honey.

*

e use of resins, I have said a little under theResin . Tar I have found in India to be a

foul ulcers, but very inferior tobalsam of Peru, .which, applied externally

'

on

has most positive and peculiar virtues in arrest

mortification, and'

the dangerous progress of

an effect, which I fully explained,ready noticed, in a paper addressed to the Honor

the Court of Directors, from India, in 1810,and which afterwards

’

appeared in the Asiatic Jou1nal for January, 1816 . O f the use of tar in con

(I mean inhaling the vapour ofno experience . It has found a

er advocate in Dr. Paris (Pharmacologia,Sir Alexander Crichton’

s Practical O bservations on the subject, are extremely interesting ;and merit from the public, that attention which is everdue to such distinguished authority ; This much I '

can say, and which may bear a little on his plan , that

previous to leaving India, I had been in the habit ofrecommending in phthisical cases, “

and often withthat the patient should inhale the

had been previously mixed with a sufficient quantityof balsam Copaiba, to render it less stimulating .

Eigh t species ofpinuswere growing in the botanical

garden of Calcutta in 18 14, three of which wereoriental plants.

* Dr. Magee of Dublin IS of Opinion, that this medicine hasnot received due attention ; he found it a safe and efficacious purgative . In obstinate constipation without a rival, .and m interitis,

p eritonitis, and colic almost a specific . See London Medical Re

pository, Feb . 1826 . p . 17 8.


CCXXXVI .

TYRE.

U nder the head of ’Milk,‘

at p . QQO , Iment ionedarticle, and i merely again notice it here,accounts from India, I learnmost '

useful as a diet in th

fever. “

At page 9 9 5, I haveof South America ; the milk of

Baron Humboldt, and found to have a -balmyand to be free from all acrimony . I havelearnt, by turning to the fourth volume of his

nopS1s Plantarum Equinoctialium,

”p . 19 8, that

has bestowed on the tree, the generi c name of

lectodendron,be, h owever, still has some doubts

garding i ts proper place,'

as

'

he asks the qan brosimi species adding,

spe cimen Mr . R. BrovVn saw,, was to

“

to e nable that justly distinguishedspeak with certainty respecting it . At pp . 9 9 1

of this work, in notes, I have mentioned, that

the seeds of two bassias, longijb lia and bu

ty racea yield o ily substances which '

are

used as ghee or butter. The latter is the fit lwali

of the A lmorah mountains ; . it has a large trunk,alternate leaves, which are obovate-cuneate, obtusel

pointed ; the ; flowers are long, numerous, large,

pale yellow, droop ing ; be1ry long, generally poin ted, fleshy, contain ing one, two, or th1 ee large seeds,the rest not ripened . Dr. Roxbulgh,who describesthe tree m vol . viii . p . 489 , of the Asiatic Researches,says, that it much resembles the bassia latifolia, so

much so as to be scarcely distinguished f1om it, except


brocation for the head; in cases of cephalgia. I t is

usually prepared from the toddy of the palmyra tree

(see article toddy) ; and is coloured with a littleburnt paddy (rice in the husk). Some of the more

enlightened Vy tians, know how to render vinegar

stronger by distillation . The Edin . Pharmacopoeiadirects us to distil eight pounds of

,acetous

acid in glass vessels, with a gentle heat ; the

two pounds which come first over are watery, and

to be rejected ; the four following, will be the

distilled acetous acid ; the residue is a stronger

acid, but too much burnt . The native Indiansare not acquainted with the mode of preparing thestrong acetic acid which is done by rubbing to

gether a pound of dried sulphate of iron and ten

ounces of the superacetate of lead ; after whichthey are to be put into a retort, and distilled in a

sand bath with a moderate heat, as long as any acidcomes over . The acetic acid is well known to be

stimulant and rubifacien t ; but is chiefly employedas a scent, and applied to the nostrils in syncope, as

phyxia, and nervous head-achs. According to Berzelius, its ultimate components are

l OO °OO

Common vmegar, used internally, is not only a re

frigerant, but (especially when taken in some warm

gruel) a powerful diaphoretic. The Arabians, as

a medicine, place it amongst their A ttenuantia

and consider a mixture of it, with sal ammo

MATERIA INDICA . 46 3

and common salt, as one of their best a lm lj

Yabisat-lcérougb (Epulotics). This mixtureterm

ruta

,} sf

)“ seerkeh tau uoroslzadir ,

s called in Mysore sé'

nndgdlu vinegar ismuch prized both by the Mahometans and Hindoosas a~ cooling drink, and is also employed as a com

mon‘menstruum for medical purposes. It is oh

tained in the following manner — The dews of n ightfalling on cloths, spread over what is called in IndiaBengal horse gram (cicer arietinum) whilst growing,are thereby rendered slightly acid ; and it is the

liquor‘

wrung out of these cloths ' in the morning ,that is termed se

’

ndgdlu vinegar . In Tamool it is,ca

’

dcilay p oolip ooneer ; boot Iracirka { J A Mas) ,

Sanigbe’

p ooloosu neeloo (Tel . )Several of the writers of antiquity, say much on

the subj ect of vinegar. Avicenna was fully aware

of its virtues as an external application .

“ Lanaeaceto imbutm ac vulneribus adplicatae repellant in

flammationes” (Canon . lib. ii . tract.

CCXXXVIII .

WALNU T. Alt iroot lows ! (Arab . Hindooie and

Duk . ) Jo'wz (Arab . ) Charmaghz

also Geerdigan w ig s (Pers. ) also Jouziroomie

(Pers.) also Kbusy”a im s (Arab . ) Noia'

Fr. )JU GLANS REGIA (Lin .)

Cl. and O rd. Monoecia Polyandria. Nat. O rd .

Amentaceae.


Walnuts, we are informed by Captain Turner, inhis Embassy to the Court of the Tishoo Lama, growin great abundance in Bootan . Those of the pro

v ince of Kusistan, in Persia*, are much esteemed,and are sent in great quantities to India. They are

common in Armenia f Kirkpatrick found them

growing in Nepaul i’

and Thibet. Those of the last

mentioned country are. the best itermed oleber . In Georgia they abound, and of a

fine quality. The tree grows, Loureiro says, in the

Northern tracts of China, and is there called ko-lao

(Flor. Cochin-Chin . vol . i . p .

The French write1s § consider the leaves of

tree as anthelmintic . From the nuts may be ,

ob

tained, without fire, an oil which can be used at

table : that which is procured by means of heat issupposed, by Virey, in his Histoire Naturelle des

Medicamens,”to possess vermifuge properties ; it

is, besides, employed for varn ishing, and burning ,

in

lamps. The French apothecaries prepare from ‘nuts,

distille’

s dans trois etats difierens,”what th

eau de trois noia,”which they consider as hydra

gogue, in doses of from four to six ounces. I The

anc ients supposed walnuts to be elexipharmic : the

famous antidote of Mithridates was composed of

two walnuts, two figs, and twenty leaves ‘

of rue,

rubbed together with a grain of salt. By V irey’s"

work, quoted above, it appears, that the bark of the

See Macdonald Kinneir’s Geographical Memoir of Persia,

p . 115.

1; See the same , p . 319 .

1 See his Account of Nepaul, p . 81 .

§See Manuel de Plantes U suelles Indigenes, par LoiseleurDeslongchamps,

3 See p . 295 0 his H istoire Naturelle des Medicamens.

46 6 MATERIA 15115c . PART ‘

informs us, is river water, and then comes that of

fountain at the foot of a high land . The water

brooks or streamlets from a mountainus,

’

is heating to the body, and that"

reservoirs become stagnant, the-worst of all, an

to produce indigestions, obstructions, and lethand to predispose to fever.

G enerally speaking, the water of H indoostanbe considered as good ;

‘

that of rivers, of co

cannot be said to be so soon after heavy rains.water of wells is someti

ture of common

tanks or reservoirs, being rain Water,Water, from its great solvent p

found in a state entirely pure, butcertain portions of earthy, saline,according to the substances overDr . Heyne, in his Tracts Historicof India” (p . informs us, that

from the surface, are almost as uncommon

waters in Lower India, indeed, that theyon the tops

'

of high mountains ; the Watis, for the most part, excellent . The same gen

adds, that’mineral waters, as far as he knows,

occur on the Coromandel ]Lcoast ; and that

Dr. Heyne says, that these are the only mineral

that he has found, by analysis, in different waters in India.

1» Dr. Heyne , at the time he wrote the work above mentionc ould not have known of the chalybeate Spring discoveredBangalore, by Major W. Garrard, of the Engineer Corps, andlaudably brought to the notice of Government and the publicthat gentleman . The virtues of this mineral waterreported on by different medical oflicers, particularlymuch lamen ted Dr . Greig, of his Majesty

’

s service,sidered it as a valuable tonic and bracer in such cases

medicines of this nature ; as he did not ex

spot , he could not ascertain the quantitycontains ; but Major Garrard writes me, t


of one hot spring in the lower part of the

situated in the middle of the Godavery,

achellum, about one hundred miles West

d1 inking water of Fort St . George is from a

it is, perhaps, the purest in the world, notxcepting that of Malvern , and it has this peadvantage, that it keeps at sea even better

that of the Thames ; it has neither colour nor

and IS altogether without taste it is extremelyand fluid, wets easily, mixes with great facility

(1 alcohol, and makes admirable tea ; nor

adding to it a solution of goldtion of silver, or of lead, or

acid ; it exhibits the presence.

the smallest proportion of jearthy

The distinction of water into hard and soft (saysBrande) has reference to its less or greater

ty.

” Hard waters are unfit for washing in

contain ing sulphate of lime, and

place of dissolving soap, and this can

be detected by adding to it a little of the

01 solution of soap, when the water will imme

at he has often drawn the water in a state of effervescence .

other parts, according to Dr. P. Scott’

s analysis, are the

wing

Carbonate of iron

A lumina

Muriate of soda

lime

magnesiaSilicea

46 8 MATERIA IND ICA . PAM 1 .

diately become turbid . I need scarcely add,'

th

hard water does not make good tea.

*

The composition of wate r was a great step,

Mr. Brande has termed it, in the march of chem

sc ience ;'

what is due to Mr. Cavendishcovery, every man , with any pretensions to

well knows ; he it was who first found thatof pure hydrogen , burnt e ither in air or

produc ed a vapour condensible in to pureexperiment subsequen tly verified by

'

th

researches of Lavoisier . The composition of

has been beautifully evinced by the experime

Dr. Pearson , by means of the electric sparkhas also been decomposed hy the influence

galvan ic pile . \Vith regard to the

hydrogen and oxygen”

which go to compose w

Mr. B rande observes, that 100 parts of water

sist of 88-24oxygen , and hydrogen .

Snow water was long supposed to occasionchocele, but that is not the case, as ,

in mou

parts of Sumatra the disease is found. Sno

differs from rain water in being destitute ofwhich makes water brisk . A

, p int of sea w

according to Dr. Murray, contains muriate s of

muriate of mag nesia muriate of

57 ; sulphate of soda 256 ; total 226 1 grainsParis’s Pharmacologia, p . The tepid sea

I found, in India, to be the best tonic in cases of

pure debility and scrophulous affections ; the gentle

By referring to Avicenna, Canon . lib . 11. tract 11; p . 192 , the

reader will find some curious O p inions'

regarding various kinds of

water in his da y, in Arabia ; such as epileptici juvantur ab aquatepida, lmdun tur a calida ; vapor marinas aqua curat cephalagiamfrigidem.

T In the summer of 17 81 .


Guzzerat, of very great celebrity, in th

the range wh ich bisects the Kattywar peninsu

temperature of the water about it has

mineral impregnation .

” We are told by Morier,h is Travels in Armenia, that at Arzroum there

delightful warm springs. See work, p . 325.

CCXL .

WAX . M e’

llab n g (Tam. ) M oam

(Pers. Shanta by ; (Arab . or M zettze (L elzn

UL.) (Mal . ) M inum (Tel . ) S i/ctka

(Sans. ) Cere (Fr. ) Wacks (G er. ) Cera

Mekdoomul (Hindooie). La (Chin . )

The natives of India use wax, as we do, in

preparation of plaisters, and for burn ing, &c .

Lower India it is obtained of the finest qua]though, in Bengal, it is more consider

of commerce, ,

and 1s, in conseque nce, purifie

greater quantity. White wax is called in - Ta

wallay me’

llagkoo in Dukhanie szgfiad woom

in Tellinghoo fella minum. The yellow wax

Tamool manjz'

l mellughoo ; in Dukhanie p eelah m

and in Tellinghoo p assap oomznum.

into India from Nep aul, from Pedir , in

from Palembang . For some account of the difl’

ere

sorts of bees to be found in India, the readerreferred to article Honey .

I t would appear, that wax, as a principle, existsmany plants, and that all the va1 ieties of it posthe same essential properties as that formed bybee ; such as that from the ligustrum lucidum

19


of China ; and we know, that from the

the ~candleberry tree of America (my ricacandles are made, which, though dearerw, are cheaper than wax ; with this ve

or tallow, soap is also made, and, in

The leaves and stem of the

by the process of bruising and

boiling, also yield a sort of wax” so does a plantcalled, in Brazil, carna uba ; and we are informed byMr . Brande, that theglossy varnish upon the surface

of the leaves of many trees is ofa similar nature .

I see, by a late Number of the A siatic Journal, thatDr. Tytler, of Bengal, had submitted to the Agricultural Society of Calcutta a cun ous artificial wax,made from val ions vegetable oils, ch iefly castor-oil,

and which was considered by the Society as a dis

covery capable of application to several of the most

useful domestic purposes. What the particular process is, is not stated ; whether by boiling the castor

oil in n itric acid, by which means it is converted intoa solid matter, which resembles soft wax, but which,

Mr. Brande has informed us, in his Lectul es, has hot

consistence enough to be conven iently made intocandles. D1 . John digested bees

’

wax and myrtle 1L

wax in boiling alcohol, and thereby obtained two

parts ; one soluble, which he called cer in , the“

other

Einsoluble, which he named my ricz'

n the first, thoughnot soluble in water, nor in cold alcohol and ether,

ves,in these when heated ; my rzczn 1s ih

all circumstances in alcohol'

and e ther.

informs us, that the wax tree grows

tle tree (myrica cerifera) 18 common inBarrow says, they contrive to make

firm and good (see his Travels

47 2 MATERIA mc . PART 1 .

Gay Lussac analysed wax, and found, that 100 partsconsisted of carbon ; of the elements of

water ; and 1 1 9 1 of excess of See ar

ticle Tallow’t in this part and chapter of this work .

With regard to the adulteration of wax it may be?said, according t o the Pharmacologia of Dr. Paris,that to detect while lead it is necessary first to meltthe wax in water, when the oxydé will fall to the

bottom.” Tallow may be suspected when the cake

wants its usual translucency. Wax may be deprivedof its natural colour, and be perfectly whitened bybeing exposed to the united action of air and water.

Wax cannot,be kindled unless prevmusly heated and

reduced into vapours. Much wax is exported fromtowns situated on the Hellespont, also fromRomania,Bulgaria, Wallachia, and Moldavia. See Ollivier’sTravels in the Ottoman Emp lre, vol. 1. p . 351 .

CCXLI .

. WINE . She’

rab unglzoorie 5,9) ;l g ift. (Duk.

Kkumar ,as (Arab . Drakk'

lca mud (Hind.

(Pers. ) Vin (Fr .) Wein (Ger. ) Vino (I

MadaWI Madira“Ti t (Sans. )VINUM .

J

V ITIS VINIFERA (Lin

Cl. and O rd. Pen tandria Monogyn ia. Nat. O rd.

Hederaceae.

Grapes can be very successfully c ultivated in

See Brande’

s Manuel of Chemistry, vol. iii. p . 54.Where it will be seen, that the tallow procured from the fruit

of the vateria Indica has equally the properties of wax and

tallow.

MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1 .

it is, notwithstanding, pretty l iberally used under therose

* in all Mahometan countries, and is a neverending theme with Hafiz, who, in one of his finestodes, has this. most poetic and voluptuous exclamation

Which may be thus paraphrased

With blushing roses in my breast,While Sparkling wine my goblet fills,

With, happier still, my Laelia blest ,What can I fear of earthly ills

The Hindoos never touch wine, except when it

is prescribed to them medicinally. The Persiansconsider it as a most valuable stomachic and cor

dial, and place what they call Us, “ she

’

rab

meywaha, which signifies all kinds of f1u1t wines,amongst their Aa

’viy alzlzees elz.

Wines are much drank by such European inhabitan ts in India as can afford them, and are certainlymore conducive to health than arrack, which, in

former years, was but too liberally indulged in .

Those chiefly brought to table are sherry t , Ma

deirai , portS, claretH, and Cape Madeira},r

The

See Sir John Malcolm’s H istory of Persia, vol . 11. p . 285.

1° Good sherry contains about per cen t . of alcohol.

1 Madeira contains about per cen t . of alcohol .

Port about per cent . of alcohol .

I] Good claret about per cen t . of alcohol.

q}To these we may add Constantia, containing 18°

9 2 per cent .of alcohol ; Champaigne , about 13 °80 per cent . ; fine raisin wine ,made with dried kislzmiskes from Persia, about 2 1°4<O per cen t .

B ucellas is a favourite wine in India ; it contains about 18 °49 percen t . of alcohol . Deligh tful orang

‘

e Wine is made m that coun try ;it con tains about 10°9 7 per cent . of alcohol, and is, perhaps, the

best of all wines not made from grapes .

CHAP . 1 . MATERIA IND I CA . 475

first has a degree of bitterness . in it, and agrees

better with delicate stomachs than Madeira, which isof all wines, in my opin ion , the most liable to produce acidity in the first passages, a fact so well

established, that of late years it is little drank by thedyspeptic

* in India. Port, in that country, is apt

to bind, and should be'

taken with caution . Wherethere is either general inflammation , as in simplefever, ardent fever, or o rgan ic inflammation , as in

hepatitis, &c . , wine is a poison . In cases of pure

languor and debility, in India, the safest and most

certain cordial is claret, which is at once antiseptic,

gently stimulating, and aperient . It has appeared

to me, to be particularly indicated for such as are

convalescent from typhus fever,in a great de

I am well aware, that this opinion is in direc t opposition to

very h igh authority, that of Dr . A . Henderson (see his admirableH istory of An c ien t and Modern Wine), who says (p . that of

all the strong wines Madeira is the best adap ted to invalids ; suchmay be the case in England, where my experience has been butof short duration , but in India it is far otherwise ; there , that win e,from its acidulous nature , is ap t to bring on

'

heart-burn , and wouldseem to be particularly injurious in gouty habits. Dr. Henderson ,in speaking of the Persian wines, says, For the more commonwines (not including the Shiraz) five difierent kinds of grapes are

used, four white , and one black .

’

l his last is called Samawana’i,

from the town of that name ; it has a black skin , and produces a

kind of claret .” He moreover informs us (p . that “ the

Armen ian merchan ts sometimes add saffron as well to improve thecolour of the Persian wines, as to make them more pleasan t in

flavour .

”

For much curious information regarding the notions of the

anc ien ts on the subject of w ine, which they sometimes called

cardiacum cardiacorum, the reader may consult Pliny (Nat . Hist .

book in chapter xiii. of that book, he tells us , that in

ancient times the women of Rome were n ot perm itted to drinkwine ; in the twelfth chapter, he observes, that win e did not beginto be in much reputati on in the great city till about six hundred

years after the foundation of it. Romulus sacrificed not with

wine , but with milk . In chapter xvi. is a full accoun t of the

made w ines used in those days, such as that prepared from

various garden he1hs, flowers of trees and shrubs, &c .

447 6 MATERIA INDICA . PART 1 .

gree owing, perhaps, to its powerful antiputrescent"

quality ; and to prove how much nature herself seems

to be in unison with this opmion, I may state, that

I knew an instance of a'delicate lady, who, for

several days together, after recovering from a n ervousfever, took, while at dinner and after it, a whole

bottle of claret without feeling, in the slightest de

gree, inebriatedv

. Cape Madeira (I mean that produced from the

groene draw”) when of the BEST quality, and

such as may now be had from several respecti

able w ine merchants in London , is an excellentwine ; it contains much less acidity than the com

mon Madeira, and agrees admirably with weakstomachs. I t seems to me, that this w ine has un

deservedly got a‘

bad name, perhaps from the cir

cumstance of much of a low price and an infer101°

quality having been exposed for sale ° it is said to

have an earthy taste, but this is not the case when

it is well made, on the contrary, it is delicious and

f ull bodied, with just enough of the Constantia fla

vour in it to be pleasant, and to mark where it“

was

produced . I write this from long experience Of its

good qualities and . shall further state, that, m {A

medical point of View, I know many delicate people,

For many years before leaving India, I trusted much ,°

and I

may say.

with almost never-failing success, to the free use of 1 ipe

oranges i n cases of typhus fever, with occasional blisters to the

feet to keep up the energy of the circulation . The diet, panada

alone ; drink , lemon -grass tea.

Q uite aware of the strong prejudice that exists in England

against Cape w ine , I am the more anxious to do what I conceiveto be justice to

.

it, and shall, therefore , quote the words of a late

distinguished writer in favour of it : Les vins du Cap de B onneEsp erance, impregnes d

’

un arome exqu1s, son tres-restaurans, e t

peutetre les me illems de tous les vins . See Chevalier RoquesPhytographie Medicale , vol . ii. p . 215.

47 8 MATERIA INDI CA . PART I .

wish to know the different methods that have beenadopted by Cadet, Proust, &c . for detecting iinpu

rities in wine, he may consul t the 'work just c ited,p . 342 . See article G rape in this chapter.

Many remedies have at different times been re

commended to allay the effects of intoxication fromwine . Roques in his Phytographie Medicale, vol . ii .

pp . 228, 224, says, that in slighter cases, a copiousdilution * is extremely useful ; and that in more alarm

ing occasions, a few drops of aqua ammon iae in water,had produced almost immediate calmness and cola

lectedness.

CCXLII .

WHITING . Ke’

llanga-meen fi g f fizern

-Lfibm r

(Tam. ) Calancloo (Cyng . ) M er lan (Fr. ) Kallen

g rin mulchie (Sega

Lasting (Duk . ) also D iryalra

Shankra (Duk . ) M erluzzo (It. )GADUS MERLANGUS .

Whitings are common'

on the Coromandel coast,and are as much prl zed as they are in Europe, as adiet for those who are delicate ; being very easilydigested . This is the only fish which the Vy tiansallow their leprous patients to eat . The Whitings inIndia are, generally speaking, smaller t han the same

kind from the sugar-cane, which they term toup are ; and a third

kind is made from the ontzi (Bananas). See Copeland’

s Historyof Madagascar. Gooseberry wine well made, and with the fruit

before it is fully ripé , is little inferior to ChampaigneA cup of strong green tea has also some effect ln calming in

cases of intoxication .


fish in Europe . The species‘

merlangus differs fromseveral others of the same genus in havingthe chin beardless.

CCXLIII .

WOOD, ALOES or AGALLOCHUM. Pae cle

aloes (Port .) Ckin-lziam (Coch .-Chin . ) Aghir (Duk. )

M Cdldmbii/r B ois cl’

aloes (Fr. ) Aguru

GETK (Sans. ) Aggw‘, Agor (Beng . and Hind . ) also

Agha looclzie (Arab . ) O adlzindi csam (Pers. )Sukkiang (Chin .) S inko (Kaemph . )

A Q U ILARIA OV ATA (Lin . )A QUILARIA AGHALL O CHA (Roxb . )

Cl. and O rd. Decandria Monogyn ia.

What is commonly understood by ca’

liimbac, or

aloes wood, in commerce, in Eastern countries, isthe interior part of the trunk of the aquilaria ovata

and which is, in fact, the dark part possessing a peculiar aroma, caused by the oleaginous par:ticles there stagnating and concentrating ; its poresare filled with a soft resinous substance, which isconsidered as a cordial by some Asiatic nations, andhas occasionally been prescribed , in Europe, in goutand rheumatism. If I mistake not, it is what Celsusspeaks of under the name of aghaloclri, ranking it

amongst his Acop a (lib . V . cap . or medicineswhich invigorate the n erves. The tree is the gara

de-Malaca of Lamarck, the agalloclzum secundar iam

(Rumph . Amb . 2 . and may be found describedby Loureiro, in his Flora Cochin-Chinensis (vol . i . »

p . under the appellation of aloeay lum agallo


chum he informsus, that it is a large tree with trunkand branches erect, covered with a brown or greybark the leaves are alternate, about eight incheslong ; the flowers are terminating on many flowered

peduncles ; the wood white and inodorous. The

same writer further observes, that from the bark of

the tree the common paper of the Cochin-Chinese IS

made ; the calumbac, or inner part, is a delightful

perfume, is serviceable in vertigo and p alsy, and that

the powder of it, by its corroborating power, re

strains fluxes, vomiting, and lien teries. The aloes

wood is noticed by Forskahl"

(Mat. Med . Kahirina,

p . under the name of g lglgafi . Avicenna,with his usual intelligence (p . tells us, that the

tree which yields the calumbac is to be met with at

Mondelian, Kahelian, and Semandarinam, and that

its fruit, which he calls resembles pepper, and

has a delightful odour. Dr. Roxburgh states, MSSthat the tree is a native of the mountains districtEast and South-East of Silbet, also of Asam, and

grows to a great size, one hundred and tweh ty feet

in height, with a trunk twelve feet round : trunk

straight ; branches nearly . erect ; wood white, verylight, soft and porous ; leaves alternate, lanceolar,

smooth, and of a , deep green ; f lowers numerous,small, pale green ish yellow, and inodorous the fruitis about the size of a myrobalan , with a thick cortexopen ing into two, and contain ing two seeds. O n the

tree, as noticed by Roxburgh, Mr. H . T. Colebrookehas made some valuable remarks, which he verykindly allowed me to peruse ; he observes, that it is

The same writer speaks of a wood that is brought from India

to Arab ia, called the powder of which is'

mixed with

tobacco tomake it more fragrant . Quere P (p .


widen ing outwards, and by its havingbran ches, round, flexuose , streaked, and pI perceive by the

'

Hort . Bengalensis,

are no less than n inethriving in Bengal ;

a. Indica, are, however, theThe a. vulgaris finds a placeof Indian Plants, but when introducedstan is uncertain , probably previous to 17 94;Sanscrit,Hindoostanie, and Bengalie names are

same, 13 nagadona .

The leaves of the artemisia maderas-patana .the

Tamool doctors con sider as a valuable stomachl c

medicine they also suppose them to have deobstruent and antispasmod ic properties, and prescribe themin infusion and electuary, in cases of obstructedmen ses and hysteria ; they sometimes, too, use them

in preparing an tiseptic and anodyne fomentations;in the same way that its congener, artemisia abrotanum, is in Europe .

I t is from the a rtemisia Chinensis that the Chinese

p repare their mox'

a, which is used as a cautery byb urning it upon any part affected with rheumatismor gout, a fact I find noticed by Lourel ro, m his

excellent work, entitled Flora Cochin-Chinensis*,also by Dr . Abel, inChina (p . It would appear, however, that

this substance can be prepared of a still more effica

cion s nature from the common mugwort (artemisiavulgaris). See Thunberg

’

s Travels (vol. iv. p .

In Lapland, for similar purposes, a fimgous excres

‘

ii Ex plan tae hujus, fol11s exsiccatis, et con tusis fit moxa seu

cauterum ac tuale non spernandae eflicac iae ad discutiendes tu

mores, et dolores rheumaticos, ac arthritiéos, levesque convul

s1ones .

° Vide Flor . Cochin-Chin . vol. ii. p . 49 2 .


used, found on old birch trees. I cannotwhat I have to say under this head without

moxa is also obtained from the arte

;rnisia IndicaO ur article, and eight other

’

species, grow in thebotanical garden of Calcutta, all Indian plan ts, ex

c ept the a. pan iculata, a native of Persia. I perceiveby Dr. Rottler

’

s H erbarium*, that he has lately de

_

scribed a new and beautiful spec ies, which he calls

A . maur itiana .

CCXLV.

YAM. See article Potatoe, in this part of the

work .

CCXLVI .

YELLOW GUM -RESIN O F\

NEW HO L

LAND .

X ANTH O RRHmA HASTILE (Smith ) ?

Cl. and O rd. Hexandria Monogynia. Nat. O rd .

A’

sphodeleae (Brown).I hesitated about giving the yellow gum-resm a

this work, and have only been now in

do so, on finding that it has been noticedin his valuable Supplemen t to the Pharma

(p . and that it has also lately attractedce of several distinguished medical practiI ought first to premise, that two yellow

script ; which has been kindly len t to me by Sir°Alex

'

ton , one of our most zealous and efficient promoters

1 1 2


gum-resins, from Botany Bay, are to

apothecaries’

shops of London , differingin appearance, but both emitting , on

smoke of a similar odour, somewhat likefrom a burnt mixture of storax and benzhaps, still more like

’

that of balsam of Fe

are said to be yielded, by what has beenacarois resinifera but now are known to

species of xanthorrhoea. O ne of the sub

in appearan ce not unlike yellow arsen ic, butirregular looking, as if from agglutinative leavesmell, on burn ing, is already stated . Two-thi

more of it, are soluble in spirit of wine ; w

mains is an ex tract soluble in water, and verygent . The gum-resin entire is not soluble inbut gives to it the smell of storax ; to the tas

peculiarly pleasant, fragrant, and bsolution in alcohol has a thick, oily,ous consistence . The other sort of yell

resin resembles gamboge, is much darkerand often found

_

in conjunction with the

leaves, from which it would appear to haveexuded, its inner surface adhering round the s

of the tree ; it is far less soluble in alcohol than

first mentioned,leaving seven per cent . of an ins

grumous substance, n either soluble nor dwater. Now the question is, are these from

same species of xanthorrhoea ? Probably not, for

the seven species described by the excellen t Mr .

Brown* as New Holland plan ts, yield a yellow gu

resin may it be that the one is only purer,

See his Prodromus Nov . Holland . Six of the sevenc ies are , the hastile, arborea , australis, media, minor , andFive of these belong to the colony of Port Jackson ,certainly from one of them that the yellow gum resin is obtained .


it in a case of weakness after an attackalso of its good effects in debility a

and in a case of irregular l'

bleeding at the nose, and in h

tulence, dyspepsia, &c . ; and I h

from Mr . John Frost, that he had

by Sir G ilbert Blane, that he had fouthe use of the yellow gum-resm m

the dose, a drachm of the tincture thr

in the day . Dr .White is said to have ascertainedto be a good pectoral medicine . Mr. Kite adminAtered it in powder, from Bi . to 3ss. twice daily .

CCXLVII .

YERO O CUM PAWL .

(Tam. Alfr e’

he dood a”: Jelledeep aloo (Tel .

Arha 3 1513(Sans. ) also P ralap asa 513q (Sans.

Madar (Hind . ) also Arh (Hind . ) Wadur i (Jav.

U sharris: (Arab .

Milk of the A SCLEPIASA SCLEPIAS G IGANTEA (Lam

Cl. and O rd . Pen tandria Digynia. Nat .

Contortae.

I did not intend to have noticed this article1t properly belonging to the second part of thislication ; but that I find the asclep ias gigantealately attracted much atten tion in Europe, as

medy in leprous and other cutaneous affections.

justice to myself then I mu

another variety'

of the same

entitled Materia Medica of


n on finding that theyeria Medica of the Hindoosee, by referring to that work,

127 , 128 . The other variety is the p uller/loo

called swfi zid ahree in Dukhan ie, and tellajellain Tellinghoo ; it has several Sanscrit names,

the most in use is alarka in Lower India. It is, pro

perly speaking, a variety of the y ercum, the milk of

which is our present article ; both plants in their

leaves and stalks con tain much milky juice, which,when carefully dried, is considered as powerfullyalterative and purgative, and has been long used

as an efficacious remedy in the hooslum of the

Tamools (lepra Arabum) : the dose about the

quarter of a pagoda we ight in the day, and con

tinned for some weeks. The root of the yercum

has a bitter and somewhat acrid, or rather warm taste ;

it is occasionally given in infusion as a stimulant inlow fever. O f the other variety, the vullerhoo, the

bark is warmish, and when powdered and mixedwith a certain portion of margosa oil, is used as an

external application in rheumatic affections. In the

higher provinces of Bengal, the arka (asclep . gigan

tea) is supposed to have antispasmodic qualities.

Mr. Robinson has written a paper on elephantiasis,

and which may be seen in vol. x . of the Me

dico . Chirurgical Society, extolling the madar root

(yercum vayr) as most efficacious in that disease as

also in venereal affections. In the elephantiasis he

gave it in conjuction with calomel and an t . pow

der, in a p ill, consisting of half a grain of calomel,

three of antimon ial powder, and from six to ten of

the bark of the root madar , every eight hours. Mr.

Playfair has also’

written.

a paper on the same root,

1 I 4


which may be seen in vol . i . of the Edin .

Chirurg . Trans , p . 414, wherein he speaks inof the alterative, stimulan t, and deobstruentof

‘

the bark, or rather rind below the outer

root, reduced to fine powder, in cases of syph

lepra, hectic fever, &c . dose from grs. iii. to xxii. three times in

'

the day, gradually increasinghe also observes that it appears to cure the bursau

in the horse . Messrs. Robertson , Playfair, andothers, seem chiefly to dwell on the virtues of therind or bark of the rob t ; but I must observe, thatin Lower India, where I was for many years, I foundthe simple dried milky juice considered as infin itelymore efficacious ; and later commun ications fromthe East confirm me in this opinion . O n referringto notes taken from a Medical Sastrum, written inhigh Tamool, and en titled Aghastier Pernool, I findthe y ercum p awl, which is the milky juice of the

asclep . gigantea, strongly recommended as a valuablemedicine in neer covay (anasarca) ; and consideringthe extraordinary effect it seems to have in purifyingthe habit, in cases of the most loathsome of all dis

eases, lep ra, may I suggest that a trial be madewith it in that yet more dreadful malady, cancer,

which has hitherto baffled all our best endeavours.

I shall say more of the y ercum shrub (mudar) in thesecond part o f this work in the mean time I mustobserve, that a plant called ahand or akund is apt to

be confounded with the genuine one (asclepias gi

gautea) and they no doubt much resemble each other ;

but the petals of the akund point upwards, and form

A disease which shows itself in open sores, and as it usuallyappears in the rainy season takes its name from the Dukhanie

word barsaul (rain ).

49 0 MATER IA IND ICA . PARlT 1 .

CCXLIX .

II . ZEDOARY, ZERU MBET. Pulang -hilunggu

Q N W FR/n g (Tam. ) KutchoorJ ’

fl’

Keechlie gudda (Tel . ) H inhooroo p e

(Cyng . ) Kakhur (Hind . ) Cap oor kichlie

Z erumbad s tw (Arab . and Pe'

rs. ) Karchi r'

i

(San s. ) Shoothee (Beng . ) B eng leg/ (Jav. ) Kato

inschi-lcua (Rheede).CURC UMA ZERUMBET (Roxb . )

CCL.

III . ZEDOARY, TU RMERIC COLOU RED .

Castoorie Munjel asa/b a g j rrf‘m c

g a ov r (Tam. )Ambie huldie

”

(s oda (Duk . ) Jung lie baldie

(Beng . ) also B un huldie (Beng . ) Judwarab“?

also B ar (A rab . ) Castoor ie p assap oo (Tel . )Kua (Hort . Mal. ) Z edoaire (Fr . ) N irbisi (Hind . )N irvishd fi ffffi fl (Sans. ) Z odoar ia (It . ) . also

Vana har idra EF—Tsft e: (Sans. ) Walhaha (Cyng. )CURCUMA Z EDOARIA (Roxb . )AMOMUM Z EDO RIA (Lin . )

It will be seen by this last, and the two precedingarticles, what are the orien tal names of the roots of

three distinct plants of the class and order Monan

dr ia Monogyn ia, and nat . order Scitaminem, and

which, at different times, have been termed zedoar ies.

I n eed scarcely mention here the great confusion

CHAP . I . MATERIA INDICA. 49 1

which has s o long existed regarding the Substances,zedoary, zerumbet , zarnah, &c . ; a confusion

, per

haps, first introduced by the vacillating nomenclature

of the , Arabians ; certainly not remedied by theircommentators and, unaccountably, n eglected bythe medical and scientific men of a later age .

The able and discriminating Dr. Roxburgh has

done more than any of his cotemporaries towardselucidating the subject in question , and his excellen taccount of Monandrous plan ts, in the 1 1th volumeof the Asiatic Researches, will remain a lastingmonument of his industry ; yet even he confesses,that there are stil l difficulties to be surmounted, and

contradictions to be reconciled ; the natural con

sequences, we must conclude, of the many former in

distinct observations and unscientific details. U nder

these painful impressions it is, with the greatest ditfidence, that ' I offer the following remarks :

I . The Z EDOARY, KHAEMPHERI AN, which I havetaken the liberty of calling this root, is, I am in

clined to believe, the root of the kaempheria rotundawhich grows in Ceylon , and is called by the

Cyngalese sau-henda . It is a native of various partsof , Hindoostan , and also of Java, where it is calledhoontsheed

'

It is the zedoaria rotunda of‘

Bauhin ,and has been well described by Sir William Jones,in the fourth volume of the A siatic Researches.

O n the Malabar coast it is termed mahzn-hua ; and

Rheede informs us (Hort . Mal . part ii. p . that

Si igitur ipsi Arabum principes, his de rebus, se dissentiant ;frustra eas ex eorum scriptis distinguere ten tabimus.

” Geoff.vol. ii.

’

1 This is a beautiful plant, flowering in Bengal in March and

April ; leaves oblong, radical fl owers fragrant, purple and White ;root biennial ; there is no stem. See Flor. Indica, vol. i. p . 15.


the whole plant, when reduced into powder,‘

and used

in the form of an‘

ointment, has wonderful efficacyin healing fresh wounds, and that, taken in ternally,it removes . any coagulated blood or purulent matter

that may be within the body ; he adds, that the root

is a useful medicine in anasarcous swellings. I t is

bulbous,about the thickness of a finger, ash-coloured

outside and white within ; smells like ginger, and

tastes hot to the tongue .

II . Z EDO ARY, ZERUMBET . This is, I believe, thecurcuma zerumbet and the amomum ze

rumbet it is the lamp ooy ang of the Javanese, and the lampuium (Rumph . Amb . 5.

Miller, ln his Dict ionary, speaks of it under the

name of the broad-leaved ginger. The plant is a

native of the East Indies, Cochin-China, and also

Otaheite ; and has been ascertained, Dr. Roxburghte lls ti s, to be that which yields the

'

zedoary of the

London druggists. The root is‘

generally exposedfor sale in Lower India, cut in to small round p iecesabout the third part of an inch thick, and an inchand a half or two inches in circumference .

"

The

best comes“

from Ceylon, where it is supposed to héton ic and carmmative . I t is evidently the zerumbetof Serapio, and zerumbad of and the

following description of it, given by G eoffroy (vol. ii .

pp . 150 and very closely corresponds with theappearance of the root under discussion Forisc1ner1a, mtn s candida ; sapore acri, amarican te aro

matico odore tenui fragrante, ac valde aromaticum,

suavitatem, cum tunditur aut manducatur, sp irante et

4”Avicenna extols it highly Discutit flatas, cor recreat,

vomitionem compescit ; ad venenatarum bestiolarum morsus,etfi

cax est .” Vide Canon . Med . lib . ii. tract ii. p . 1 18 .


This appeared to me, at first sight, to resemble a

good deal the root called long z

'

edoary in the excellent Edinburgh Dispensatory of Dr. Duncan , jun ior,with this exception , that its colour, externally, ismore

of a dirty yellow than an ash-grey. There are, how

ever, more essential differences in the plan ts : the

amomum zedoaria, according to Willdenow, beingdistinguished foliis majoribus ovatis acuminatis ;

”

the curcuma longa foliis lanciolatis,”&c . The

root now under consideration is otherwise wrinkled,and, internally, of a brown ish red, possessing an

agreeable fragrant smell, and a warm, bitterish, and

aromatic taste ; its Sanscrit name, nirvbisha fi ffiéfq'

implies, that the drug is used as an antidote to

poison, and its Bengalese, Tamool, and Tellingoo

names have evidently been given to it owing to its

resemblance to common turmeric . The Mahometans

suppose it to be a valuable medicine in certain cases

of snake bites, admin istered in small "doses, and in

conjunction with golden-coloured orpiment, hulst

(costus Arabiens), and ajooan (sison ammi). The

native women prize it much from the circumstancethat they can give with it, used externally, a particular lively tinge to their naturally dark complexions, and a delic ious fragrance to their whole frame .

There appears to be no doubt but that this article1s the judwar of the ancient Arabians, who distin

guished it from,

the zerumbad (curcuma zerumbet,The plant is a native of many parts of

Hindoostan , and would seem to be the zerumbed

tommon of Rumphius (Amb . 5. p .

CHAP. 11 . MATERIA IND ICA. 5

CHAPTER II .

AND METALLIC SU B STANCES FO U ND IN INDIA AND

O THER EASTERN CO U NTRIES .

ANTIMONY,

‘

SU LPHU RET or . Anjana

halloo mfi g m mmmvoxy (Tam. ) Surmah M);

(Pers. Duk . and Hind . )'

I smud mi l (Arab . ) La’

n

jcimim (Tel .) U ngen (Hindooie). Sauvira Pfiafit(Sans. ) l

’

Antimoine sulfure (Fr. ) Sp iessg lance

(G er. ) Sulfuro d’

antimomo (It . ) Soorma (Mah . )SU LPHU RETU M ANTIMO NI I .

I’

cannot learn that this metal has hitherto beenfound in our Indian dominions. Dr. Fleming informs us, that the proper grey ore of antimony isimported from and we know that a

galena, or sulphuret of lead’r, is often sold for it in

the bazars, under the name of surmeh this is, in all

probability, the same substance which the A rabians ;t

call hbhl The greater part of the native anti

O ther authority, however (Col. Kirkpatrick), says, that thereis no an timony in Nepaul, see his Account of that coun try , p . 117 .

1' A c ircumstance which should be particularly attended to, or

much mischief may be done . The galena of lead found in India

is generally in a cubic form, , of a steel-grey colour and metalliclustre . The sulphuret of antimony, on the other hand, is commouly of a lead-grey colour ; its fracture radiated and shining.

1: See Niebhur’s Travels, vol. ii. p . 286 .

MATERIA IND ICA . PART I .

mony which is niet with in Lower Hindoostan is

brought from Siam or from the interior part of theBurmah dominions.

’r In Persia, D

’Herbelot tells

us, that much of it may be found at a town calledH amadanie, and hence the not unfrequent Persianname for the article M

r8

Captain ,

Macdonald‘

Kinneir says

p . it is also found in mountains South of

lat, in M ehran,

”and it would seem, by Kirkpatri

account, to be a product of Thibet i Mr.

phinston found it in Cabul, in the country of

Sulphuret of an timony the native practitionersIndia are occasionally in the habit of prescribing as

an emetic in intermittent fever : they also prepare a

collyrium with it, mixed with the juice of the ripe‘

pomegranate . The Mahometan women apply it to

the tarsus of the eye to increase the brilliancy of the

organ , a custom I find also common in Persia. 11The modern A rabs place sulphuret of antimonyamongst their An thelmintics ( a

lso : u lxlo lg. See

an Arabic work, entitled it

generalTreatise on Medicine, by Mohammed Ishak.

Antimony was well known to the ancients Pliny,the elder, who wrote his Natural History in the reign

of Tib erius, A .D . particularly mentions it, and

says , that by some it was called stimmi, by others

stibium, alabastrum,and larbason ; as a medicine it

was considered as astringen t and refrigerent, and

See Elmore’

s Guide to the Indian Trade , p . 807 .

1 See Syme’

s Embassy to Ava, vol . ii. p . 875. See also Frankl in

’

s Trac ts regarding the Domin ions of Ava, p . 129 .

1 See his Accoun t of Nepaul, p . 206 .

§, See his Accoun t of .Cabul , pp . 146 , 147 .

See Mr . ScottWaring’

s Tour to Shiraz: 1

439 8 MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1.

p reviously br1skly evacuated with calomel”‘l and Gaston.

oil, I have given, w ith the happiest effects, the

following mixture : thirty-five o r forty drops of anti

mo n ial wine is to be put into a table spoonful and a

half of barley water, of this, fifteen or twenty drops

may be given every ten minutes or quarterhour till it vomits free ly this eme tictwice Timely and frequen tly repeat e

are not to be dispensed with in such cases ;

indeed, one ought e ven to be g1ven befor

cathartic, the bowels being opened by an ene

as to lose no time .

The modern Arab3 1L

place native antimonymid), A455, amongst their Styptics, Manual

“

is shaluddum(“Midland 3 g la

d.

Medic ines are prepared from sulphuret

mony in four different ways 1 . By trituratimetallic state, united with sulphur ; hence

sulphur of antimony . 2 . By the action of h

phosphate of lime ; hence the'

antimon ial~

8 . By the action of alkalies ; hence the bro

moniated sulphur . 4. By the action of acids ;tartar emetic . See London Dispensatory, by .

T

son .

ARSENIC, WHITE OXIDE O F .

Pashanum Q OM W W LJ W L Q W GSUFIQ

Saf aid soombul (Duk . ) Turab ul

si lts“ts ); (A rab . ) S lim

t“ (Pers. )

The calomel to be continued every n igh t at bed time as

as it may be necessary .

1° Avicenna, in speaking of this sub s tan ce , says, San

é membrana c‘

erebri profluen tem sistit. Videtrac t ii. p .42 .

CHAP . 11. MATERIA INDICA, 499

boolhhar (Hind . ) Wrongon (Mal . ) Tela

pashanum (Tel . ) Wrongon (Mal. ) Arsenic oryde

nary”(Fr. ) Arsenico iir neo (It. ) Natur licher

arsenico hallc (G er .)ARSEN IC I O X YDU M (Lond . )ARSENIC U M (O X YDU M ALBU M) Dub.

ARSENIC, YELLOW SU LPHU RET OF, or

ORPIMENT. Arida'

rum rmrf‘g rr'

fa‘

up

H aritiilalra Q’ft fl la

‘jfi (Sans. ) Hurtal

(Hind . and Duk . ) U rsanihoon (Arab . )h zird .s fi

t s» (Pers. ) Also Yellielrood

anum (Tam.

ARSENIC U M FLAVUM.

ARSENIC REALG ER, or’

RED O RPIMENT.

diraypal p dsha'

num g g g v m u m u mm n‘

td Tam. ) M anahsila amines (Sans. ) Man

si l Jad a Hind. ) 31 dLal sumbool (Duk . )ARSENI CU M RUBRUM

ARSENIC, GOLDEN COLOU RED ORPI

MENT . Pb’

narridaram

(Tam . ) Vurki hurtal 3131s (Duk .) Swarna

har italam, Farm"

Q‘

fiza1635 (Sans. ) Tauhi hurtal

ARSENICUM Auam eMENTUM.

x x 2

00 MATERIA IND I CA .

If arsen ic is to be met with at all as a

duct in our Indian domin ions, it mustsmall quantity . Mr. Elphinston , in his

Cabul, informs us, that orpiment

place called Bulkh (seebined w ith iron, arsenical pyrites, and sulphur

phuret) ; it is brought to India from China and

matrafi“ The greater part of what is calledwhite oxyde of commerce, is obtained in Bohe

and Saxony, in roasting the cobalt ores, in

zafii e, and also by sublimation from a

pyrites from which last it is that what isthe artificial orp imen t is prepared .

The plain yellow sulphuret , or orpiment , is an

art icle of trade from Chinaf, and the Burmah do

min ion s, where the re algar or red orp iment is likewise procured, as well as in Japan . 1 The first of

these is of a lemon-yellow colour, running often intored and brown ; it is usually got in large angulo

granular distin ct concretions, also in concentrate

lamellar con cretions ; it is soft and flexible,elastic . When extremely beautiful, bright,coloured, and flaky, it has got the name

hurtal 0 1° leafy orp iment

"

by the

tan s of Lower India ; and this is the variapt to think, which has been by som

arsen icum auripigmen tum. 11 I t is

from the sea-ports of the Turkish dominion s,I have been told, that it is occas1onally found in cen

See Marsden’

s Sumatra, p . 187 .

1 See O rien tal Repertory, vol. i. p . 228 .

11: See Thunberg’

s Travels, vol . iii. p . 228 .

Wall, t . ii. p . 16 8 .

MI t is what the Turks call reusina, also chrisma, and may often

be seen in the marke ts of Venice andMarceilles ; it is vended inthe Levan t as a pigmen t .

.MA'rEnrA INDICA. PART

'

1.

have for many cen turies been in the habitscribing it (the white oxide) in very minutnot exceeding the fourteenth part of a

conjunction with aromatics, to ob

mittent fevers ; also in glandular complaints,

cases where the patient is subject to apoplectic

tacks, and in certain leprous affections fi See

Tamool Medical Sastrum, on the subject of h i

metals, called Ky lasa Clzintamanny Vadanool.In Europe, since Dr. Fowler called the attenti

of medical ' men to this medicine , it has beenmin istered in dropsy, hydrophobia, chron ic rheuma-

fi

tism, glandular tumours t, and various other diseases,

(as part icularly and ab ly noticed by Mr. Hill of

Chester, in a paper which may be found in the EdinburghMedical and Surgical Journal, vol. xix . p .

It does not appear. however, that in such cases its

efficacy is at all established as a ton ic I can speakfrom experience of the virtues of what is calledFowler’s arsenical solution , having frequently bythe use of it, put a stop to intermittent feversIndia, when every thing else had failed .

began with five drops, increasing the dose tor twen ty

-five, twice in the twen ty-four hours.

Thomson seems to think, that the use of

oxide of arsenic is contraindicated in all cases a

ed with strong arterial action, or where there is

least tendency to pulmonary complaints ;'

uni

with n ickel or the compound of an arsen iate, it has

See a Tamool Medical Sastrum, en titled Aghastier Vytia

Anyouroo.

1' For a very full and in teresting account of the use of arsen ic

in cancerous affections, the reader is referred to Dr. Good’

s most

valuable work , the Study of Medic ine , vol . ii. pp . 8 17 , 8 18 , 8 19 ;he conc ludes by saying , it generally proves beneficial, and, in

some cases, may produce a radical cure .

”

MATERIA mw oa . 503

en with success in epilepsy (Dr. Good’

s

Medicine, vol. iii. p . O f the external

IS mineral in can cer I can say little , asthe

rarely seen in India ; it has by some ablesurgeons of England b een supposed to do more to

improve the ulceration in such cases, than any other

application that has been hitherto resorted to .

*

To coun teract the poison of arsen ic, various methods have been recommended ; in order to render it

inert, solution s of the alkaline sulphurets, or of soap,

o r vinegar have been advised ; Dr . Yelloly suggests

the propriety of bleeding H ahneman orders a

pound of soap to be dissolved in four pounds ofwater, and a cup full of this solution taken everythree or four minutes. For the best mode of asoer

tain ing whether or not arsenic had been used as a

poison the reader may consult a well written'

and

scien tific investigation , to be met with in the LondonD ispensatory, p . 55. The modern A rabian writers

place arsen ic amongst the ir Mc lrzZrkiz‘

t

(V ersicatoria) see U lfaz w ieyeh . Dr . Paris, as

appears by his Pharmacologia, places little reliance on

sulphuret of potass, as an antidote in cases of poisoning with arsenic ; and recommends exciting vomitingquickly, and c opious dilution with fluids most like lyto act as a solvent for the acrid matter, such as limeWater. For the use of arsen ic and the

'

orpinients

in the arts in India, see another Part (ML) of thiswork.

For some account of the effects of arsenic , as a poison , on

vegetable substances , the reader is referred to a curious and in

teresting memo ir of Marcet on this subject , n oticed in the

J ournal of Sc iences, Literature , and the Arts, No . xxxix . pp . 19 1,b which it appears, that bean plan ts, watered with a solu

gon of

yoxide of arsen ic , died in little more than thirty

-six

ours.

X K 4


Since writing the preceding part of this article

(arsen ic), I perceive, that Dr. Robinson found arsen icin small doses a useful medicine in elephantiasis, in

India. See his paper on the elephan tiasis of Hindoostan in the Medico Chirurgical Transactions;vol . x . See also Dr. James Johnson ’

s excellent workon the Influence of Trop ical Climates, p . 27 1 .

COPPER. Shémboo (294. t (Tam.) Tc'

imbd

(Hind. and Duk . ) Tambran (Tel . ) Tamra

Ffl'

BT or Tamra/ca m al"

(San s. ) Tambaga (Mall)M is UM (Pers.) Cuivre (Fr .) Kup er (Ger. ) Rame

(It.) No'

kass w it-3 (Arab . ) Tang (Chin . )CUPRUM .

This metal is found in several parts of

India, particularly in the Jeyp oor domivicin ity of Nejeebabab

’tand G en

mentions, that at Nagp oor and Dkump ore, places

lying betwixt forty and fifty coss North and East of

Sir inagar , two copper mines are worked during eightmonths of the year. In Lower Hindoostan a cop

peri

mine was discovered some years ago by Mr;

J. B . Travers, then collector of the Ongole district,betwixt Poodala and Ardingie, which, for a short

time, attracted notice, but seems to have fallen intodisrepute ; and Captain A rthur, of the corps of

engineers, informed me, that he found it oxydized

and combined with carbon ic acid, forming s beauti

Sir JohnMalcolm speaks of copper mines lying a little Northof O deypoor, in Malwa. See Central India, vol. il. p .


the greater part of the copper exposed f or sale in

our Indian domin ions comes, however, from other

Copper is procured either in its metallic state, whenit is crystallized in the form of n ative copper, or

sulphuretted, in combination w ith iron , or with iron

and arseni c, or it is go t ma ted with oayff en , and then

sometimes combin ed with carbonic ac id , or with

arsen ic acid, or with phosphoric acid, or with mu.

riatic acid . The sulphurets are the most abundantores, and these, in

.

Britain, are procured chiefly inCornwall. The native copper ore of Japan i

‘

is the

purest in the world, and, by Kaempher’

s account, as

cheap as iron ; but the Swedish is more ductile i

Copper is found in Cochin-China, in Siam, in the

Burmah domin ionsg, amongst the Phllaran“hills iniTimor , in Thibetfil, in the island of B ali, and, Dr. Fa

Hamilton tells us, inN ep aal also in great abundancein it is combined with a considerable

portion of gold, likewise in the district of Mandore,

in Borneo . It would appear by Le G entil’s Desm1ption of the Philippine Islands l

’

r, that this metal is

’t

In the Russian domin ions copper is found in great abundance ,especially in the Altai and O ural moun tains .

'

I‘ Du Halde says, vol . ii. p . that it is extremely beautiful,

and an export to China.

1: By Grenfel’

s O bservations on the Copper Coinage , it wouldappear, that the Cornish and Devon mines alone n ow yield about

tons of ore annually . For an in teresting account of the

Celebrated and extraordinary copper mine in Dalecarlia, near

F ahlzm,in Sweden (which also yields silver and gold), the reader

is referred to Dr. Cla1ke ’

s Trave ls in Sweden ; the copper is the

finest i n Europe .

See Franklin ’

s Tracts 1 egarding the Dominions of Ava, p . 6 3 .

See Malayan rMiscellan ies, p . 18 .

qSee Turner’s Embassy to the Court of the Tishoo Lama, p . 372 .

See Macdonald’

3 Account of the Products of Sumatra, Asiat .Res. vol . iv .

+1 See his Voyage to the Indian Seas, vol . 11. p . 37 .

CHAP . II . MATERIA INDICA . 507?

common too in thos e delightful regions. Franklin,in his Tour from Bengal to Persia, informs us, thatcopper IS found in Tauris ; it is a p roduct of Ceylon,and, byMorier * and Macdonald Kinneir’s accounts,it can be obtained in abundance at Sivas, amongst

the moun tains South of H elat, in Persia, and in the

provinces of .Mazenderaan and Kerman, also in Ar :

menia, at the mines of Keban’r and Argana. In

Turkey, by Olivier’

s account, it is drawn from mines

South of Trebisond, in the environs of,

Tocat, and in

several parts of A sia Minor. Similar information is

given us by Morier, 1n his Travels through Persia,A rmen ia,&c . , p . 8414. Captain Arthur saw at C0

lumbo a crystallized silky carbonate of copper, which,he was told, had been found in the interior of the

island, and there called petong . I n eed hardly-

say,

that copper, fused with tin, forms bronze and bellmetal ; and with zinc, or the oxide of zinc, calledcalamine, it forms brass 1, which the natives of

India know how to p repare in a simple way.

Other alloys'

of this metal are tombac, p rince’

s

metal, p incbbec/c, and similar these are all preparedwith different proportions of zinc, are, more or less

yellow, and are known to the Hindoos. Pr ince’

s

metal is the palest, and has, therefore, most of the

alloy ; p inclzbec/c is redder, and contains more cop»

per ; tombac is of the deepest reddish hue, in it the

proportion being still increased. The finest of all'

is the similar, which is also called manlzeim g old it

Copper is brought to India fromPersia in large regular

shaped cakes, ready for making brass. See Morier’s Journeythrough Persia, p . 16 1 .

1 F1rst Journey through Persia, pp . 844, 345.

1; Brass is p ettate’

y in Tamool ; p eetl le m Dukhanie ; tam

baga-Aon ing in Malay ; p ittalie in Tellingoo ; and p italalca

fil’

fifi‘iafi in Sanscrit .

508 MATERIA INDICA . PART I ;

has the colour of gold, and resembles pinchbeck ; itis from this that the spurious leaflgold, laces, and

other articles, are manufactured, and it is what ismostly gilt. What has been called white copp er , and

which is much used in China, Dr . Black supposedowed its distinguishing colour to n ickel . Nicholson,on the other hand, thought it was an alloy of

copper and arsen ic he adds, that if the quantity of

copper is small it is both ductile and malleable,otherwise it is brittle . Considerable confusion seems

still to exist with respect to the articles z’

inc, tuttenag,and white copper, in Eastern coun tries. Nicholsonsays, tuttenag is a name given , in India, to the semimetal zinc ; that is true : then , he says, it is also

given to the white copper of China, a compound , heobserves, some think, of copper and arsen ic . Thismuch I know to be the case, whatever the tuttenag

*

of China may be, it differs from what the Chinesecall white copp er , a substan ce of which they are ex

tremely jealous, and w ill not permit it to be exported ;it is a peculiar product or manufacture of China, na

tural or artificial . Dr. Andrew Fyfe analysed some

(it was, I ‘

believe, a basin wh ich Dr . Hewison pro

cured in China), and found it to consist of copper,

zinc, n ickel, and iron Jr; it is supposed to be procured

from the reduction of an ore contain ing these ingre

dients ; and Dr. m idie states, that the pahfi ng ,

or white copp er of China, is composed of copper,

n ickel,'

and zinc (without iron) the quantity of the

zinc amoun ting to seven-sixteenths of the whole, and

Sir George Staunton informs us, that tutenag is, properlyspeaking, zinc extrac ted from a rich ore or calamine . Embassy to

China, vol . ii. pp . 540, 541 .

1” By Sir George Staun ton

’

s account, a little silver, and, in

some specimens, a small portion of iron is found in the white

copper. See same vol . and pages.

I(0 .

b;


COPPER, SU LPHATE OF, or BLU E VI

TRIOL. Toor ishoo ga r-

Parr (Tam. ) Neelatota

as} ; adu (Duk . ) Tatiy a (Hind . ) Z ang bar'

31K}; (Arab . ) Toor ishie (Tel. ) Tattha

'

njana

512W (Sans. ) Palmanicam (Cyng . ) Sulp hate

de caicre (Fr. ) Schwefiflsaares hapfer (G er. ) Vi

triaolo blo (It . ) Cap arosa (Span . )SU LPHAs CU PRI .

VIII .

COPPER, SU B ACETATE OF, or VERDI

GRIS. Vangalap -p atchei M UFFFOV T L JLJ FF® 9 =

(Tam. ) Z angar i f}; (Pers . ) P itraz (Hind . )

Z anjar )l§5) (Arab . ) Sennang (Mal. ) Z en

ghaliepatsce (Tel . ) P ittalata fusam (Sans. )Vert cle g r is (Fr. ) Gransp an (G er. ) Verde

’

grise

( It. ) -Cara'enillo (Span . )SU BACETAs CU PRI .

I cannot learn that this article, verdigris, or thatimmediately preceding it, is ever prescribed, internally, by the Indian practitioners the first they use

externally, as we do, and they are bot lr employed bythem as detergen t and stimulating applications for

ill conditioned ulcers.

Sulphate of copper is sometimes given as an

CHAP . I I . MATERIA IND ICA . 511

emetic in the early stages of phthisis", and where

laudanum has been taken as a poison the dose 'from

gr. i . to x . or xv. in about gij of water ; it acts quicklyand easily, and may be given with advantage in cases

of over-eating, where apoplectic symptoms are pro

duced .

Verdig ris (acetate of copper) is well known to be

principally manufactured at Montpellier, by stratifying copper plates with the husks

'

of grapes, whichremain after the juice has been pressed out ; these

soon becoming acid, corrode the copper ; by d igest

ing the oxide thus obtained in acetic acid, and sub

sequent evaporation , crystals of acetate of copper,

commonly called verdigris, are procured . We me

informed, by D1 Thomson , that the G renoble verdi

g1is is a pu1e1 subacetate, being prepared by simplydisposing p lates of copper in a proper situation , and

repeatedly moistening them with distilled vinegar tillthe surface is oxidized and changed i nto verdigris.

Verdigris is now commonly avoided as an internal

medicine, though, in doses of half a grain, it has

been considered as ton ic, and extolled in epilepsy ;but many prefer, for this purpose, the cuprum am

mon latum, in doses of a quarter of a grain to five

grains ; as an'

emetic,in cases requiring quick oper

ation , verdigris is given in doses of from gr. i. to

grs. iij. In the arts it is occasionally employed in

India, as in Europe , in dyeing cotton : black, also of

an mange shade, and green it is likewise used in

the preparation of colours, chiefly greens, and, withthe assistance of sal ammon iac, a beautiful blue .

The sulphate of copper (sulphas cupri) is obtained,

See 'Dr. Simmon’

s Prac tical O bservations on the Treatment ofConsumpti on . D1 . Good would seem, in such cases, to pi efesripecacuan. Study of Medicine , vol. ii. p. 7 70.

512 MATERIA INDI CA . PART‘

I .

in considerable quantity, by evaporation from the

water of some copper mines, such as Pary s, in An

glesea, where it occurs along with coppe1 pyrites,and from which it can be procured by roasting and

exposing them to the action of air and moisture .

I t is a product of Pegu’x‘, from which country it is

brought to India ; externally, it is a useful escharoticto consume fungus, and is well known to the Maho

metan medical men . In Europe it is employed inmaking . ink, also in the process of cotton and linen

printingy and the oxide, separated from it, is used bypainters.

Poisoning 1Lfrom cook ing and other utensils made

of brass or copper is by no mean s a rare occurren ce

in India, where, however, they are not unacquaintedwith the art of tinn ing such implements. I haveknown more in stances than one of fatal consequencesfrom the use of butter milk that had been kept till it

got sour in a brass pct on other occasion s, foodhaving been allowed to stand for some time in a cop

per pan, after it had been taken from the fire; be

comes a poison by admitting of the formation of a

green-carbonate in the first case (that in which

butter milk was used) verdigris was produced,which,however, would more speedily have been the result

if the contents of the pot had been vinegar, or limejuice, in place of butter milk. In order to detect

See Franklin’s Tracts regarding the Dominions of Ava,

129 .p

1 By Marcet’

s interesting Memmr on the Action of Poisons on

the Vegetable Kingdom,it appears, that a bean root placed for

twen ty-four hours in a solution of sulphate of copper occasioned

the death of the plant . See Journal of Sc iences, Literature , andthe Arts, No . xxxix . p . 19 3 . Mr . Phillips found

“

similar effects

from a solution of copper used for watering a young poplar tree ;a knife employed m cutting a branch of which had the copper

precipitated on its surface . Annals of Philosophy xviii.

514 MATERIA INnrcA, PART 1,

t”

GO LD . Pwonn Q u ’T GfSUF (Tam. ) Scona

(Duk. and Hind . ) Tibr (Arab . ) also

exes (Arab . ) Tilla We (Pers. ) also Z ir

Run (Cyng . ) B angaram (Tel . ) Mas

Goad (Dut . ) Gald (Dan . ) O iro (Port. )

and.Seared (Mah.)

AURU

India pr so called, has notmuch to boastwith to this metal. Captain Warren

covered a gold sore, iAnnical and which

to have been

Gold too, I

cbvered"

in the Madura distri

be lamented Mr. Mainwaring,of zinc, constituting a blende,somewhat the Schemnitz blende of

know fromCronstedt, that the zinc ores of Schemnitzcontain silver, which is rich in gold . CaptainArthur informed me, that he found gold m Mysoredisseminated i n quartz, and also m an

,indui ate d clay ,

some specimens he observed, likewise crystallized in

Gold, it wculd appear, is oftener found imbedded in quartzthan any other stone, though it is also, occasionally, met with inlimestone, m hornblende , &c .

515

rm we learn from”

the

gold is sometimes metwith m Transylvan ia, where it is also to be obtainedin solid masses, as in Peru. In the Spani sh West

Indies gold is often er seen in grains Siberia be ing,I believe, the only country in which it can be got

pellicles, covering other

bodies . Captain Hardwicke says, gold can be pro

cured from certain sands in the Sirinagur country,

and we know it to be a produc t of Assam’t

G old is more generally found native than‘

any'

ethe r metal, though Bergman was of opin ion, thatit

'

never was discovered a ltogether free of alloy ;and Kirwan says, it is seldom got so . Gold dusthas been got in the bed of the Godavery , and in

Malabar, in the bed of the river which passes Ne

lambur, in the I rnada district ;'

it has mo reover been

procured in very small quant ifies in Wy natle‘

, in the

Arcot district ; also n ear Woorigam'

and M arcoos-s

perm in: the Pergunnah of Colar and in the sand of

the B ap/p oor river, n ear Callicat . Pennant, in his

View of Hindoostan'

(vol . i. tells us, that

gold is to be found in the rivers of the Panjab ; and’

other travellers say it exists in the channels of cer

tain rivers of Lahore . fr Kirkpatrick observes, inhis Account of Nepaul (p . that a little is to

"

be ‘

met with on the borders of that country but that in

Thibet it abounds. From Kinn eir’s G eographic al‘

Memo ir of Persia’ ’

(p1 3401) we learn , that the1 e are

gold mines in G eorgia ; and Tavern ie r, in his Tras

"1 See G ladwine’

s Asiatic Miscell'

any . Sees alsa Asiatic Annual

Regist er for 1805, p. 1123 .

‘

I~ But 1n all these rivers in much less quantities

.

than what are

fqund in the river Amanpos, in Transylvania, or in: the beds ofseveral torrents of Brazil.

L L Q

516 . MATERIA IND ICA .

vels”(chap . x . ) informs us, that there are

and . silver mines in M engrelia'

, now in

G eorgia ; one called Souanet, the other

five’

.or ,six miles from Tefllis he adds, th

also‘

a gold mine at Hardanoushe, and a sil

Gunishe, not far fromTrebisondfi“ In other

lying still farther east this precious metal 1

great abundance ; n ext to tin ,

in his excellent work on the In

(vol . iii. p . gold is the most vof the A rchipelago ; but it appears to be

abundant in those islands which constituteNorthern and Western barriers ; Borneo affordfar the most the principal are mines ln the viciof Sambas or Jambas n ext to it comes Sumatra,

in succession the P eninsula (Malayan), CelebesLusong . The gold of the Indian islands in regardtoflgeognostic situation , is found, as in other parts of

the world, in veins and mineral beds, as well as

alluvial soils ; in the first situations it exists in’

gra

n ite, gnesis, mica-slate, and clay-slate and in the

second in ferruginous clay and sand . The”

ore is

what modern mineralogists term g old-y ellow native

g old, and always contains a considerable'

quantity ofsilver, and generally, though not always, some

copper .

G old, it would appear, has lately been discoveredat Santa Anna in Estremadura ; Japan

‘

r is rich in it,‘

and the mines easily worked the island of Formosaabounds in gold mines (Asiatic Journal for Decem

Fraser, in his Journey to Khorasan , informs us, that gbld . isfound in amountain called Altoun Tough, in the Southern districtof Bochara.

3

;See Crawfurd

’

s Indian Archipelago, vol . i. pp . 819 , 820,8 1.

518 MATERIA INDICA. PART 1 .

I t would appear, that in fbrmer times, one of

grand sources of wealth of the Carthagin ians,derived from the valuable min es of AndalusiaCordova; We are told by Aristotle, that whenPhoenicians first visited the

found both gold and silver in great abundPliny observes, We have silver minesour provin ces, but‘ how is it that the richest sbe in Spain , and producing the finest and most beautiful silver P” (Nat. Hist . book xxx . chap . vi . )G old leaf (soona war/c Jr), L5” ) is prescribed by

the native practitioners in consumptiveand in cases of general debility, from ivirtues as a .ton ic, cordial and restora

opin ions of the Hindoos respecting it, asa re to be found in many of the

especially in a celebrated S

Rasarutna Samoochag/en, by Vackbutta, in

medicaments prepared with different metals aretreated of ; it ‘is also particularly noticedfamous work in high Tamool, entitled Ky lasa Chuttamoony Vadanool, in which medicines x from the

mineral world are minutely examined: The Arab”.

in Russia are those of the O ural mountains, at a

B erezmj ; near Cat/zerenberg ; there are also mines

moun tains, especially at Schlangenberg , which signifies in Russianthe mountain of serpen ts. By late accounts from Russia it would

appear, that towards the end of the year 1824, eight thousandpounds of gold are expected to come from '

the O ural mountains

mines, containing much platina ; the value of that quantity of

gold may be about one million of ducats. Now, at the beginningof

|this cen tury , the whole of America did not produce more than

seventeen . thousand two hundred and n inety-one kilogrammes of

gold per annum, and of this Brazils supplied six‘thousand eight

hundred and seventy-three kilogrammes. Russia, this year, has

yielded three thousand two hundred and e ighty kilogrammes,‘being nearly the half of what is supplied by Brazil !

MATERIA 11113c .

“

2519

to Avicenna, considered’

this ihetal as

ar in its virtues to hyacinth (cordial)and the same author tells us, that the filings of it

melancholia, limatura aids ingredi-i

For other particularsthe reader may consult the Arabic work,

'

“ Canocm

F il Tabb”

u h“ «5 The modern Arabs, likethe Hindoos, reckon gold leaf amongst their Cardzacs, placing it in the class M okewyat dil.

Gold, in every part of the world, is found chieflyin its metallic state, though generally alloyed withsilver, copper, iron, or all the three. South-America ;*

furn ishes the greatest quantity. The principal goldmines

_

of Europe are those of‘

Hungary. It is the

most tough and ductile, aswell as k the most malleableof all metals,more elastic than lead or tin; but less so

than iron . or even copper hammering renders it brits

tle, but it resumes its ductility on be ing slowly heated ;it

' is not sonorous, and is the heaviest of all bodies,

platina excepted ; for its. fusion it requires a low de:

gree of white-heat, Somewhat greater than that in

which silver ’melts. Gold mingles’

in fusion withall metals ; it amalgamates very readily with mere:

cury, and is‘

remarkably disposed to unite with ironevery metal except

1

c0pper debase’

s the colour of

The veins of native gold are most frequent in the province of

O axaca , either m grains or mica slate ; the last rock , Mr. Jamesontells us, is particularly rich ln this metal, in the celebrated minesof Rio San An ton io . Baron Humboldt estimated the annual pro

duce of the gold mines of South America at aboutTroy . It does not appear by the Journal ofaResidence in Colombiaduring 1823 and 1824, by Capt . C . Stuart Cochrane , that that

coun try is very rich in the precious metals he says, the mines of

Ckocd are the most likely to prove productive under scien tificmanagement ; those considered as worth working give two poundsof platina to six of gold . The reader 1s referred to the interest

ing pamphlet of Sir W. Adams tor much curious infmmation on

the'

actual state of the Mexicanmine s.L L 44

520 MATERIA,IND ICA .

’

PART, 1 .

gold it gives it a red hue, and a greater degree offirmness than it has when very pure he

bination is employed in making coins,articles of plate, 850 . The alloy with s

w ith difficulty ; and forms the

lers. Proper quantities of copper fi

pared tutty, borax, and hepatiC'

aloes, fusedby a skilful artist give a beautiful

‘

compoun

much resembles gold .

With regard to the solution of gold, Mr. K'

was of opinion, that in its metallic state it m

difi'

used through the concen trated n itrousthough not dissolved in it ; that ablethe aqua regia, which succeeded best in the dissolution of gold, was prepared by m1xing three parts of

the real marine acid with one of the n itrous ; aquaregia made with common salt, or sal ammoniac and

Spirit of n itre, is less aqueous than that producedfrom an immediate combination of both ac ids, and

hence it is the fittest for producing crystals of gold ;one hundred grains of gold require for their. solutiontwo hundred and forty

-six grains of aqua regia the

two acids being in the proportion above mentioned;The well known aurum fulmz

'

nans which by Beekman

’s account, was discovered by a G erman bene

dietine monk in 1418 , is gold precipitated from a

solution of that metal in aqua regia, by means ofammon ia ; it explodes by heat with a greater violence

See Smith’

s School of Arts, vol. i. p . 130.

-l~ The fulminating property of gold was at one time supposed

to be owing to the presence of the n itrous or marine ac id . Blackconsidered it as consequent of fixed air, but it is eviden t that isnot the case , as gold fulminates as well when precip itated by the

caustic volat ile alkalie as by that which con tains fixed’

air. Bergman considered volatile alkalie as the real cause of the explosion ,and explained it on the principles assumed by him and Scheele .

MATERIA INDICA. PART 13

un l ted to the essential oil ; but this”

un ion does notlast, for in a few hours the gold separates in abright

yellow film to the sides of the glass. A solution of

gold, however, in vitriolic ether is more'

per‘

fect'

than

that with the essential oils. The yellow etherialsolution poured ofi; and kept for some time in aglassstopt with a cork, so that the spirit may slowly exhale,

yields long transparent prismatic crystals in shape

like n itre, and asyellow as a topaz .

Should‘

the reader Wish to -see a'

Very curious dea

tail on the alloys of gold, he may consult Philosoa

phical Transactions for 1808, Experiments by Mr.

Hatchet. The alloy of lead renders gold very brittlewhen that metal only constitutes 5920 of the alloy.

G old com is an alloy of eleven parts of gold and

one of copper. Arsen ic and antimony in very small

proportions with gold, destroy its colour, and render

it quite brittle . Mercury and gold combine”

with

great ease, forming a white amalgam much'

used in

gilding. See Brande’

sManual of Chemistry, Vol. ii.

p . 29 1.

IRON. E erumboo 1. 13 6 q (Tam. ) Loha U s”?(Duk . and Hind .) Ahun

um! (Pers. ) Eenumo

(Tel. ) Loha 63533162 (Sans. )

‘

Hedeecl act

-aw (Arab . )

B e’

sseeum (Mal . ) Ydhcidci (Cyng . ) F er (Fr. )

Ferro (It . ) E issen (G er . ) H ierro (Span . )“

Tee

(Chin . )

See Encyclopaedia Britannica,°

vol. iv. p . 528.

CHAP . 11 . MATERIA INDICA’

. 523

This metal is found in so -many different parts ofI ndia that

'

it may be considered as a common prw

duce of * the country . In Mysore, in the neighbourhood of B aydamungulum, it is smelted from a blackiron ore, called in Tellingoo nalla isaca, in the Car

nataca language cam'

usu, and in Tamool carp oo

manil in other parts of the same territory, lyingbetwixt Seringapatam and Bangalore, it is obtainedfrom two ores, called aduru hulloo and {p anada the

last mentioned, Dr. Buchanan ”“ informs us, is a verypure ore, found scattered among gravel in small

lumps ; near Colang odoo, in Southern Malabar, it isobtained from a dark coloured sand ore . CaptainArthur discovered, in Mysore, the magn etic iron ore,

also the specular iron ore, or iron glance, which Dr.

Heyne‘r likewise picked up among the Chittledroog

h ills, near Talem, and other places. Captain Arthuralso discovered in Mysore the brown hematite i , or

fibrous brown iron stone, which, I am led to think,

is the stone sometimes called by the Tamools carin

hulloo. In the Palavarum district it'

would appea1 ,

by Dr. Heyne’s§account, that this metal 1s obtained

from an ore composed of ochre, clay, scintillatingspar, and calcareous earth .

“ At Yerragutly , near

Saulgur , iron is smelted from what is called the iron :

stone I] of mineralogists, a subspecies of micaceousiron-stone, and which is powerfully att1acted by themagnet.

”A t Ramanaha, about six miles North of

See Dr. Buchanan’

s Journey through Mysore , Canara, and

Malabar, vol . i. p . 181 .

1 See Heyne’

s Tracts on India, p .44.

1: O r bloodstone , called by the Arabians hujrala’um

the Persians shadunj CS

See O riental Repertory, vol. i i. p . 485.

See Heyne’

s Tracts on India, p . 19 1

524 MATERIA 1111310 11 ; m ar 1.

Nfizid, this metal is smelted from an ore consistingof small rounded stones, lying loose

“

and unconf

n ected, and which do not appear to contain anycalcareous matter . Dr. Heyne is of opinion , that

though this ore dees not exactly correspond with anycommon iron ores in England, it approaches n earestto hematites ; he was disposed to term it a hy drous

carbonate of iron the charcoal employed in sme ltingit is made from the mimosa sundra , Much

iron is manufactured in the Nuhn or Sirmor ‘“

country, in the North of Hindoostan also in the

Nagpore Rajah’s dominions t , particularly near the

town of Chowp ara, on the banks of the B eingunga.

There is,

much iron on Ceylon i ; on Java§; inSiam ; in Tonquin, by Barrow

’s account, it abounds ;

it is not uncommon in Cabul, in the territory of the

Afreeds, and in B ajour . A few years ago it was

discovered to be a product of the island of B illiz‘

ten,

Eastward of Banka. Captain Macdonald Kinneir;in his G eographical Map of Persia (p . men ;

tions, that it is to be met with in the mountains Southof Helal , in M ekran and Foster observes, in his

Travels, that it“

is an,export from Tarshish . V alan l

tyen found it in B ali. I] To India it is often brought

Particularly on the hills near the great Lakandi, where, ao

cording to Captain Blane (in his Memoir on Sirmor), the ore

yields one-fourth of its weight of pure 1ron .

1 See Account of a Route from Nagpore to Benares, by DanielRobertson Leckie , pp . 6 8, 6 9

It would appear, that the Ceylon i ron ore is of a very superior

quality : Mr. Russel lately laid before the Literary Soc iety of that

island a report, in which he n otices, that the 1ron of certain places

has this extraordinary property , that it is malleable immediatelyon be ing taken out of the furnace , a c ircumstance which, when

known to manufacturers at home , cannot fail to attract great

attention . See Asiatic Journal for August, 1823, p . 136 .

See Civil and Military Ske tches of Java, p . 207 .

1] See Malayan Miscellanies, p . 1 1.

526 MATERIA IND ICA . - PART 1.

fused with '

a flux composed of carbonaceous and

vitrifiable ingredients, it becomes what is termed cast

steel, in bars, plates, and other forms ; and is almost

twice the price of other good steel . Nicholson, inhis Dictionary of Chemistry and its Application to

the Arts, tells us, that the blueing of steel affe cts its

elasticity in a manner not easily explained, and is

into three parts, making fifty-two in all ; each of which is put intoa separate crucible , toge ther with a handful o f the dried branchesof tangedu (cassia auricula ta), and another of fresh leaves of the'vonangad (convolvulus laurifolia ). The mouth of the crucibleis then c osely shut with a handful of red mud, and the wholearranged in circular order, with the ir bottoms turned towards the

centre , in a hole made in the ground for the purpose . The hole

is then filled u with charcoal, and large bellows are kept blowingfor six hours, y wh ich time the operation is fin ished. The cru

cible s are then removed from the furnace , ranged in rows on moistened mud, and water is thrown on them whilst ye t hot . The steel

,

or wootz, is found in conical p ieces at the bo ttom of the crucibles,the form of which it has taken .

"

Some of this Indian steel was

some years ago sent to England to Mr . Stodart, by Dr. Heyne ,who, after examin ing it, said, that, in his 0 inion , it was not, in

the state in which it was brought from India, perfec t adapted

for the purposes of fine cutlex

gy, the mass of the metal eiag un

equal, proceeding from imper ect fusion therefore , it is that Mr .

Brande recommends a second fusion , which makes it truly valuab le for edged tools, and fi tted for fo rming the finest instruments.Mr. Stodart concludes his letter to Dr. He me b observin

this India steel, however, is decidedly the dest I ave yet mwith .

” Mr. Stodart is of opinion, that the most proper mode of

tempering wootz is by heating it to a cherry-red co our in a bed of

charcoal dus t , and then quenching it in water cooled down to

about the .freezing po int . Mr. Brande seems to be of opinion ,tha t the peculiar excellence of the Indian steel is owing to com

bination with a minute portion of the earths of alumina and Silicia,furnished, perhaps, by the crucible in making the steel, or rather

with the bases of those earths, and, as a proof of this, he shows

how wootz may be made artificially(Manual of

p. 308 Nay, ,Dr. Heyne b imse f observes, that it is not quite

md ifl'

erent, in preparing the wootz , what cruc ibles are used in the

operation ; the loam employed for these cruc ibles, in Lowe r India,is of a brown-red colour, of an earthy a pearance , and crumblesbetwixt the fin ers ; it has no earthy arms when breathed. on, non

effervesces wit acids. r

20

cus p . 11. MATERIA INDICA . , 527

done by exposing steel, the surface of which has

been first brightened, to the regulated heat of a plate

of metal, 01 a charcoal fire, or flame of a lamp, till

the surface has acquired a blue colour. It 1s a sin

gular circumstance that the sword blades of Damas

cus are still considered as the finest in the world, noris it known exactly how they are made, though I

think it highly probable that they are made of the

wootz steel of India.

IRON FILINGS. E erumboo padie LLSGELO LJ

(Tam. ) Arap oa'i (Tel. ) Lohay Ira boora

if»?Li am/fl } (Duk . ) L imailles de fi r (Fr .) Gop ul

ver tes eissen (G er. ) Limatura di F erro (It. ) L ima

dura hierro (Span . )LIMATURA FERRI .

IRON, RU ST OF. E erumboo tupp oo LLS°

CF§LO L4

5/ I_ JL_ 1 (Tam. Lohayha sung i s) Q ”(Duk.

Manura “RI (Sans. ) Kith (Hind. ) E enap a

toopp oo (Tel ) Carbure de jar (Fr . ) O ssido car

bonato di F erri (It . ) Sudeea'ul hedeed aux-l l f ew

(Amb. ) Z afrani ahun (Pe1s. Ezbngog,

(G r. )FERRI RuB IGo (Dub . )

I cannot find that ironfi lings are used in medicine

by the Hindoos, and but rarely by the Mahometans,


who sometimes give them in cases requiring ton ics,in conjunction with ginger. The Tamool name is

erumboo p odie the Dukhanie name is lokay ha boom

li ps”A. Indeed, in Europe, except when there

is a decided presence of acidity in the stomach, theyare seldom employed, as in dyspeps1a m worm cases

they act mechan ically they are usually given in

powder, combined with an aromatic, or i n the form

of an electuary ; Dr. Thomson , and n o man’s Op in ion

I value more, thinks best, 1n combination with myrrh,ammon iacum, or some bitter : the dose from gr. v.

to sss.

The rust of iron the Hindoo doctors prescribe incertain cases ofmaygc hum (cahexia), particularly thatspecies of it combined with jaundice . By European

practitioners it is considered as ton ic and emena

gogue, and, of late years, it has been used with goodeffect both as an external and internal remedy incases of cancer ; the dose from grs . v . to grs. xx .

or xxv . , twice daily. What are commonly calledscales of iron (oxidized iron ) the Tamools term

eerumboo - hittam ; they are those substances whichare detached by the hammer of the smith from the

surface of iron heated to redness in the forge . The

native Indians, as far as I can learn, do not employthem in medicine . They are, when purified, an im

p erfect oxide (oxidum ferri n igrum purificatum), andhave been given with good effects in general weakn ess, dose from grs. v . to gr. xv. The simple scales

(squamm) are used in the same mann er as iron filings,and Dr. Thomson says, are preferable.

‘


' PART I .

ficient " of that substance to the blood . The tinctura muriatis ferri is one of the best preparationsof iron in dyspepsia or other cases requiring chalybeates five or six drops given every ten minutes tillnausea is excited, often gives almost immediate reliefin dysuria, depending on spasmodic stricture of the

urethra ; as a ton ic, the usual dose‘

is-from ten drops

to twenty-five drops in a glass of water ; it is also

used as a styptic for cancerous and fungous sores.

The ferrum ammoniatum I have n ever prescribed inIndia, and believe that it is now seldom ordered .

Dr . Heyne, in his Tracts on India, says, that thenative Indians have a variety of ways of prepariiron for medical purposes, and that they are su

ciently well acquainted with its general virtues ;gives an account (see Tracts, pp . 167 , 168,

several preparations of this metal, or what are calledin Tamool cendfirams, which, excepting that a littlesulphur and the juice of one or two plants are em

ployed in making them, appear to differ but littlefrom the reel oxide of i ron, which i s now seldom usedin Europe, excepting as a pharmaceutical agent, buthas, no ,

doubt, the same tonic properties that some of

the other preparations possess. The Hindoos believethose cendiirams above mentioned as most efficaciousin several diseases, particularly what the Tamoolsterm the ul/rache

’

l, or internal fever ; these prepar

ations ought properly to be called ecrumboo cendu

rama, ,or iron cendurams.

It would require more room than can be here

spared to enumerate the different uses of this valuable metal ln the arts it is a principal ingredient indyeing black ; with the aid of sulphate ,

of iron cot

See Russel on Scrophula.

CHAP . n . MATERIA IND ICA . 531

ton is dyed of a shamois colour, linen yellow, wool

and silk‘

black ; it is also employed in preparingcommon ink, and Berlin blue . The ancients * hadcertainly the art of making a blue enamel with the

aid of iron ; and, it would appear that Klaproth, onanalysing

'

a’

p iece of antique glass of a sapphire blue,transparent only at the edges, found it containedsilex, oxide of iron, alumine, oxide of copper, and

lime .

The Hindoos use eerumboo p odic (iron filings), inconjunction with vinegar and the bark of the ma

rudum tree, terminalia alata for dyeingblack ; it is also made use of by the chucklers

(tanners), together with other 1ngredients, for givingleather the same colour. The rust of iron (eerumbootuppoo) as well as the scales (eerumboo and

also the dross or refuse (sittie kull), are employed bythe native Indians for similar purposes. The sul.

phate of iron (anna bay dz'

e) they use sometimes inthe preparation of black leather.

In addition to what I have already said of ooru/roo

(steel), I shall observe, that Dr . Buchanan (nowHamilton), in his Journey through Mysore, Canara,

“

and Madura (vol . i . p. mentions, that there are

in the district of Chinnarayandm'

ga, in Mysore, noless than four forges emp loyed in that manufac

ture ; this excellent wr iter also tells us, that at Chin

nap atam, in the same country, steel wire is made forthe strings of musical instruments, which is in greatrequest, and sent to the most remote parts of India.

What is commonly called black lead (plumbago),Pennant says, is a produce of Ceylon (vol. i . p .

I thmk Pliny notices this, though I have not been able tolight on the passage .

M M Q


but, it is to be presumed, that it is“

of a very inferior quality to that of Borradale, in . Cumberland ;it is a carburet of iron , and is what lead pencils aremade of. A counterfe it kind is prepared by the Jews,by mixing the dust of plumbago with gum Arabic,or fusing it with resin or sulphur, and pou

the : cavities of reeds. The powder of

with three times its weight of clay and some h

makes an excellent coating for retorts.

With regard to the use of iron amongst

ancients — there is nothing satisfactory, nay, mroom for doubt . The Arab writers (particulAvicenna) are more explicit, or rather betterformed ; he says of the rust : “

‘

Rubigo ferriadstringendi habet ; again :

“Vinum in qrestinctum fuerit, lienosis, stomachico dissolutis

debilibus auxiliatur.

” Vide Canon . lib . ii . tract

p . 142 .

LEAD . E eeum LIS’

LLJLLJ LQ (Tam. ) Sheesh

(Duk . ) Sim (Hind . ) A’

mzzc $31 (ASheeskum(Tel . ) Sarb (Pers. ) Temaéz

‘

amf

(Mal . ) S isaka (Sans. ) Plomb (Fr. )

(G er. ) Lood (Dut . ) P iombo (It . ) Plomo (Span .)Chumbo (Port. ) Swinez (Russ ) H ill-yen (Chin .)

PLUMBUM .

At Dessouly in Higher Hiryloostan, about fiftycoss East of Sirinagur, there is a lead mine of con

siderable value, worked by the Rajah . In Lower

584 MATERIA INDI CA. PART 1;

Lead is found in many parts of Europe, also

in some Northern and Eastern "countries. The

mines of England are particularly rich ; those of

Derbyshire alone yield annually about 6000 tons ;it is seldom seen native t z being chiefly procuredin the form of an oxide, called native ceruss

lead ochre, or lead spar of various colours,

brown, yellow, green , blueish and black .

three distinct oxides of lead, the yellow,

the red, and the brown . Nicholson observes,D ictionary of Chemistry, that a native min ina few years ago discovered by Smithson inLead is also found combinedbonio, muriatic, phosphoricmolybden ic ; likewise with arsen ic acid, forming whatis called arsen iate of lead . The use of this metal in

the arts is well known ; it is much employed in

glazing porcelain white : it is a principal ingredient fin the manufacture of white glass, and the differentcoloured oxides are valuable pigments, and as such

are used by the Hindoos, for particulars respectingwhich, the reader is referred to another part of thiswork .

LEAD, WHITE OXIDE OF, or CERU SSE .

Vullay" (Sc um/Tm also M oot/100 w llaj/ (Tam. )

Lead 18 a

product of the Asiatic dominions belonging toRussia;

especially in t e mines ofNirtckenslc, near the borders of ChineseTartary . Sir Alexander Crichton informs me, that a chromate of

it is found in several mines near Catherenberg, in the O ural

mountains; chiefly at Berizofl'

.

f Either sulphuretted (in galenas) or combined with antimony.

CHAP . n . MATERIA INDICA . 585

Szgfiidak (Duk . Pers. and Hind . ) Asfidc'

ij

Clm l (Arab . ) P lomb carbonate (Fr. ) B leiweisse

(Ger. ) Cerussa (It. ) Seebay doo (Tel . )PLU MB I SU BCARB O NAS.

LEAD, RED OXIDE OF, or MINIUM. Se

gap oa sendooerum, also E eum sindooram LLSD

U J u—JLO G

FF-Ijbfi i J'

LD (Tam. ) (Duk . ) Sindur

(Hind .) I sreiy'

6 9m ! (Arab . ) Sindiira

(Sans. ) Yerra sindoorum (Tel. ) Temamera

(Mal . ) M iniam (Fr. ) M ennig (G er. ) Vermilion

(Span . ) M inio Yaen-tan (Chin . )O X IDU M PLU MB I RUBRUM .

XVII.

LITHARGE, or SEMI -VITRIFIED OXIDE

OF LEAD . Maradar singkie

(Tam. ) M oordair sang (Pers. Duk. and

Hind .) Litharge (Fr.) B leig latle G er. ) P iombo

semivitreo (It . ) Almartago (Span . )LITHARGYRUM (Dub .)

Cerusse is occas1onally used medicinally by Eu~

ropean practitioners in India as an astringent ;M M 4.

536 MATERIA INDI CA . PART”

1

with it the Tamools are in the habit of prepai ingcertain kalimboos (plasters) , the Arabians place itamongst their 6 5 9 (Anodyna. ) It i s

the subcarbonate of lead, that most of the

of poison ing*

occur, which happen to painters ;and also from the base custom of putting it as

well as sugar'

of lead (plumbi superacetas) intowines.

’

r

The red oxide of lead (minium) is an exportfrom Surat, and, according to Elmore, also from

China ; its medicinal qualities are nearly the same

as those .of litharge, but it is now rarely used :the modern Arabs place it amongst theirMoa

’umilat

kerougk (Cicatrizantia), and the Hindoos, especiallythe Bhills, use it commonly in performingtheir religious 1 ceremon ies. Litharge is never ginternally ; like the other preparations of lead it is

powerfully astringent. The Mahometans of Indiaoccasionally employ it mixed with vinegar to remove

p imples from the face and clear , the complexion .

What is commonly called Goulard’s extract (liquor

plumbi subacetatis), is a medicine too well knownto require particular notice here ; it is used ex

ternally, and when diluted with water, forms a

most valuable application to burns and phlegmon

Such afflictions are attended with violent pain in the stomach,vomiting , costiveness, difficult breathing, tremors, and a peculiar

hardness and smallness of pulse ; they are best combated with

cathartics combined with henbane, plentiful mucilaginous dilution ,and the warm bath .

1 It appears by Marcet’

s admirable Mem01r on the Action of

Poisons on Vegetable Substances, that a bean plan t was killed l n

two days by putting its root into a solution of acetite of lead.

See Journal of Sciences, Literature, and the Arts, No . xxxix .

19 8.p

1 See Sir John Malcolm’s Essay on the Bhills, 1n the Transac

tions of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. i. part i. p . 82 .

538 MATERIA INDI CA . PART 1 .

XVIII .

MANGANESE, BLACK OXIDE or . Man

ganese (Fr.) B raunstein (Ger. ) Manganese (It . )MANGANESIU M .

This metal, it is to be presumed, is not common inIndia ; Captain Arthur, however, informed me thathe had found it in Mysore, massive in an induratedreddish-brown ochre, combined with oxide of iron ;and it would appear that the black oxide is a productof Ceylon of all the ores of manganese, thisalone has been introduced into the Materia Medica.

I t appears to have been first particularly noticed 1” byBoyle, about the beginn ing of the fourteenth century,

but Was considered as an 1ron ore, till the separate

experiments of Scheele and Bergman, in 17 74, provedit to be an oxide of a peculiar

.

metal, which Gahn

afterwards succeeded in obtain ing in its metallicstate . The greater part of the black oxide that is

used in England, is found near Exeter in Devonshire, in Cornwall, and at Howth near Dublin .

There is this singularity in manganese, that in its

metallic state, it has been 'found capable of deprivinga small port ion of iron of its magnetism ; but theeffect ceases as soon as the metal is converted intooxide . The white oxide, or protoxide is imperfect,

See Dr. Davy’

s Account of that island .

1 I say particularly noticed by Boyle, for I think there is no

doubt that the ancients were acquainted with it, though theyconfounded it with the magnet ; and Pliny, in more parts thanone , remarks, that the magnet was employed in making glass : thiscould have been nothing else than manganese . See Beckman ’

s

History of Inventions, vol . iv“

. p . 59 .

CHAP . 11. MATERIA IND ICA’

. 589

and is soluble in acids ; the black or per-oxide, which

abounds as a natural product, is altogether insoluble ;it is found in Devonshire and Aberdeenshire, also in

Somersetshire . Manganese does not combine withsulphur, but Mr. Brande”“ tells us, that a compoundof oxide of manganese and

‘

sulphur is found in

Transylvan ia and Cornwall. Manganese melts readilyw ith most metals, always excepting mercury, whichit rejects.Manganese has rarely, if ever,

Jryet been discovered

in its metallic state but its ores are found in most of

the countries of Europe . The only medical i use of

the black oxide of manganese in England is for procuring oxygen gas, and for fumigating in cases of

infection ; for the mode of preparing the gas, the

reader is referred to Dr. Thomson’

s excellent account,in his London

'

Dispensatory. § For the manner of

destroying infection by mean s of fumigating, the

gentleman just named instructs us to take common

salt giv” ox ide of manganese in powder gi. , sul

phuric acid 3L, and water gij. , mix the acid and

water well together, and then pour the mixture overthe other ingredients in a China basin, which s houldbe placed in a pipkin of hot sand . The doors andwindows of the room to be f umigated, must beclosely shut

,for two hours after the charged basin

has been placed in it ; then thrown open, and a

current of air allowed to pass through the room.

See his Manual of Chemistry, vol . 11. p . 108 .

1: A Frenchman of the name of Peirouse is said to have found

it in its native state in the coun ty of Foix . See Beckman ’

s His-s

tory of Inven tions, vol . iv. p . 6 8 .

1 In speaking of manganese, Alibert says, Depuis que lamedicine s

’

est appropriae la manganese, elle en a fait des applica

tions utiles au traitement de la teigne , des dartes,”&c . See his

Nouveaux Rlemens et deMatiere Medicale,"

vol. ii. p. 27 6 .

Edition for 1822;


The native peroxide of“

manganese is much used

in the arts in Europe, such as in making the common

bottle gass, and when added in excess it gives to

glass a fine red or violet colour it has also been discovered to yield a fine brown colour, used for painting porcelain . O f late years it has been employedin composing the fin est kind of crystal

-glas s and

in forming flint-glass. In the labaratory' it is con

sidered as by far the cheapest material “I“ from whichto procure oxygen gas ; and is largely employed inmodern times in the preparation of chlorine, especiallyby the bleachers. See more on this subject in an

other part of this work . The best manganese -is

supposed to be that of Piedmont and Perigord inG uyenne .

MERCU RY. Rasam ’T EFLD (Tam.) Rasam

(Tel . ) Para]? 9 L. (Duk . and Hind . ) Abuk Li l

(Arab . ) also Z ibak/z (Arab . ) Seemab (Pers. )Para (Hindooie). Rassa LA} (Mal . ) Sii tam T-Fl

‘

also Rasa"

( H and Parada Unzi (Sansr) M ercure

(Fr. ) Quiclrsilber (G er . ) M ercurio (I t. ) Azogue

(Span . ) Shawna-y in (Chin . )

HYDRARGYRUM .

We are informed by Captain Turner, that, at

Tessoolumbo, in Thibet, cinnaber is found, whichcontains much quicksilver ; and I perceive by that

See Smith’

s School of Arts, vol . i. p . 210.

1 See Jameson’

s Mineralogy, vol. iii. p . 324.


when reduced to powder, assumes a red colour, and

is called cinnaber. See Brande’

s Manual of Che

mistry, vol . ii. p . 255. This has been con sidered as

alterative and deobstruent, and at one time was

much used in rheumatic affections, leprous cases,

and also in worm cases it is the surur akmar

film) “ of the Arabians, but it is n ow ch iefly em

ployed ln fumigating i n old venereal complaints ; thedose when given internally, IS from grs. v i i i . to 9 i . , inthe form of a bolus

'

or electuary . The cinnaber of

commerce, or vermillion , a compound of about 8

parts of mercury with one of sulphur, is manu

factured to great extent in Holland as a pigment”;

and a curious and part icular account of the modeof preparing it, may be found in the Annales de

Chimie” livre i . p . 19 6 . The Hindoostanie name of

factitious cinnaber is dardar is): in A rabic it is

sometimes named zunje/er JaQ sj , in Tamool it is en

ghilicum, in Dukhanie p aak she'

ngherf u £13. J b, in

Persian shengherf 1. 1i , in Hindooie ingoor , in San

scrit ingkoolam, in Malay sedilengam it i s also not

unfrequently called by the Tamools skadilingum. I t

is an export from Surat to Madras, also from China 1“

and Batavia 1 the Hindoos § know how to prepare

it in a coarse manner, and consider it as antispas

modic ! and also as a valuable remedy for cutaneousaffections, and for fumigating, in such

_

cases of the

venereal disease as are attended with ulcers in the

nose, mouth, or throat .

Mercury, which is well known to be much, and most

See Imison’

s Science and Art , vol . 11. p“

. also Brande’

s

Manual of Chemistry, vol . ii. p . 255.

1 See Elmore’

s Guide to the Indian Trade .

1 See O riental Repertory, vol . i . p . 88 .

See Fleming’s Catalogue of Indian Medicinal Plants and

Drugs, article Shengherf p . 51 .

CHAP. 11 . MATERIA IND ICA. 543

successfully used in India, is there chiefly employed inthe following forms : calomel (hydrargyri submurias),the mercurial pill (pilulae hydrargyri), corrosive sub

limate (hydrargiri oxymurias), and the ointment .The use of mercury in venereal complaints, has now

been persevered in for upwards of three hundred

years ; and although there have of late been doubtsentertained with regard to the absolute necessity of it,

in such maladies ; nay, those who aflirm that theycan cure the constitutional disease by other and

simpler means ; I own that I have not been made a

convert to this new doctrine, nor shall give up the

favorable opinion I have formed of it, after a nearlyforty years

’

experience, notwithstanding all that has

been brought forward against it . Much has been saidof the modus op erandi of mercury in syphilis ; but

perhaps nothing more judicious has been given to theworld on that subj ect, than the following notion of

the celebrated Hunter that the stimulant operationof this metal, induces an action incompatible with themorbid action of the venereal virus, until the poisonis either destroyed or evacuated from the body bythe excretions ; but whatever may be the principleon which it operates, as Dr . Thomson observes, its

efli cacy is certain when judiciously 1Land cautiously

administ ered .

”It has appeared to me, that after

Berengarius Jacobus, a surgeon at Carpo, was the first whocured the venereal disease by means of mercurial ointment ; he

died in 1527 .

1 I know of no failure of a complete cure of syphilis, in India,when the medicine in question was timely resorted to and given

w ith skill, and when the patient lived and managed himse lf as

directed ; but I have known infinite mischief produced by delay ,carelessness, inattention to diet during the course ; these are but

too often followed by racking n ight-pains, nodes, ulcers, and all

the rest of the horrid train of anomalous symptoms, which I neednot enumerate here .


long continued courses of mercury in India, (andthey are often , I fear, too blood drawn is notonly more fluent, but much darker *

coloured than

it appears to be when taken from a person in health ;

if this position is just, it becomes a question , whether

or not this power of liquifying, or partially breakingdown the blood, may not extend to the other fluidsand secretions of the h uman body ; and so account

for, from the use of this medic ine, the removal of

Various glandular and other obstructions, to whichthe frame is subj ect, whether buboes, liver affections,tumours of the joints from rheumatismT, &c . ; and

of this we are certain , that in those painf ul and, I amsorry to say, frequent hepatic derangements (to be metwith in all climates), and which are particularly distinguished by a dark-coloured, viscid and offensivesmelling bile, and a long train of dyspeptic and ner

vous symptoms, no sooner has the mercury testified itsalterative effect on the habit by bringing on a slightsoreness of the mouth, than the bile, if examined, willbe found to have assumed its proper healthy rhubarblike appearance and consistence, with that peculiarsmell it only has, when secreted by a liver no longerdiseased while the extraventicular digestion will alsobe observed to go on with its former vigour, and thestomach by sympathy partake of the happy amend

I perceive the same power of rendering the blood dark coloured was observed in ‘mercury by C irillo, a physic ian of Naples .

See A libert’s Nouveaux Elemens de Thé rapeutique , vol. ii.

. 26 8.p

1 O f _the wonderful efficacy of mercury in acute rheumatism

I have no longer any doubt ; it was but lately I saw a delicate

female who had been brought to the verge of the grave by bleeding, purging, and the use of diaphoretics, in this complain t, with

out the smallest advan tage , relieved from all her sufferings the

moment her mouth became a little affec ted from the use of the

blue pill cautiously administered .

MATERIA IND ICA . PART,

1.

lished in the twelfth century (though I perceivethat Moore, in his History of the Small-pox,

Mesne lived towards the end of the eighth“cen

and beginning of the n inth) ; and we knowA lmenar, a Span iard, published on it, in

Calomel is well known to be most efficac ious inliver complaints, in

‘

India, and especially in what isc alled acute hepatitis but it is not to be prescribeduntil the more violent inflammatory symptoms havebeen mitigated by bleeding, blistering, purging, andlow diet it is apt occasionally to open the body toomuch ; in such cases, the admixture O f a very smafi.

quantity of camphor‘

may be necessary, bu

n ot more than a grain , or, at most, two

the course of the twenty-four hours. Lau

Opium in complaints of this nature is oftenI have observed, that calomel is less

when prescribed in small divided doseday, than in a full one at bed time .

gave a grain and a half, or at most two

times in the day, rubbing in 3i. or 31j.

ointment, once in the twenty-four hours,of the body where the skin was

hair. A s soon as the mouth gets properly to

with the medicine, the pain and uneasinessside will be found to abate, so that its further c

tinuance must be regulated with caution . In

But the fact is , there would appear to have been twoviduals of the name ofMesne , probably of the same family .

one who has the greatest claim to our notice, is said to

flourished inreligion ,

1: We

it is not

in China

CHAP . 11. MATERIA IND ICA . 547

cases where offending bile is to be worked off; or

where it may be required to excite a new action ,calomel is an excellent remedy, mixed, as occasionmay require, with other medicines, aloes, jalap, rhu

barb, colocynth, See . It is no place here to en ter

into a minute investigation respecting the causes of

diseases ; and, no doubt, there has been great difference of opin ion concerning those which occasion in

flammation of the liver. This much may be safelysaid, that the stimulus of heat (particularly a dry heat,

such, for examp le, as characterizes the climate of the

Coromandel coast, where - liver affections are more

common than in Bengal or in Malabar), too full andimproper diet, and imprudent potations, have a great

share in bringing on the mischief ; nor can it be

questioned but that a viscid and badly prepared bile,

producing obstruction and irritation, is a more im

mediate source O f evil and so constantly doesneglected constipation precede an attack of hepatitis,that we cannot for a moment deny, but that it must

powerfully contribute towards hurrying on the or

gan ic derangement by binding up what should dailybe carried O ff. How calomel may be supposed to do

good under such circumstances, I think may be con

ceived from what has been above stated regardingthe modus op erandi of mercury on the human frame ;viz . by inducing a n ew action incompatible with theexisting evil ; but, perhaps, more directly by rendering that bile more fluent and natural, which had

scid and depraved ; so the most likely of

ings to produce disease by obstruction, stimuas the liver is at the same time by inordinate

and thereby sec reting a larger quantity of bileusual, but which is too thick to flow easily

lgb the various ducts.

MATERIA INDI CA .

With regard to the proximate causes of

much has been said by different authors.ascribed both the acute and chronic to an

state of the ramifications of,the venaz p

in his O p1n1on , constitute “

the seat of

Saunders, and Dr. Good thinks withbility, suspects the acute variety to be

inflammatory state of the hepatic artery,”

chron ic to a like state of the venae portaeMedicine, vol. ii . p .

When the membranes of the liver are

w ith inflammation , the pain and fever aremore severe than when the substance of

o rgan is the seat of the disease . Indeed, Iknown instances in which it appeared after dthat almost the whole of the parenchyma was

~verted into pus, though but little pain Of anys equence had preceded. Th e pain stretch

'

the top of the right shoulderthe acute disease ; when the inflammation isc onvex surface of the liver the patient lies witease on his right side ; while, on the other h

the concave side is affected, he liesfort to himself on the left. The

invariably, end in suppuration , by

parenchyma of the organ willis not put to the inflammationand purging, and a subsequent use of mercury.

tumour forming near the edge of the liver, orwards the concave surface, points externally, andeasily be opened, and the patientsaved . If the abscess forms on the

«it will point towards the cavity of

quently .corroding thr

known several cases


considered as more efficacious, but in every instanceit sickens and irritates more or less . The Arabs, by itForskahl

’

s'

account (Mat . Med . employ it

often , and call it“Aw” soleimanie . The best mode

O f admin istering"

it is in the form of a pill , mixedwith some grateful aromatic . I have not

good effects produced by a judicious use of

in certain cutaneous diseases, in hepatitis,and rheumatism but there are many other

in which it has been found highly useful ; such

dysentery"; croup , hydrocephalus, the bilious rem

tent fever of hot climates, in which the remissionof too short duration to expect much advantagethe bark ; dyspepsiaf, when its canse c

which it often may, to a vitiated bile ;asis, when it is a con sequence of the same

men t ; and melancholy, .in which the fluid inis almost invariably dark-coloured , viscid, a

How many instances have I known ln

saved by the use of mercury (o intment) in dysentery ! The verymomen t almost that the mouth became affected the frequency and

tenesmus ceased . A similar salutary result fromthe use of mer

cury in dysen tery is noticed by Dr James Johnston , in his valuable work on the Influen ce of TrO p lcal Climates , p . 220.

1 This varie ty of dyspepsia must not be confounded with someothers of. that complain t, such as that in which the stomach is

affec ted by diminished n ervous influence , or through

with the head , to which there may be an over-determblood , ending , some times, in mental derangement ; nor with that

disease of the stomach consequen t of scirrhus in the organ itself.

The dyspepsia in which mercury does good is that in which the

b ile is e 1ther too scan ty in quan tity , or of bad colour or consist

ence , and which is often characterised by great flatulence aboutthree or four hours after eating ; in such cases, a pill , composed of

grs . iiss . of the b lue p ill, and as much compound extract of colo

cynth , taken at bed time , and con tinued for fifteen or twen ty days

toge ther, will be found of the greatest advantage . Dyspepsia,d istinguished by peculiar ac idity , is best combated by an tacids

and strict atten tion to diet . By Prout’

s experimen ts the free acid

in the stomach has been ascertained to be the muriatic .

CHAP . 11. MATERIA INDICA. 551

sive, requiring correction in both colour and con

sistence .

The diseases in which I am of opin ion mercurymay do harm, in India, are, generally speaking, thosewhich are termed nervous, whose causes are to be

traced rather to the brain than the liver ; mentalderangement, excepting that variety of melancholydistinguished by a black bile, is invariably renderedworse by the use of and I think it issufficiently evident that epilepsy and palsy are to be

treated by other means than mercury, if we expectto render the sufferers any relief. So is this mineralalso contraindicated in all those deviations fromsound health, when either matter is formed in some

part of the body, or in which a solution of continuityis evidently approaching ; and equally so in those

commonly termed c achectic’

r, provided always theycannot be traced to hepatic derangement . After

suppuration has taken place in hepatitis mercurywill not affect the mouth .

I mentioned above the advantage that might beexpected from the use of mercury in the biliousremitten t fever of India ; if; however, this diseasehas, by mismanagement,

‘

not been arrested in its

career, but suffered to pass into the typhoid type, wemust no longer look to mercury for a cure ; the timefor its employment with success is then gone by ; the

Which appears to me to rarify or make more fluent the on

culating fluids, and may have a somewhat analogous effect, per

haps, on the animal Spirits, thereby bringing on fl igh tiness of

manner and irregular exc itemen t, the but too common conse

quences of long-protracted and injudicious courses of mercury

in hot climates !

In the scurvy it is k nown to be a perfect poison ; the danger

from its'

use in such cases I perce ive no ticed by Alibert, in hisNouveaux Rlemens de Thérapeutique ,

”vol. ii. .p . 26 8.

N N ‘Ii


reaction , the excitability O f the frame, as Brown .

would have said, has been overcome by the violenceof the fever ; and the sufferer, whose body is no

longer capable of being made to assume a new

action , must be supported and sustained through thedepression , by bark, the mineral acids diluted, or,

what is better, the juice of ripe oranges’”or pome

granates, or death will inevitably ensue . The pre

paration of bark I have found the best suited in such

cases, is the strong decoction with a portion of the

fine powder added to it ;- taking care to open the

bowels every even ing by mean s of an enema, and, if

n ecessary, to keep up the vis vitre by the applicationof repeated small blisters to the upper part of the

foot or inside the ancle ; but I, in some instances,could do little good when oranges were notplentifullysupplied .

Calomel I have found of the greatest service in

putting a stop to the feverish attacks which childrenare subject to in India ; one grain, two or three, ac

cording to the age of the patien t, may be given overn ight, and worked off with a little rhubarb and magn esia, or castor-oil, in the morn ing, and repeated ifn ecessary .

,

With respect to the use of mercury in

s‘

crO phula, it is a subject on which much has beenw ritten , and more said : one fact I have sufficientlyestablished, and that is, that, in this malady, s

‘

alivation does harm. If the mineral is given at all it must

be w ith great caution , as a gentle stimulant and

alterative, and soon followed by sea-bathing and the

use of iron , both of which I have found to be’

most

efficacious in affections of this nature; the latter,

Which the patient swallows with remarkable avidity, andwhich is, perhaps, the most powerful ofa ll antiseptics.


and ’ in India“ ever being introduced into general

practice . In cases requiring simp ly cathartics, thatis to say, unattended with much fever, or any po

sitive visceral affection , why have recourse to this

powerful, but d ebilitating metal ? Surely, we haveabundance O f excellent purgatives, where merelyevacuation and not change of habit is required ;medicines which do not nauseate nor exert theirinfluence beyond the first passages.

( The great tendeney to the skin in a tropical country, seems to

render it there more difficult to affect the system withmercury than in colder climes ; I was, on that accoun t, in the habit of advising those who could do it

with conven ience to remove, during the time theywere using it, to some cool situation .f

I cannot conclude what I have to say of the use .

O f mercury as an internal remedy, in India, withoutexpressing more fully a notion regarding it, which

pill in conjunction with ipecacuanha ; in that

'

disease I trusted

more to the strong mercur1al ointment, and so saved the bowelsfrom irritation . My notions of calomel are also in Opposition to

those of Mr . Corbyn , who informs us, that calomel, in doses of

frhm grs . v. to grs. x . , excites lassitude, sickness, irritation , and,on account of its being a stimulant, ac ts as a good purgative ; butthat in doses of from grs . xv . to grs. xx . it is a sedative ! allays

vomiting, removes spasm, sends the patient to sleep, and produces

one or two motions ; in th is way he found it of advantage in the

spasmodic cholera. See Reports on the Epidemic Cholera, published at Bombay, in 1819 , Appendix , p . 3 .

Much has been said on the use of calomel, in India, in cases

of cholera morbus ; , and on that subject I was led to give myOpinion fully in my observat ions on the cholera morbus of India(pp . 64and I can only here add, that whatever hopes mayhave been at one time expec ted from th is mineral, in that malady,it in too many instances has failed to allow us to Speak of it with

encomium, and has often been discovered, after death, in the sto

mach , where it had proved quite inert . 1

1 For instance if in the Carnatic , that the patien t should proceed to the Mysore country , or to the delightful and cool valley ofCourtalam,

in the Tinnively district .

CHAP . 11 . MATERIA INDICA. 555

has been already hinted at. I have oftener than

once observed, that the superven tion of one diseasehas caused the immediate disappearance of another

dysentery I have known effectually removed by thecoming on of in termittent fever ; rheumatism by an

attack of dysentery ; ep ilepsy by epidemic fever ;and one remarkable instance of an Officer who had

not fewer than seven spreading scrophulous ulcers

in different parts of his body, which had long baffledmy best endeavours to heal, and who, from particularcircumstances, having been obliged to sleep amongst

the mountains of the Ganjam Circar, for two n ightstogether, got the endemic fever of the district,which, after the third paroxysm, had so completelythe effect of changing his habit, that before the end

of the eighth day from the time that the fever~first

seized him, every sore on his body was healed up,

nor ever again returned, as far as I could learn .

Now the query 1s, whether, without being led to

look farther for t he modus op erandi of mercury, wemight not say, that it acts by bringing on a new

affection , and so”

conquering the morbid action we

may have been called to subdued ‘

See Ferrier’s excellen t Treatise on the Conversion of Diseases, a work which contains sentimen ts and facts, perhaps, but

too little attended to , and which have ever appeared to me to

adduce many excellent hin ts for medical treatmen t . Reason ingfrom what he has advanced, for instance , might we not be induced,on some occasions, to try what could be done by exposing thepatient to a new but more trac table morbid action , with a view of

combating what may have baffled our best endeavours to overcome . It will not be den ied that the great object of the practiceof physio is to produce , with the least possible delay, so great achange in the state of the human frame, that the existing ailmen t

may be checked, and another excitemen t superinduced in its

room . To en sure this happy effec t various modes have been hadrecourse to , so that the question simply becomes, how can it be

best accomplished ? O f the wonderful virtues O f mercury, in

556 MATERIA INDICA; PART 1 .

The preparations of mercury, used externally,which are chiefly resorted to in India by European

p ractitioners are the following : 1 . The white p reci

p itate (hydrargyrum praecipitatum album), employed

in the form of an ointment in some of the most

obstinate cutaneous complaints . 2 . The red pre

c ipitate (oxydum hydrargyr1 rubrum, per acidum

n itricum), used in the form of a fine powder, for

destroying fungus or cleaning chancres also, when

mixed intimately with fine sugar, in the proportion

of grs. ss. of the oxide to grs. iv. of sugar, for re

moving specks on the com ea blown into the eye or,

occasion ing a revulsion in many maladies, I can bear full testimony an timony , galvan ism, brisk purging , copious and repeated

bleeding , have all had thei1 strenuous advocates ; against the last

powerful agent it may look almost like pe tty treason to say a we l d

in these days, yet this much I shall ven ture to affirm ; that (however useful, nay, absolutely necessary , it

'

may be to bleed freelyin some acute , inflammatory, organic affections, and in cases of

severe falls and contusions), by the large abstraction of the vitalfluid I have known many a fine constitution most seriously l n

jured for life ; the blushing roses blighted on the cheek of youth ,

the muscles rendered flaccid, the tone of the stomach impaired ;nay, I have but too often remarked, that it was ever tho

'

se who

had been most frequently bled in early life that were most apt

to sink into dropsy and paralysis in their more advanced age .

Dr .Morgan , ofWalthamstow , suggests the bringing on of syncope ,as expeditiously as possible , as a remedy 1n some obstinate disorders, such as the cholera morbus of India ; and this , he says,can be done at once by removing the pressure of the atmosphericair from the thigh and limb of one side, by means of an air

pump : the notion is n ew and ingen ious, and certain ly w0 1 th the

experimen t . My proposed method of combating the same com

plaint 1s by means O f galvanism, from a supposi ti on that all the

symptoms of the disease are consequent of a temporary dimin ishedquantum of the galvanic fluid in the frame of the s ufferer ; the

vomi ting I conceive to be occasioned altogether by a morbidacidity of a peculiar nature, brough t on by the reduced n ervousenergy . and most likely to be relieved by antac ids (magnesia) andthe use of calf

’

s bile , taken in ternally ; the natural bile being everobserved to be wanting in the evacuations in such attacks ; whenit does flow it is salutary.

MATERIA IND ICA. PART I .

to think more favourably of it . He would seem likeTheophrastus, to have turned his attention particu

larly to minerals and metallic substan ces ; he went

to Lemnos, to see the famous Lemn ian earth ; he

reviewed the metallic substances of Cyprus, and

brought to Rome many valuable drugs from the

mineral kingdom ; nor did he leave unexplored thevegetable kingdom he made a journey to Palestine,to make experiments on the opobalsamum, and

directed the attention of his countrymen , to a great

variety of medicinal plants. See Eloy’

s Diet . Hist .The uses of mercury in the arts, are many, and

h ighly valuable ; such as in constructing thermo

meters and barometers ; in preparing amalgams of

gold and silver for the purposes of gilding (in gilding steel or iron , however, which has no aflinity for

mercury, it is necessary to employ an agent to dis

pose the surface to receive the gilding for this pur

pose a solution of mercury in the n itrous acid is applied to the parts intended to be gilded ; when theacid by a stronger affin ity seizes a portion of the

iron , and deposites in the place of it, a'

thin coatingof mercury, which will not refuse a un ion afterwardswith the gold Other uses are, in makingwhat is called a quickening water for gilding ; for

taking off the gold from gilt-silver tankards ; for

silvering looking-glasses for preparing an amalgam

i n conjunction with tin , lead, and bismuth, for quicksilvering the inside of glass globes for silvering theconvex-side O f meniscus glasses for mirrors for pre

paring that amalgam in combination with tin and

zmc, and formed into a paste with hog’

s-lard, which

i t See Imison’s Elements of Science and Art

,vol. 11. p . 376 .


has been found the best suited for anointing the

cushions of electrifying machines, &c. e

What is called Howard’

s fulminating preparationof

'

mercury, as having been discovered by’

him, is

made by dissolving by heat 100 grains of mercury,

in an ounce and a half of n itrous acid this solutionbeing poured cold into two ounces by measure of

alcohol m a glass vessel, heat must be then appliedtill effervescence is excited ; a white vapour un

dulates on the surface, and a powder is gradually

precipitated ; which, when well washed and dried, isthe powder in question : it detonates by gentle heator slight friction .

We are told by Dr. Paris, in his excellent workthat with the exception of Peruvian bark, he knowsno medicine so often adulterated as mercury ; its im

purity is seen by its dull aspect ; by its tarnishing,and

“

becoming covered with a grey film ; by its

dimin ished mobility ; it is common ly adulterated bylead, bismuth, zinc, and tin .

There is, I think, no doubt, but that what .Plinycalls minium, and which was brought to Rome fromSpain , was no other than the native cinnaber t of the

modern authors ; he Observes, that the Greeks termedit miltos, and that some named it cinnaberi, an ap

pellation , however, which we find was also sometimesbestowed on dragon

’

s blood, a circumstance whichoften led to much confusion the minium (cinnaber),the Romans also occasionally called secundaram or

secondary vermillion, and were in the habit of pre

Pharmacologia, pp . 394, 395.

The Ktyyagaplg of‘Dioscorides,

’

which some others suppose

corresponds with our cinnaber, Dierbach seems to be of opinion

w as no

'

other than the sanguis draconis. See Dierbach’

s MateriaMedica of Hippocrates, chap . iv.


parmg, by means of fire, what they termed artificialquicksilver or hyd1a 1gyrum from it, which 1n noth ingdiffered from our quicksilver. As amedicine used ln

ternally, Pliny cautions us against it as a poison , butadds, and I consider the fact as extremely curious,nor am I aware that it has been before noticed,unless indeed it is to be administered in theform of

an unction on the belly , when it will stay bloodyf lux .

”

Now whether the ancients carried the use of thisremedy so far as to produce ptyalism, is a questionwe, alas ! cannot now solve . See Plin . Nat. Hist.book xxxiii . chap . 8 . The same author mentionsthe use of quicksilver amongst his countrymen in

gilding . In the seventh chapter of the same book,we are told this interesting c ircumstan ce, that ac

bording to Theophrastus, Callas, the Athen ian , about249 years after the foundation of Rome, was the

first, who, trying to procure gold by means of fire,from a red sandy earth, obtained by chance the

-

first

real cinnaber; By the same author’s account it

would appear, that native mercury was got in his

t ime from the same mines in Spain that yieldedlver ; chap . vn

For various and interesting particulars regardingthe use of mercury amongst the Hindoos, the reader

:may con sult a celebrated Tamool Sastrum, en titledConcananirar Nool, a work on the preparations tof

mercury, and other powerfii l minerals ; also, one

e ntitled B oganinar . Terumuntrum, which treats of

t he different preparations of mercury, &c . In San

scrit there are many works on the same subject ; themost celebrated are Rasarutna Samoochay em, Rasa

,Sarum, and Rasa Rutnacarum, in which may be seen

3many curious, and, c ertainly, a few extraordinary


SILVER. Vellie (BM W-W (Tam. ) Rupa

(Duk . and Hind. ) Nohra a)” (Pers. ) Fazseh

m 5 (Arab . ) Vendie (Tel . ) Perdlc J lfi (Mal . )

Peddie (Cyng . ) Rajata and Rupy a KW

(Sans. ) Argent (Fr. ) Silber (G er. ) Arg ento (It .)P lata (Span . ) Yin (Chin .)

ARGENTUM .

Silver occurs in trifling quantities in U pper Hindoostan . In Lower India, I have been informedthat Mr. W. Mainwaring found it in its native state

in the Madura district, associated with zinc, sulphur,iron, fluoric acid, silica, and water, forming a yellow

blende, perhaps somewhat similar to that to be

met‘

with at Ratieborziz in Bohemia. CaptainArthur was the first who discovered this metal insmall quantities in Mysore, both in its native state,

in thin plates, adhering to some specimens of goldcrystallized in minute cubes, and mineralized -withsulphur, iron , and earthy matter ; forming a kind of

brittle, sulphurated silver ore, not . unlike what is foundin the district of Freyberg, in Saxony, and in Siberia.

O n the island of Banca there are silver mines, butthe sultan has a great objection to their being worked.

There are silver mines in the kingdom ofAva it is

an export in ingots from Cochin-China. We also

know, that this valuable metal is a product of Siam'

t,

See Symes’s Embassy to Ava, vol. 11. p . 374.

1 See O riental Repertory, vol . i . p . 119 .

CHAP. 11 . MATERIA INDICA . 563

(from which country it is , brought to India,) as

well as of M anilla Thibet 1, Japan i , Tonquin,and Java . § Kinneir informs us, that it is found

in Armenia, and in the provinces of M azanderaun

and Kermaun in Persia. ii The richest silvermines of the Russian dominions are those of Schlan

genberg , in the government of Culivan . What iscalled the Sy see silver of China 11, found in the

mines of Honan, is of the finest quality, five per

cent better than dollars ; it is got in irregular pieces,but can only be taken from the country by

gling .

Dr. Heyne, in his Tracts on India (pp . 3 15,

tells us, that in‘

the Nellore and Callestry districts,on the Coromandel coast, a galena of lead, rich in

silver, was found some few years ago ; and he adds,that . the

'

same ore has also been discovered eightmiles north of Cuddap ah the mine I believe , had

been formerly worked by order of Tippoo Sultan ,

but abandoned because not sufficiently productive .

It would appear, that the ore had been lately ana

lyzed in Bengal, and found to contain eleven per

cent of silver !Native silver is rarely got altogether pure, but

it See O riental Repertory , p . 88 .

1’ See Turner

’

s Embassy to the Teshoo Lama, p. 370.

1 See Tavernier’

s Indian Travels, part ii. book l i . chap . xxiii.At Pondang, in that island .

Frazer, in his Journey to Khorasan , informs us , that silveris und in a moun tain called Altoun Taugh , in the Southern dis

tric t of Bockara.

11We are told by Du Halde , in h is History of China, thatthere are silver mines in that coun try , in the province of Hou

uang, near the c ity of Heng tcheouf ou (see work, vol. i. p . 213 .

finghsh edition) ; and by Morier, in his Journey through Persia,&c . , that; there are silver mines at Keehan , about eight days

’

journey from -Tocat, in that part of Asiatic Turkey called Rumiyah (see work,

0 O 2


generally con tains small portions of other‘

metals,such as metallic antimony with an occasional traceof copper and arsenic ; auriferous native silver i s

fo'

und atKonig sberg , in Norway (discovered inat

‘

Bauris in Salsburgh, and in Siberla at Schlangen

berg it contains"

by Jameson’s account 7 2

'

parts o f

Silver and 28 of gold ! O ne of the most frequentores of silver is what is called the compact silver

glance, also vitreous silver ore, and sometimes compact sulphureted silver ore ; the con stituent partsof which (obtained at Himmelfurst) were 85 of

Silver and 15 of sulphur ; it is found in many partsO f~Europe ; in Asia, I believe, only at Schlangenberg,in Siberia.

The most valuable silver mines are well known to :

be these of Mexico and Peru, which far exceed invalue the whole of the European and A siaticmines we are told by Baron Humboldt

,that in

‘

the

space of three years they afforded not less than

lbs. troy of pure silver.1'

In those of Konigsberg , in Norway , however, according to

Dr . Clarke , in his Travels in Sweden , the metal is sometimes foundin immense masses ; one of which , he tells us, kept in the museumof Copenhagen , measures six feet in length , and, at one part ,eighteen inches in diameter . From the mines of Kon igsberg aboutone hundred and thirty thousand dollars are annually coined .

1 The mines of Mexico, or New Spain , are considered as richer

in silver than those of La P lata (Peruvian ) ; and the mines of

Guanaxuato are infinitely richer than those of P otosi. More

than three-fourths of the silver ob tained in America is extricatedby means of quick-silver ; the loss of which in the process is

immense .,For in teresting particulars respecting the actual

state of the MEX ICAN mines,”the reader is referred to Sir Wil

liam Adams’

s pamphlet on that subject ; he speaks highly of that

of Valenciana, which , he says, in one year, 17 9 1, yielded as much

silver as was produced by the whole kingdom of Peru ; nay, it

would appear, from late accounts, that the same mine‘

is now

actually producing ore which is worth 5000l . weekly : this I shouldbe much inclined to doubt .

56 6 MATERIA IND ICA . PART 1.

rungzebe, to whom it is dedicated . The opinions ofthe Hindoos, respecting silver, may be seen in a

Tamool sastrum, named Ky lasa Chintc'

i’

mani Vatla

noo’

l, which treats of the art of making n ine metals

into strong powders ; also of arsen ic, &c . &c .

The Romans appear, according to Pliny to

have got most of their silver from Spain, and we find,that author expresses his wonder, that those mines

of the metal, which were first worked in the days ofHann ibal, should still retain the names given to

them by those Carthaginian s who first discoveredthem, and, brought them to light ; such as that of

B ebelo, so called in the days of Pliny it yielded toHann ibal three hundred pounds weight of silverdaily .

The uses of silver in the arts are many and valuable . For curious and interesting accounts of silvering in all its modes, the reader is referred to Smith’

s

School of Ar ts, and N icholson’s D ictionary of Clie

mistry , with its app lication to the arts. The silversmiths of U pper India appear to be well acquaintedwith the art of silvering ; they also make silver-plateadmirably, and can prepare the leaf, which the Tamools call villie reels in Hindoostanie it is Cg),

(rup ie wurk) in Tellingoo venie relcoo, and in San

scrit rap ie dullam. It is much employed by the moocli ienzen in ornamenting p ictures, images, fans, &c .

Jr

What is called fulminating silver, was discoveredby Berthollet (Annales de Chimie, tom. and is

obtained by dissolving oxide of silver in ammon ia ;when a small quantity of liquid ammon ia is poured

See Pliny’

s Natural History, book xxxiii. chap:vi.

1‘ My friend Dr. C . Wilkins informs me , that in the higher

provinces silver-wire is made as fine as a hair this can be flattenedin to lamina, it is then covered with a silken thread for embroidering muslins .

CHAP . I r. MATERIA INDICA '

. 567 ,

on the oxide, a portion is dissolved, and a black

powder remains ; this is the fulminating compound,which explodes on being gently heated (see Brande

’s

Manual of Chemistry, vol. ii. p . but this

powder is not to be confounded with the detonatingsilver of Descotils, which is obtained by dissolvingsilver in the pure n itric acid, and pouring into the

solution while it is going on , a sufficient quantity of

rectified alcohol ; for further particulars respecting the

process, the reader is referred ‘

to U re’s excellent

Dictionary of Chemistry, article Silver ; 1 shall

merely here add, that the powder, when well pre

pared, is white and crystalline, and that .heat, a blow,

or long continued fri ction , causes it to inflame witha brisk detonation .

T o conclude, I may observe, that in speaking of

the description of rocks in which native silver and

gold are most frequently found in different parts ofthe

‘

world, Baron Humboldt says, If the great

argentiferous and auriferous deposits that haveformed for ages the wealth of Hungary and Transyl

van ia, are found solely in syen ites and porphyritic

green-stones, we must not thence conclude that it

is the same in New Spain . The veta negra of Som~

orerete, which traverses a compact lime-stone, hasfurn ished the example of the greatest abundance of

silver which has been observed in the two worlds.

The mine of Valenciana is worked in transition slate

and in the central part of New Spain , where por

phyries are frequent, it is not that rock which afibrds

This, however, does not hold good in some other coun tries of

Europe ; for instance , we know that in Saxony, and Bohemia, andNorway,native silver occurs in gnesis and mica slate ; in Ireland

and Saxony in , clay slate ; and in Suabia in granite . See Jameson

’

s Mineralogy, vol. iii. p . 45.

0 0 4


metals, in the three great workings of

there,work on metalliferous mineral deposits, almost

entirely in intermediary formations of clay -slate, graziwacke and alp ine lime-stone . In fact the more ,we

advance in . the study of the constitution of ,the

globe in different climates, the more we are con

vinced, that there scarcely exists one rock anteriorto

,

ahp ine lime-stone, which has not been found 11]

some countries extremely argentiferous.

”See Hum

boldt’

s G eognostical Essay, on the Superposition of

Rocks, in both Hemispheres.

TIN . Tagarum (Tam. )‘

Runga' Ki

)

(Duk . and Hindooie). U rzeez f f) (Pers.) Timd .

(Mal . ) also gsts (Mal. ) Trapu 313 and Ranger

i n (Sans. ) Kulaian , (Hind . ) Resas

(Arab . ) E tain (Fr . ) Z inn (G er. ) Tin (Dut. )

E stano (Span . ) Stagno (1t . ) O lowo (Russ ) Galai

(Turk .) Yang-seik (Chinese).

STANNUM .

I do not believe that tin has been hitherto foundin any part of our Indian domin ions, strictly so

called ; it is a product of the East coast of Sumatra,and of the Malay pen insula, including consequentlySiam and Pegu ; but not to the Northward of 10°

of North latitude,’

nor to the Southward of

The places whence it is chiefly brought to India

as an article of commerce, are ,'

Queda, Junk-Ceylon ,


block tin twenty~two and a quarter per

cen t. The Corn ish tin IS obtained w ith vast labour,by min ing through obdurate gran ite, often to the

prodigious depth of many hundred fathoms. Bancatin, on the other hand, by digging through a stratum

of sand and clay ; and seldom to more than three or

four fathoms in depth . To clear the Cornish minesfrom water, the most expensive and complex machinery is requisite ; to clear those of Banca i , a

simple wooden wheel, costing a few shillings 1” We

learn from Kinneir’s G eographical Memoir of Persia,that tin is found in that country, amongst the mounw

tains South of Helat, in the province of Mekran

(p . and I was informed by the late Mr. W.

Petrie of Madras, that there is a tin in ine at Penang ;it would also seem, by Barrow

’s account, to be a

product of Tonquin . Tin , there is not a doubt, isfound in some part of the Russian domin ions, butSir A lexander Crichton says, that it has not yet beendiscovered from what exact spot .The tin of Banca finds its way to almost every

part of the world ; but China, and the con tinent ofIndia, are its principal ‘

markets.

The tin-stone ore, above noticed, is combined withoxide of iron and silex . Another species of oxidizedtin , is what is called wood-tin its constituent parts,according to Jameson , being, oxide of tin 9 1 parts,

and oxide of iron 9 parts. I am not aware, that it

has as yet been found in Asia ; it occurs at St . Co-t

lumb, St . Roach, and St . Denis in Cornwall ; it is

one of the commonest tin ores of Mexico . Tin, in

A name vulgarly given to iron and tin combined.“

The produce of the Banca mines, when they were wrought

to the greatest advan tage, was nearly the same in numerical

amount with the highest produce of those of Cornwall. Crawfurd

’

s Indian Archipelago , vol. iii. p .46 6 .

CHAP . 11. MATERIA IND ICA .; 57 1

its metallic state, has been hitherto found,only in

Cornwall, in the form of what is called tin py rites,

and often associated with ores of copper and blende .

The pulvis stann i I have -known some of the Ma:

hometan doctors acquainted with as a medicine . It

is considered as anthelmintic, and acts chiefly mechanically, given in doses of gi. or gij. mixed withtreacle or honey, for two or three successive mornings, and a brisk cathartic afterwards administered .

Dr. G ood mentions a'

case of tape-worm thirty

-eight

yards long, having been expelled from the anus by a

dose of tin filings and jalap gij. of the former'

and

3ss. of the latter, mixed with honey (Study of Me

dicine, vol . i. p .

The various uses of tin in the arts in Europe, are, too well known to require being particularly noticedhere . Some of the chief are, in tinning differentmetals, such as iron and copper. Iron when tinnedin a particular manner, formsfer blanc. Pins r

are

whitened, or, improperly speaking, what are calledsilvered, by boiling them with tin filings and

'

tartar.

Hollow mirrors or globes are silvered by’

an amalgam,

consisting of one part by weight of bismuth, half a

part of lead, the same quantity of pure tin, and two

parts of mercury . Tin is much used for makingdomestic utensils, and in the process of enamelling . 1

There are various kinds ofp ewter the most valuableis that made with 17 parts of antimony and 100 "

of

tin ; to this the French add a little copper : Mr .

Parkinson t proposes the addition of a little lead .

The oxide of tin, vulgarly called p utty , is generally

used for polishing mirrors, lenses, and for rendering

9“See Nicholson’

s Dictionary of Chemistry .

See Parkinson’

s Memoranda Chemica, p . 16 9 .

i To make the white enamels.

57 2 MA TERIA mnrcs . PART I .

This must not be confounded with the p utty of gla

has been found to be a useful addition to give a

deeper hue to yellow, in dyeing silk of that colour

combination of tin and sulphur, much used by the

colour to small statues or plaster fig ures ; it is l ike

w ise mixed wi th melted glass to imitate lap is lazul i.Wallevious supp osed tuttenag was a compoun d of two

parts of tin with one of bismuth . Tin is also, we

know, employed in the composition of a valuable

and M teron of the G reeks, was altogether differentfiom our tin, and that it was no other than the re

gulus of lead, or titer}: of the G ermans. Now, on

xxxiv. and chap xvii. ) I fin d no reason at all to

afte r telling us very plainly the use of tin , viz. for

partly to preser ve them fi om rust, adds, that “ in

mentions anoth er device for coun terfeiting tl n , Vi z .


then called sp elter .

* The metal may be procured

pure“b y dissolving this zinc of commerce (spelter)

in diluted sulphuric acid, and immersing a plate of

zinc for some hours in the solution, which is then

filtered, decomposed by carbonate of potassa, and

the precipitate ign ited with charcoal in an iron pot”

(Brande’s Manual of Chemistry, vol . ii. p .

It would appear, that though the process of extractmg Z inc from its ores had long been known

'

in China,it was not so in Europe before the year 17 21, whenH enke pointed out a method of extracting it fromits ores ; and

‘

Dr. Thomson informs us, 111 his Dis

pensatory, that Von Swab first obtained it by distillation in 1742 . Now-a-days, the mode of extractingzinc from its ore is sufficiently well understood,as well in Derbyshire as in

'

many -other'

parts of

Europe.

Zinc,oxidized in the ore, called red zinc are has

hitherto only been got in North America. Oxidizedin the common calamine 1,

,

its constituent parts are

varying proportions of oxide of zinc and carbonic

acid ; this is found in several parts of England, but,I believe, in greatest abundance in Derbyshire ;

“

on

the continent it is got in C arinthia, Hungary, Silesia,&c . Calamine is an article of the British MateriaMedica, but it must first be prepared, forming - then

what is called calamina p rcep arata, and is used inmaking certain collyria ; also, in dry powder, it isapplied, with success, to excoriations, ichorous ulcers,and superficial inflammations ; it is calamine p reparé

This Spelter, or impure zinc, is employed by the braziers insoldering .

1: Consisting of 7 6 parts of zinc , 16 of oxygen, andi 8 of oxides

of magnesia and iron

1 O f this there are two varieties, the one a true carbonate of

z inc , the other a compound of oxide of z inc and silica.

CHAP . n . MATERIA IND ICA . 575

(Fr. ) galmei halmei (Dutch) ; galmiia and

calamina (Ital. and Span) Calamine, in its imp ure

state, is well known to the Hindoos, who term it

mcidcil tootum (Tam. ) and dusta The Ma

hometans of India call it hull-hubr ic eg gfi f they

employ it for nearly the same purposes that the pre

pared art icle is used in Europe .

,What is commonly called tutty is the imp ure oxide

of zinc, which the French call tutie, the G ermans

tatia, the Italians tuzia; and the Span iards atutia

it is supposed to be an artificial compound of the

sublimed oxide of zinc, that collects in the chimneysof the furnaces in which the ores of this metal areroasted, mixed with clay and water, and baked .

‘Dr .

Hooper considers the name tutia as a Persian word,and that the article was known to the ancients underthe name of p omp holyx. I am strongly led to

believe, whatever confusion may have been introduced by their want of scientific arrangement, and

by their many vague terms and synonymes, that the

ancients knew much more than we are aware of

regarding many mineral substances ; and in the

present instance, I am inclined to think, that, perhaps, sp oalos, and not p omp holyx, was the word whichthey bestowed on the imp ure ox ide of zinc. It ap

«

pears that it only got the name of pompholyx

after having undergone a certain preparation, whichren dered it not only much whiter , but lighter

" than

the sp odos in fact, a something which I fancy cor

responde d very nearly with our fl owers of zinc, or

In book xxxiv . chap . x11. Pliny gives an account of the pre

paration of pompholix, which , he says, light, andrises with the smoke of the smiddie, and is be distin-i

guished from soot by its extreme whiteness. Now this must leadus to suppose , that pompholix actually was the same as the lana

philosophica and’

fl ores zznci of the early chemists.

57 6 MATERIA INDICA . PART I .

zinci oxy dum of the London Dispensatory. So am

I also of op in ion , however indefin itely he applies theword cadmia, that by it Pliny meant our calaminestone,

’

and'

that with it and copper the Romansm ade

some of their most highly-prized brass images (seechapters 1v. , v. , and vi . of the same book and work) ,and all this may have been done without their con

sidering zinc, as we now do, a distinct metal : withthem cadmia was a most useful stone, and as -such

they employed it .The oxide of zinc has bee n considered, by Euro

pean practitioners, as tonic and antispasmodic ; and

has been , according to G aubius, employed with"

suc

cess in chorea ; he gave it the name of cadmia .

Dr. Good+, however, does not speak so,highly of its

virtues ; though he thinks its antispasmodic proper-sties may be greatly increased by adding to a full doseof it a full dose of ammoniated copper. Dr . Dun-J

can gave it with success in epilepsy (Commentaries, i i i . p .

I do not find that the Mahometan practitioners ofIndia employ zinc in any , form. The Hindoos, 01rather the Tamools, call it, as already noticed, tootrinc

'

tgum, and prepare with it a kind offl owers of zinc,

which they term tootenagum p assp um, in the follow

ing manner Zinc is to be fused in an earthen

pot, some green leaves of the euphorbia nereifolia

(ele’

hilllie) being thrown into the melted mass, whichis constantly stirred with an iron spoon ; it ih

flames in the usual manner, leaving ashes, whichare kept in the fire till they acquire a splendidwhite colour only the finest parts of these are pre

served for medical use, and are separated from the

See Study of Medicine, vol.iii. pp.440, 441.

used (Jameson’s Mineralogy, vol . iii. p ; The

same author tells us, that the oxide of zinc has oflate been recommended as a substitute for whitelead ; as a p igment it is not liable to change; and

is n ot subject to those deleterious consequences sofrequen tly attendant on preparations of lead . Z incdetonates strongly if mixed with n itrate of potash

and thrown into an ign ited crucible . G old, silver,platina, and n ickel, are rendered brittle * by it ; butwith bismuth and lead it enters into no combinationin fusing . O f all known bodies, except manganese,z inc un ites the most readily with oxygen it takes itfrom almost every other body, which renders ituseful in detect ing the most trifling quantit ies of

oxygen : hence zinc acts with great rap idity on all

the acids. I shal l conclude what I have to say of

this art icle by observing that zinc inflames in oxymuriatic gas, and is a most powerful conductor of

galvan ism.

Such are the metals and metallic substances whichI have found :in India and other . Eastern countries,in use amongst the natives and European inhabitants ;there are, no doubt, others, but any inquiry regard-l

ing them would have been foreign to my pursuit,which is confined merely to such articles as are

known to havesome tangible intrinsic value, whetherin medicine, the arts, agriculture, or horticulture .

See Parkinson’

s Memoranda Chemica, p . 173 .

can . In ; MATERIA INDICA. 57 9

CHAPTER 111,

F O RMU LIE, WITH PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

See Article I . page 2.

DILU TEn SULPHURIC Acrn — Acidum Sulphuricum

B ilatum.

Prepared by mixing a fluid ounce and a half of the

sulphuric acid with fourteen fluid ounces of distilledwater. I t is a ton ic , a restorative, and is given withsuccess in protracted venereal afl

'

ections, in India,when the constitution has been weakened by longcourses of mercury : dose from ten to thirty mimms.

R Acidi sulphurici dilati mx.

Infusi rosa: fgiss.

Misce . This may be taken two or three timesduring the day.

R Acidi sulphurl ci dilutiTincturae cinchonae compositae f

Misce . O f this one or two tea-spopvnsfii l ‘

may be

taken twice in the twenty-four hours, in a glass of

water, to restrain colliquative sweats. Dr. A . T.

Thomson tells us, in his London Dispensatory, thatinmal ignant erysipelas, with a tendency to haemor

rhagy,’

the diluted sulphuric acid has been given to

the quantity of fgi. in twenty-four hours.

P P 2

580 MATERIA I NDICAZ PART 1 .

See Article II . p . 2 .

DILUTED NITRIC A C ID AcidumN itricumD ilutum.

Prepared by mixipg t ogether a fluid ounce of n itricacid with n ine fluid ounces of distilled water : dose

from ten minims to forty in a ny bitter infusion or in

distilled water.

R Acidi'

n itrici diluti

A quae distillataeSyrupi

Misce . O f this three or four oun ces may be

taken for a “dese 1n typhus fever ; or, as a ton ic, toalternate w ith mercury, in venereal affections at;t ended with obstinate anomalous symptoms ;

'

or it

-may be'

prescribed» as a useful adjunct to bark in

typhus fever.

i R Decoct1 C1nch,onae

Tincturai ejusdemA cidi n itrici,Sy

'

rupi aurantu

Misce .x Fiat haustus

Diluted n itric acid is sometimes used,“

in India, toact as a blister 111 cases of Cholera morbus and withit is prepared, occasmnally, a bath, as recommendedby Dr. Scott in chron ic hepatitis : in making thisb ath

’f‘l

th'

e acid must be added to the water till it is

" The bath recommended by Dr. Sco tt was for the feet and

legs, which he ordered to be kept l n the acid mixture for half an

hour or more at a time , and to be continued for a fortnight if

found beneficial ; it would appear to stimulate the liver and keepthe bowels open : but in two instances, in which I marked i ts

effects, it rendered both individuals peculiarly nervous, amountingalmost to hysteria !

582 MATERIA 1NDICA; PART I.

See Article V. p . 6 .

ALMOND Amygdalus Communis

R O lei 'amygdalm'

dulc . f 31.Syrupi tolutani

'

f31.A quae distillatae fgvi .Liquoris potassae subcarbonatis, q . s.

Fiat emulsio . A table-spoonful to be taken twoor three times in the day, when cough is troublesome, and inflammatory symptoms abated . The bitteralmonds contain less fixed oil than the sweet ; but

there can be obtained from them, by distillation,an oil which is virulently active, in fact, destructiveto an imal life f“; taken in the small quantity of one

drachm.

See Article VI . p . 8 .

ALOES A loes Extractum

Aloes is seldom prescribed by itself ; but is one of

the best of all the stomachic‘

aperients in India, givenalone or s in conjunction with bitter extracts.

R Aloes spicatiPulveris rhei

Extracti gentian .

‘

Syrupi simplicis, q. s.

Misce, et divide in pilulas xx . Two of these may

if See an excellent Treatise on Prussic Acid, by Dr. Granville(p . See also the papers of the very able and scientific Mr .

Brodie , in the Philosophical Transactions. If Prussic acid should

have been taken so as to endanger life , Mr: Stowe recommends

an emetic, Without delay, and then to rouse the energies of the

system by means of oil of turpentine, brandy, or ammonia. Thisacid has a strong odour of bitter almonds ; it is soluble in alcohol,and may be precipitated from its solution by nitrate ef silver .

20

CHAP . I I I . MATERIA INDICA. 588

be taken twice in the twenty-four hours, in'

slowness

of the bowels consequent of dyspepsia.

The extract of the common aloes (B arbadoes aloes)is more active than that of the spiked aloes.

In dyspepsIa, with much flatulence, consequent ofliver derangement, I have found the following mostuseful :

R Pilulae aloes compos. ,

Pilulae hydrargyri, as grs. xxv.

Syrupi zingiberis, q. s.

Misce, et divide 1n p ilulas x . O ne to be takenevery n ight at bed time, and continued for fifteen or

twenty days ; or the compound extractofc olocynthp illmay be used in the same quantity, in place of the aloes.

R Aloes spicati giss.

Lact . nov. vaccm . fgviij.

Tere simul, ut fiat enema, tepidum injiciendum ;

in suppression of the menses or to expel ascarides.

The pilulze aloes et assafoetida: are useful in flatulence and dyspepsia ; dose grs. x . twice daily. The

pilulm aloes cummyrrha are excellent for open ing thebowels in chlorosis ; dose from grs. viii . to grs. xv.

twice daily .

R Pulveris aloes composit .Pulver1s antimonial .Syrupi simplicis, q . s.

Misce, fiat massa, et divide in pilulas xvi . Two

may be taken every n ight-as a sudorific laxative .

R Pilulae aloet. (Edin . )CalomelSyrupi simplicis, q. s.

Misce, et divide in pilulas iv. The whole to be

P P. 4

584 MATERIA IND ICA ;— ~PART -

1.

taken at bed-time to purge of bile, when the stomach

is easily sickened ; or they may be made with the

pilul. aloes composit.‘(Lond . )

R Vin i aloesSpiritus ammon . aromat.

A table spoonful”

may be taken , or a little more,

when necessary, to open the bowels in cases of ner

vous

s’

ee‘

Article VII . p . l 1 .

ALUM -Alumen .

This is used as an astringent and ton ic in haemor

rhages and gleets. For the first a powder has beenfound useful, consisting of alum grs. x. , kino grs. v. ,

and repeated twice or thrice daily. For the latter,

p ills composed of alumgrs. v. orvi . , compound powderof c innamon grs. vi. , and extract of gentian, grs: vi .made into four p ills for a dose, and repeated if foundto do good. Dr. Pearson recommended alum-wheyfor gleets, preparedby boiling together a p int of cow

’

s

milk and gij. of alum till coagulum takes place, thenstrain off the whey, dose gij. The alumen astum

(Dub . ) is a useful escharotic, and ismuch used in Indiaby the Hindoos in cases of ophthalmia ; or a collyriummay be made by dissolving grs. vii . or viii . of alum

in fgiv. or fgv. of rose-water . A useful gargle, in

cases of relaxed uvula, is made with alum giss. ,

‘

de

coction of cinchona fgxii” and fgiss. or fgij. of

honey. Dr. Scudamore, in his Essay on Bloodsays, that a saturated solution of alum 18

an efficacious styptic .

* The decoctum aloes compos itum I have found,to be a

valuable aperien t in hypochondriasis, in t he quan tity of f3vi.

given twice daily, with an equal quantity of the compound in

fusion of gentian, and 9 55. of?the subcarbonate of potass.

586 x MATERIA tINDICA . PART I . .

which may be taken at bed time . Dr. Miller gavethe following,w ith success, in hoop ing-cough

R Assafoetid. 3ss.

Aq. ammon . acetat . fgss.

Aq. pulegii

Misce . O ne or two table-spoonsful to be takenevery hour.A s an emmenagogue from grs. x . to 9 1. of the pilulae

galbani made into p ills, may be

taken at bed-time , Ten grains of the p ilulae aloes

etassafoetidae into two pills, and takentwice daily, are useful in dyspeps1a with flatulence .

R Mistur. assafoet. gvss.Spir. lavend. comp . gss.

ammom arom.

Misce, sumat aeger ter quotidie cochlearia tria.

This I have found extremely useful, in India, innervous sinkings in delicate females. For relievingthe pains of cholic an injection may be used madewith assafoet. giiss. and 3x. of barley-water. In

ep ilepsy, one may be employed prepared with tinctur.

assafoet. gss. , tinct. opii fgi. , decoct. avenae fgxii.The Hindoos take assafoetida in large doses, also mixIt with their food to prevent flatulence .

See Article X IV . p . 23.

A SARABAC CA Asarum Europ ceum

Little employed in India. An errhine preparedwith the powder of the dried leaves (asari folia) andthe powder of the white hellebore root (veratri radix), of each has been recommended in cephalaea

and lethargic affections ; a little snuffed up the

CHAP . I II . MATERIA INDICA. 587

nose, occasionally, till a copious discharge from the

nostrils comes on .

See Article XX. p . 32 .

BEEF TEA Carnis B ubulce I nfusum.

Best prepared by putting a pound of the lean part

of beef cut into very thin slices, into a quart of

water, and boiling it over a quick fire for ten ml

nutes, taking off the scum ; afterwards, pouring off

the clear liquor for use, add a little mace, and boilthe whole for five minutes longer. Veal broth (jusvitulinum) 1s more nourishing, without heating .

See Article X X I. p . 33 .

BENZ OI C AC ID Acidum B enzoicum.

O f this (the flores benzoes of the old Pharmaco

poeias), from grs. v . to 9 1. or more have been given inchron ic asthma, as an antispasmodic, but it does notappea1 to be very efficacious. The tinctura cam

phorse co'

mposita, into which it enters, is more usefulin the same disease In doses of f 7 11]

See Article XXVI. p .44.

BoRAx Sub B oras Sodas.

R Boracis pulveris 31.i

Mellis despumat . gi.

Misce . A little to be applied frequently to the

parts affected, in the thrush . A good gargle for themouth, when the patient is under the influence of

mercury, is prepared with borax giij. 1ose water

f3x and honey and tincture of myrrh, of each gss.

588 MATERIA IND ICA ; PART I ;

See Article xxix. p .48.

CAMPHOR Camp hora.

The camphor mixture is made by rubbing half a

drachm of camphor w ith ten or twelve drops of

rectified spirit, and then adding a pin t of water

dose from f31. to fgij. in low fevers ; or,

R Misturae camphorzeA cidi sulphurici diluti si.

Misce . O f this three table-spoonsful may be

taken occasionally, in n ervous afl'

ections.

* The spi-J

ritus Camphorae, made by mixing giv. of Camphor

with O ij. of rectified spirit, is a useful application inchron ic rheumatism. The linimentum camphorae,

but more especially the linimentum camphoree com

positum, is most serviceable in sprains and rheumatic

pains, \

or in casesof cynanche tonsillaris, to be puton flannel and applied round the neck .

R Camphorae grs. vi .Moschi grs. vi.

O pii grs. iiss.

Misce fiat pulvis. To be taken in a little syrupin tetanus.

Camphor combines well with calomel, and pre

vents it from irritating the stomach . R Calomel9 11j. , camphorai fiant pilulae xx . sumat unam

omn i nocte, to be continued till the mouth is

affected,'

ih syphilis or hepatitis. R Camphorm

grs. Vii. , pulv. antim. grs. iij. , confect. rosin q . s. ;

misce, fiat bolus, in phren itis, after bleeding and

The emulsio camphorae ofDr Duncan’

3 Edinburgh Dispensatory,is amuch more valuable and efficacious medicine ; in typhus feverI have given it with success, in doses of Bliss. every five hours.


tiveness, in doses of from giv. to gvi. mixed occa

sionally; with a l ittle pounded black pepper.

See Article XXXVII . p . 6 2.

CASTOR Castoreum

In substance the dose is from gr. V 111. to BL ; tincture from mxv. to fgiiss.

R Castorei, moschi, assafoetid . as grs. v .

Olei succin i rectificati miij.

Misce, fiant p ilulae tres, bis terve in die sumendze ,

in epilepsy . R Tinctur. aloes compos. f5vi. , tinct .castorei f511ss. , Vin i ferri gss. ; misce, fiat mistura,sumat fgi. ter ln die . Dr. Thomas recommendedth is as useful

,

in suppressed menses, and I found itbeneficial in Indiafl ‘

See Article XXXVIII . p . 6 3.

CATECHU, EXTRACT or Catechu Extractum.

Dose of the extract from grs. viii. to grs. xxv. of

the tincture, fromfgi. to fgiiss. R Catechu in pulv.

trit. Biz, confect. op11 grs. xii , confec . arom. q. s. fiat

bolus, his in die sumendus ; this, in an immoderateflow of the menses, was a favourite prescription of

Dr. Babington, sen ior. Catechu, as well as any other

astringent, must be ordered cautiously in the diari

rhoeas of hot climates, which are generally occa

sioned by liver derangements, in which nothingmust be pent up . The electuarium catechu compo

situm I have given with success in menorrhagia, in

51. of the tinct . castorei, in combination with mxv. of spir.

ammon. foetid,mxxv . of Spir . ether sulph ., and 31. of aq. cinnam. ,

1s'

a useful draught in hysteria.

CHAP . 111. MATERIA INDICA. 59 1

doses of from 9 1: to -together with an infusion of

cinchona or cascarilla, ~with‘

a littlen diluted sulphuric

See Article XXXIX . p . 6 6 .

PREPARED CHALK Creta Praep arata.

R Misturae cretae fgiv.-fgv.

Confectionis aromaticae 51.

Liquor. subcarbonat . ammon . f 51.

Tincturaaopii mxx.

Misce ; fiat mist. O f this a couple of table -spoonsful may be taken occasionally in simple diarrhoea.

Common dose of the mist. cretae is from f 31. to f31]The hy drarb y rum cum creta is a most valuable alteI

ative medicine in India, dose from grs. X . to grs. xv .

twice in the day. Ten or fifteen grains of the pulviscretae compositus is one of the safest restrainers indiarrhoea, where no fever prevails. Dr. Thomsonrecommends the p ulv. cret. comp . cum op io, as more

efficient in Europe, in doses of from 9 1. to 51. for an

adult.

See Article XL.

‘

p . 6 7 .

CHAMOMILE FLOWERS An'

themidis F lores

Dose of the powder from 9 1. to that of the

decoctum anthemidis nobilis, from fgss. to fgiss. ;of the infusion anthemidis, from f 31. to f 311] of

the extract, from grs. vi i i . to 9 11— 3 1.

R Assafoetidaa

Extracti anthemidi'

s

Pulveris rhei

Misce ; fiatmassa, in pilulas xxx. dividenda. Threeof which may be taken as a dose, morning and even

59 2 MATERIA INDICA . PART I .’

ing, in dyspepsia attended with flatulence .

'

Cha

momile’

tea(inf. is a good stomachic,“

in doses

of three or four ounces, taken early in the morn ing,in India. Dr. Babington gave the following as a

stomachic and tonl c : R cham. flor. in pulv. trit .myrrh . p ulv. grs. v . , rhei grs. iij. fiat pulvis, his indie sumendus.

See Article XLI . p . 6 8 .

CHARCOAL — Garbo L igni.

The charcoal poultice is prepared by adding to

a sufficient quantity of the common linseed-meal

poultice as much charcoal in fine powder as it willbear, then let the whole be well mixed . It is a

useful application to foul ulcers, but not nearly so

efficacious as the balsam O f Peru.

See Article XLII. p . 70.

CHINA ROOT — Smila.r China (Lin .)I have alreadymentioned the dose of the decoction

of the root of the”

smilax China, a plant so little now

sought afte1 ln Europe, though so much esteemed ln

China and In Japan . In the first mentioned country,

the root is Called toojuh and in Japan sanhira, also

often, but vulgarly, kuakuara ,it is found growing in

the neighbourhood of Papenberg and Kosido . (SeeFlor. Japon . p . The smilax China 1s common

in the ,woods of Cochin-China, and called by thenatives cay

-khuc-hhac. of it Loureiro.says, valet

in quibuscunque doloribus vagis,‘

venereis, aut rheu

maticis.

”See Flor. Cochin-Chin , vol. 11. p .622 .


See Article XLIX. p . 83.

COLOQ U INTIDA Colocy nthidis p ulp a.

The dose of the extractum colocynthidis IS from

grs. v . to gss. of the extractum colocynthidis com

positum from grs. vii . to grs. xxv. of the pilulae colocynthidis compositae from grs. X . to grs. xxv.

R Extracti colocyn thidis compositee grs. xxvi .ExtractijalapaePulver1s rhaeiHydrargyri submuriatisSyrupi zingiberis q . s .

Fiant p ilulas xxiij. one, two, or three may be takenat bed-time, according to c ircumstan ces, as a ca

thartic .

R Extracti colocynth . comp . grs. xv.

CalomelSyrupi zingiberis q . s.

Fiant pilulae iv . primo mane sumendae.

R Pilulae colocynth . composit.Pulveris rhaei, grs. X .

Hydrargyri suhmur.

Olei lavendulmSyrupi simp . q . s.

Misce, fiant p ilulae v . primo mane sumendw, as a

stomachic purge .

R Extracti colocynth . 51.— giss.

Olei ricin iDecoct . flor. Cham. 01.

Misce, fiat enema, statim inj1cienda. For con

stipation .


Poison ing with colocynth is to be treated nearlyin the same mann er as that recommended for

poison ing with camphor with this, certainly, great

difference, that after vomiting with sulphas zi h ci, and

giving an infusion of coffee, the camphor mixturemay be ordered . Mr. Stowe informs us, 111 his Toxicological Chart , that the

‘

fruit of the Fewillea cor

difolia, has lately been found to be a powerful

antidote against vegetable poison s. See Annals of

Philosophy, for May 1820.

See Article L . p . 86 .

COLUMBA ROOT Calumbce Radix.

The dose of the infusion is from f 21. to fgiiiss.

of the tin cture from f 31. to fgvi . R radicis calumbm

grs. X 11. rhai i. ; ferri rubigin . as, grs. viii. ; misce,

fiat pulv. his in die sumendus, in chlorosis or dys-f

pepsiaf R pulveris calumbze grs. xii . ; sulphatis

potassae grs. x . fiat pulvis, bis in die sumendus, in

dyspeps1a. R infusi calumbae f 3x11 ; tincturae cas

caril. f31. ; tincturae cardamoni f31. ; misce, fiat haustus,

bis in die sumendus 1n weakness, and dyspepsia. R

magnesiaa subcarb . 9 1. , in fusi calumbas f 31 , tin cturiecalumbas f flat haustus. Dr . Paris orders this in

lithic diathesis.

See Article LIII . p . 9 1.

CORIANDER SEEDS Cor iandr i Semina .

R Semin . coriandri con tus. grs. X .

Pulv. rhaei grs. X .

Pulveris calumbae grs. X .

The anc ien ts gave colocynth in the form of clysters, ln sc1a

tica and palsy and I find D ioscorides, In speaking O f it, says,

(xchonwfisg) can 3: Kane ar oyaxog Ne w.

Q Q 2


Misce Fiat pulvis, hora somn i sumendus, in

dyspepsia, with flatulence and costiveness.

See Article LIV . p . 9 2 .

COWHAGE Dolichi Prur ientis Pubes

R Spicul . dolichi pub . grs. X .

Mel. optim. q . s. Misce .

U t fiat bolus, his in die sumendus ; or the same

quantity of the cowhage may be rubbed into a

powder, with gr. xii. of tin filings (limatura stann i),and taken n ight and morn ing with a little syrup, in

worm cases, to be followed by a brisk purge .

’

See A rticle LVII. p . 9 6 .

CREYAT ROOT Radix JusticiazPaniculatce .

R Pulv . radic1s just . pan icul. grs. X .

Pulv. rhze i grs. vi.

Pulv. piperis n igri grs. viii .

Misce, fiat pulv . , hora somni sumendus, in dyspepsia. The infusion and tin cture may be

~ made likethose of the columba root, and used in the same

proportions, and for the same complaints.

"

The

creyat root is a most useful and valuable bitter .

See Article LX . p . 101 .

CROTON Croton .

U nder the article croton, at p . 101 O f this volume,will be found, an accoun t of the different modes ofadministering this drastic cathartic in India. The ex

pressed oil is chiefly used in England, given cautiouslyin doses of one drop in conjunction with mucilage

’

of

acac ia gum, sugar and almond emulsion ; or p ills

composed, of six drops'

of the O il made into eight

p ills with a little crumb of bread ; of these one may


Before concluding what I have to say about this

extraordinary substan ce , Imust men tion , that I have ,

been just informed, that'

one great advantage to be

derived from the oil O f croton is, that we may

frequen tly be enabled by it to purge man iacs, when

it could be done in no othe r way, simply by

ing their tongues With it . I moreover seeby the'Flora Cochin-Chinensis (vol . 11. p . that Lou

re1ro found the croton tiglium growing in CochinChina ; of the seeds he says,

“purgans, emetica,

emmenegoga, valet 1n obstruction ibus rebellibus,

precipue uteri, hydrope et cacochymia ex humoribus

crassis”

The o il has been found to be eminen tlyuseful as a drastic purge in apoplexy ; however,notwithstanding all this high commendation -of the

new medicine, I find doubts expressed respecting it

by a very Competent j udge . Dr . James Johnston ,

in his Medica-Chirurgical Review, for Jan . 1826 ,

in noticing a report. from Mr . Tegart, inspectorof army hospitals, on the subj ect O f croton oil, oh

serves, we fear the author has over-rated this newremedy, which we think may prove a useful adjuvant

to other purgatives, without producing the disagreeable effects resulting from its solitary employmen t,

and this is the result, we believe, it will ultimatelyretain .

” Mr . Tegart, I ought to have said, states,

that he had found the oil useful as an excellent febrifuge ; keeping the bowels open , increasing the

urinary discharge, and relaxing the skin the mode O f

g iving it for this purpose , which he recommends, is,“ dissolving the oil in sp irits of wine, and then

diluting the solution in any palatable vehicle, so as

to give half a drop for a dose .

N.B . Since,writing the above article, I have

ascertained, that there is - now prepared by Mr.


Noekes, No . 9 7 , Oxford Street, an expressed croton

oil of a superior quality, of which two drops is a

sufficient dose, in syrup or mucilage ; this quan titypurges copiously and , easily, without producing anyof the distressing symptoms which usually accom

pany the use of this O il as formerly proposed . Mr.

Noekes is the successor of Mr . Pope, who appears

first to have discovered this n ew mode of obtainingthe expressed oil

, of croton seeds and which is accomplished simply, by carefully removing from eachseed, the thin filament in which the kern el is closelyenveloped, previously to expressing the 011. See

a paper on the subj ect in NO . 13 . of the MedicoChirurgical Transac tions. I perceive, that Dr .

Calder ini has lately by experiments proved the pur

gative quality of the euphorbia lathyris, and that

Mr . G rimaud has announ ced to the royal academyof medicine, that the Italian physician is Convinced,that the oil Obtained from it, is preferable in everyrespect to that got from the croton tiglium ! (See

London Medical and Physical Journal for June 1825,

p .

See Article LX I . p . 109 .

DILL SEED Anethi Semina.

The dose of the powdered seeds is from grs. X . to 9 1.

A couple of tea-spoonfuls of the water, Mr. Brandesays, seldom fails to relieve the flatulence of stomach

to which infan ts are subj ect.

See Article LXX . p . 123.

FEBRI PU GE SWIETENIAN Swietenia

O f the powder of the bark (commonly called barkof the red wood tree), from 31. to 31V . 5v. and 5v1.


may be given in the twenty-four hours. O f the

tincture, prepared in the same way that the tinctura

cz'

uckouaa is, the dose may be from f5i . to f5iiss. and

guy , and repeated ; of the infusion , from fgi. to fgiij. ,twice or thrice daily . I t is to be hoped, that a su1

phate may soon be prepared with this bark , of virtues

somewhat similar to sulp hate of gumme (quininaesulphas, ) got from the cin . oblongifolia, or red bark

‘

;

also a sy rup , a tincture, and a wine . The sulphate

of quin ine is a most powerful tonic in intermittent

fever, dyspepsia, and rheumatism so much so, as

to have rendered , the first of these altoge ther within

its con troul . I usually order. Bi. of it to be dissolvedin a few drops of diluted sulphuric acid ; and that .

to this should be added fn ili of water. O f the

mixture fgvi . may be taken daily, in doses of f gij.at a time ; so administered I have never found it

fail in putting a stop to the most obstinate quartan .

The tincture is made by adding grs. vi . of the sul

phate to fgi; of alcohol ; the syrup by mixing to

gether two pounds of simple syrup and sixty-four

grains of sulphate of quinine ; six spoonfuls of this

syrup is sufficient to arrest the progress of an inter

mittent . See Dr . Dunglison’s edition of Magendie

’

s

p . 8 1 . The Italians use the bark of

the guina bicolorata as a febrifuge ; it con tains a

bitter p rinciple resembling colocyntine, but n either

quinin e 1Lnor cinchonine ; in South America they em

ploy for the same purpose the whole of the low grow

ing plant, E ry thra’a 01151872358 1, which has a pleasant

bitter taste, much resembling the columba root,'

or

See London Medical and Physical Journal for Feb . 1826 ,

p . l o6 .

1' See Medical Repository for Feb . 1826 , p . 186 .

It In the language of Chili it is called, Mr. Frost informs me,


See Article LXXXII . p . 144.

GALLS Gallce .

The tincture has been given in intermittent fevers“

in doses of from f gss. to f g iij. R gallarum con

tusarum 5L, adipis praepar . 3V . to 3 vii. ; misce,

fiat unguen tum ; to be applied morn ing and eveningto the parts affected, in cases of blind p iles to this

if required g i. of opium may be added, or camphor.

5ss.z A s a gargle for relaxation of the uvula, Mr .

Brande recommends f gvii. of an infusion of galls,

and fgi. of spirit of wine . The infusion to be made

by adding g ij. of bruised galls to fgxii. of boilingwater.

See Article LXXXIII . p . 147

GAMBOGE Gambog ia

The dose of the substance, Pearson thinks, maybe as far as from grs. iij. to grs. xv . or grs. xx . , whichis more than is usually given . The p ilulae gambogiaecompositaz is a very ac tive form for purging ~ off

bile, the dose from grs. xii . to grs. xv . or Bi.

R gambogiae in pulv. tritur. grs. V . vel grs. vi . , supertart . potassae 9 i. , confect . cassiae (Lond . ) q. s. ; fiat

bolus ; to be taken at bed-time, in dropsy . R gam

bogiae grs. iv. , tincturae sennae comp . f gss” tincturae

jalapee f g iss. , syrup . zingib . f gss. ; fiat haustus, in

anasarca. R p ilul. gamb . comp . grs.viii . , calomel grs.

iij. , pulv . scillae exsiccatae gr. i . vel grs. iss. , confect.

arom. q . s. ut fiant pilul . iii . two of which may be

Murray, in his Apparatus Med .

,

(vol . vi. p . holds out a

caution against using such strong astringents, as likely to bringon visceral obstructions. See also Pearson

’

s Synapsis of theMat . Med .

, p . 353 .

CHAP . m . MATERIA INDI CA . 603

taken at bed-time and one in the morn ing ; and the

medicine to be con tinued every alternate day for a

few days together, in dropsy, if found beneficial .R gambogiae, hydrargyri muriatis aa zss. , potassae

supertartratis. 9 v . ; fiant pulveres decem equales one

or two to be taken every other n ight, in dropsy con

sequent of liver obstructions (Dunn) . O n the con

tin en t an alkalin e solution is given in doses of fromdrops x]. to l . in coffee or milk and water, in creasingthe dose, in hydropic and worm cases. The solution

is prepared by adding g i. of the gum-resin to a

strong lixivium of subcarbonate of potass, rubbingthe two well together after it has stood some time

to settle, the liquor is poured off from the sediment .

See Pearson’

s Practical Synop sis of Materia Medica,

p . 202 . But gamboge, it must be remarked, is butlittle used as a purge in India.

See Article LXXXIV . p . 150.

GARL IC A llium.

The Hindoos prepare a kind of syrup with garlic,which they find useful in catarrh and p ituitous asthma ; it is somewhat similar to the syrupus allii of

the Swedish Pharmacopoeia, which is made by steep

ing in a covered vessel a pound of fresh garlic,bruised, in two pounds of boiling water, and addinga sufficient quan tity of sugar to the strained liquor,

given in doses of one or two drachms.

See Article LXXXV. p . 152 .

G INGER Z ing iber .

The dose of the syrup is from fgi. to f313. of the

tincture from fgss. to fgiij. A s a grateful stimulantit enters into many valuable preparations.


See Article LXXXIX . p . 158 .

G U M AMMONIAC Ammoniacum.

R Misturm ammon iaci fzvi.Oxymel . scillae ,Tincturae camphor. compos. aa

'

f285.

Misce . Capiat cochlearia duo sexta quaque hora ;in humoral asthma, when sleep is necessary and in

flammatory symptoms not feared .

R Misturaa ammon .

Oxymel . scillae

Vin i an tim . tartar.

Aceti distillat .

Mi sce, fiat mistura. Two table-spoonsful may be

taken occasionally in cough or humoral asthma.

R Gum. ammon .

Pilulae hydrarg .

Scillaa exsiccat

Syrup . simp . q. s.

Misce, ut fiant pilulae xvi . O ne to be taken threetimes in the day, in c asthmatic cough, when at the

same time hepatic derangement is suspected .

The emp lastrum ammoniacum is applied as a re

solvent to scrophulous tumours ; but is not near so

efficacious as the emp lastrum ammoniaci cum hy drar

gy ro, which I have found to be also a powerful

resolvent, applied to indurated glands, nodes, &c .


See Arti cle xcm. p . 164.

HELLEB ORE, BLACK H efleborus nig er .

R Pulveris rad.

‘ hellebor . n igri grs. xv.

grs. v .

Syrup . zingib . q. s. M isce .

t ill complet e evacuation has been procured or pills

may be made with the extract , the dose of which

is from grs . v. to grs. viii . The tincture of the Edinburgh Pharmacopcnia may be taken in doses of from

mm . to fg i. in uterine obstruction sf, in whichcases it has been considered as very efficacious.

HELLEEonE, VVHJ TE Veratrum album.

R U nguen ti veratri

iss .

Misce, fiat unguen tum. Th is I have thought

useful in the lepra grzecorum or the unguent. verat .may be mixed w ith an equal proportion of the um

ation in scabies. Mr . Brande is of op in ion, and he

is r ight, that the ung . verat. is never to be used in

caut ion . The tinctur . verat. albi (Edin .) has been

given in doses of from miij. to mxii . to produce vo

Mr. Brande, in hisManual of Pharmacy , says, the root oughtnever to be taken .

recm mends the same treatment as in m es of poisoning with

CHAP . m . MATERIA INDICA . 607

miting in mania. O f the wine of white hellebore,as ordered by Mr . Brande, the dose is from 111V . to

mxxx . ; this was a favourite medicine of Dr. J.

Riddel i’

n mania some seventy years ago . The cele

brated eau medicinale was, at on e time, supposed to

contain white hellebore, but it is now pretty well

ascertained that that medicine owes its an tipodagric

powers to the colchicum autumnale) “ White hellebore owes its Virtues to veratr ine, obtal ned by Meiss

n er, as well as by M . M . Pelletier and Caven tou,

’

from the seeds of the veratrum sabadilla ; it wouldappear, by Majendie

’

s F ormulaire,”that a quarter

of a grain (gr. 0 205 troy) rapidly induces an abund

ant alvine evacuation .

See Article XCIV . p . 16 7 .

HENBANE Jr Hy oscy amus.

The doses of the extract and tin cture have alreadybeen mentioned . A solution of the extract in water,in the proportion of 51. to fgi. , dropt into the eye,

has been recommended by Professor Himly for facilitating the operation of cataract, by its effect of

dilating very much the pup il. It is advisable often

to combine calomel with henbane, 111 India, evenwhen simply sleep or quiet is sought . R Extract . hyosciam, calomel, aagrs. iv. , fiant pilul . ii ., to be takenat bed-time ; to this grs . 13. extract . conii may be

The extraordinary property of this medicine , in allaying the

severity of the pain in gout , is well known : dose of the substance(dried bulb) from grs. 13 to grs . x . ; of the saturated vinous infusion frommxxv . to mlxxv . My excellent friend , Dr . TheodoreGordon , informs me , that he has found it most efficacious in those

agonizing and deep-seated head-aches which have resisted every

other mode of treatment .

1 Poisoning with henbane, according to Mr. Stowe, is to be

treated as poisoning with camphor .


‘

PART I .

added if indicated . R Calomel grs. iv. , extract . hyoscyam. grs. vi . , pulv. ipecac . grs. iij. , op11 grs. ij. ; fian t

pilul . iii. , one to be taken thrice in the twenty-four

hours in mania. R Camphor. grs. x . , extract . hyoscyam.

grs. v . , opii grs. iss. fiant pilul‘ce iv. , to be taken at

bed-time in man ia.

See A rticle XCVII . p . 175.

HORSE-RAD ISH — Rap lzanus rusticanus ; radix

(Dub ).

The dose of the root in substance is from Bi . to grs.

xxv. The syrup was ordered by Cullen'

for hoarseness

proceeding from relaxation . R Sinapi semin . contus.

5vi . , raphan . rustican . incis. 5V i. , aquaa ferventis Ibi. ;macera per horas tres, dein adde sp irit . pimentae gij. ;misce ; of this, in palsy, two oun ces may be takentwice in twenty

-four hours. R Rad . raphan . rustic .

contus. 3vi . , semin . sinapis contus. 3L, farin . sem. lin i

giiss” aceti q . s . ; misce , fiat cataplasma, to be ap

plied to the feet or an cles in palsy . The dose of the

in fus. armoraciae compositum (Lond .) is about fromf3ss. to fgiiiss. , given in palsy or dropsies. O f the

spiritus armoraciae compositus, which Dr. Thomsonrecommends in dropsies attended with debility, thedose may be from fg i. to f3 V .

, given best, he says,

combined with infusion of foxglove or of jun iperberries.

See Article C . p . 180.

O

IPECACU AN Ip ecacuanlza .

A t page 181 , I have mentioned several plantswhich might be substituted for ipecacuanha ; and

observed, that Loiseleur Deslongchamps found that17

6 10

India, purging at the same time, in both affections,with calomel d uring the n ight, in doses of from

gr. i . to grs. iij. or grs. iv . for an adult, as far as fgvi.or more of the wine are given

’

as an emetic . O f the

pulv. ipecac . composit . from grs . x . to 9 1. may be

ordered in a little tepid water, to produce copious

persp iration in acute rheumatism, assisted by pleutiful dilution with warm rice gruel.Ipecacua

’

nha has of late years been found a valuable medicine in certain dyspeptic complaints, indoses of from gr. i . to grs. iij. in the form of a pill,With the addition of a little soap, and taken directlyafter eating ; a t the same time, Mr. James recoml

mends that grs. 1J. or grs. iij. may be taken at bed

t ime to obviate‘costiveness. See London Medical

and Physical Journal for June 1825, p . 530. By an

accurate analysis of ipecacuanha, by Magendie and

Pelletier, which may be found in a memoir read at

the Academy of Sciences of Paris, on the 25th of

February, 18 17 , and inserted in the Journal de Pharmacie (vol. iii . p . it was discovered that ipecacuanha contained a particular active principle, whichthose gentlemen named emetine, and which producesvomiting, in doses of from gr. to grs. But

this substance, Mr. Brande rLthinks, cannot be well

d epended 011 as a substitute for ipecacuanha. R Syrup . Simplic . lbi. , emetinaa purae gran . iv. ; misce,dosis cochlearia modica duo vel quatuor. Mag endie .

S ee Loiseleur Deslongchamp’

s Recherches et O bservationssur l

’

Emploi de plusieurs Plantes de France , p . 3 .

See Brande’

s Manual of Pharmacy, p . 106 . For the mode of

preparing the emetine, see Dunglison’

s Formulary, p . 60.


CHAP . 111. MATERIA IND ICA. 6 11

See Article 011. p . 183 .

At page 188, I have mentioned several articleswhich might be substituted for jalap . O f the pow

der of the common jalap the dose is fromgrs. xv.

to 5ss. for an adult, usually given (when requiredsimply to evacuate . the bowels freely) with as much

of the powder of potassae supertartras. Jalap is one

of our most certain and powerful cathartics, and isof the g reatest use, in India, at the commencement

of fevers, byoften immediately, before it operates,

producing a‘

considerable degree of nausea, or evenvomiting, and thereby not rarely exc iting diaphoresis. O f the tincture the dose is from fsi . to f5iv. ;

of the,

extract may be taken from grs. x . to 5ss. ; of

the tinctura sennae composita (Edin . ) from fg iss. to

fgvi. or fgvii. R Pulv. rhaei gran . xi l . , pulv. jalapas

gran . xv . , hydrarg . submuriat. gran . v. , syrupi zingibe

ris q . s._ut fiant pilul . V ii. , three to be taken at bed

time , and two in the morn ing early, to carry off bile,or at the commencement of fever . R Infus. sennm

f3 xii . , tinctur. sennae f3 i. , tinctur. jalap . f3L, potassae

tart . , syrup . simp . aa s i ; misce, fiat haustus ; one

half to be taken in the morning early, and the other

three hours afterwards, as a purge in fever.

See Article CIV . p . 185.

KINO Kino. r

The doses of t he substan ce . and tincture havealready b een mentioned. R Extract . cinchonae, gumkino as 5ss. , alumin is, pulveris zingiberis as

syrupi croci q. s. ; misce ut fiant pilul. xviii., threeR R 2

6 12

of which may be taken twice or thrice daily, in leu

corrhoea, washing each dose down with fgiss. or gij.

of the infusum cascarillae . R Tincturm kino, tinc

turm catechu aa fgsa , tincturaz opii. fg ij; misce,fiat mistura ; -

of this I have given mxxv . thrice in the

twenty-four hours, with great success, in cases of

spitt ing of blood ,as recommended by Dr . R. Thomas,

in his Modern Practice of Physic .

See Article ovu . p . 19 1 .

LEECH H irudo.

In Dr . James Johnson ’

s excellent Medico Chi-T

rurgical Review for December, 1825, there is some

accoun t of the means used by the Neapolitans to

induce leeches to fix on any particular spot, namely,

by touching the part w ith the point of a quill, re .

cently taken from a p igeon’

s wing ; that gentleman

notices another _ mode of whetting the appetites of

those little an imals, viz . by putting them into some

porter for a few minutes. The Mahometan doctorsin India adopt a method which I have n ever knownto fail, which is, to scratch slightly the part you wishthem to fix on , w ith the point of any sharp instru

ment, so that the leech may taste the blood . The

small brown leech of China, called by the Chinesema-lzwan g

, is very voracious)“

See Article CX. p . 195.

LINSEED — Semen L ini

R Olei liniLiquor . calci

See -an in teresting accoun t of the poisonous leeches of

Ceylon , by J. Tytler, Esq. ,in the Transactions of the Medical

Soc iety of C alcutta, vol . i. p . 117 .

MATERIA IND I CA. PART ,I .

MATERIA IND I CA .

betwixt manna and sugar, a notion well combatby Pearson , in his valuable Practical SynopsisMateria Alimentaria and Materia Medica, p . 19 2 .

See ArticleCXXVII . p . 228 .

MUSK M oscleus.

Mr. Brande gives us the follow ing mode of pre

paring .

the mistura moschi R Moschi, acaciaagommm contriti sacchari purificati, singulorum drachmam,

aquae rosa: fluiduncias sex ; let the musk and sugar

be well rubbed together, adding the rose-water bydegrees ; of this the dose may be from fgi. to fgiiss. ,

given every three hours, in hooping-cough . Mr.

Brande expresses his doubts of the efficacy of musk,and I am inclined

.

to comcide with him, though manyable medical practitioners have thought it a valuableantispasmodic, such as Pr ing le, k tt, De B erg er

Dr . Parson ”“and others. Cullen informs us, that it

is best given in substance to the extent of from 9 1.

to grs. xxx . in the form of a powder or bolus.

R Camphorae gran . v . , moschi, Bi. misce fiat pulv. , in

rigid spasm. R Camphorae gran . vi . , moschi gran . xii .op i i gran . iss. vel gran . iJ. m1sce,fiat pulvis ; in the same .

R Moschi gran . xxv. , acacian gummi 3ss. misce optime, dein adde, aquae rosa} fgiss . , etheris sulphur:

fg iss. , fiat haustus ; in typhus fever. R Misturwcamphorae, mistur. moschi a fg11Jss syrupi zingib . ,

spirit . ether. sulphuric . a f51] misce, fiat mistura ;a table spoonful to be taken every four hours or

oftener, in n e1vous fever. R Moschi gran . x. , cam

phorae gran . iv. , extract cinchonae gran .vi ii. , syrupi zin

giberis q . s. ; ut fiat bolus, ter in die sumendus, in

epilepsy.

See Alston’s MateriaMedica, vol. 11. p . 543 .

CHAP . I I I . MATERIA IND ICA . 6 15

See Article CXXVIII . p . 230.

MUSTARD Sinapis.

The unbruised seeds may be given in much greaterquantities, internally, than the bruised ; which last,in the dose . of about gij. , proves

'

emetic . R Sem.

sinap . alb. contus. giiss. , radic is armoraciae git , cort.

aurantiarum 5vi . , aqum fon tanm 0iiss. ; quoque ad

0i . , cola, ut fiat decoctum of this about a wine-glassfull may be given three or four times during the day,ln paralytic affections. Mustard seed IS reckoned a

medicine of great value amongst the Javanese and

Chinese ; the last-mentioned call it keae-tsue .

See Article CXXXIII . p . 241.

MINT M entita Sati'va.

The dose of the aqua menthae viridis may be

about from fg1J to f5vi . that of the aquae men thae

piperit . not quite so much ; they are both grateful

slight stimulants and carminatives, but are usually

prescribed in conjunction with other medicines. The

Spiritus‘

menthm piperit. (Ph. Lond . ) and the spirit .menthaa viridis are ordered in doses of from f3 1. to

f 3v in flatulence ; the oleum menthae viridis, andthe oleum menthas piperitae, are given in doses,the first from mi. to mx. the last from mij. to

mviii . they are useful adjuncts to cathai tic boluses

or p ills, or may be given singly in cases of cramp in

the stomach and flatulent colic .

R R 4


See Article CXXXIV. p . 242 .

MYRRH My rrka.

R Mel . rosae giss.Decocti hordei fgxii.Ticturae myrrhae f zvi.

Aceti fgi.

Misce, fiat gargarisma in cynanche maligna. The

p ilulae Galban i compositae is one of the best and

safest emenagogues ; dose from grs. vii. to grs. xv . or

9 i . , in pills, at bed-time . R Ferri subcarbonat . 5i. ,pulv. myrrhae 9 1J. , aloes spicatae extract. gij. , pulv.

rheei gran . xii. , syrup zingib . q. s. ; misce, ut fian t pilul .xxxvi . three or four to be taken twice in the day,to open the bowels in a suppression of the menses.

R,Pilul . aloes. cum myrrha 9 L, pulv . rhazi gran . xii. ,

calomel gran . 1J. , syrup . zingib ., q . s. ; misce, ut fiant

pilulas V iiiz; four to be taken at bed-time in sup

pression of the menses, and repeated if necessary .

Dr . Babbington ordered the following with advantagein hectic affections accompan ied withthere is no better authority. R Myrrhae in pulv .

trit . 3L, kali praep . g ss. , sulph . ferri gran . xii . , mucilag .

gum. A rab . g ij. , decoct . glycyrrhiz . fgviss” spirit .

piment . fgi. The myrrh, sulphate of iron, kali, andmucilage, to be well rubbed together, then the other

articles to be added ; the dose 31. twice or thricedaily. This is n early the same as the famous pre

paration of Dr. M. G riffiths, which many have foundso useful in pulmonary consumption , and which isconsidered as peculiarly indicated in this complaint inEngland, though I confess it has too often disappoint


the public, the”

general result of his inquiries i ntonature of narcotic plants, and states, that he founda peculiar principle extremely pure in all of them he

examined, such as belladona, hyoscyamus, con ium,

stramon ium, dig italis, &c . The narcotic principles,he says, are soluble in alcohol, aether, acids, and

water, and of a highly offensive

See Article CXXXIX . p . 253 ;

O IL, CASTOR O leum Ricini .

Little need here be observed in addition to whathas been already said of castor o il, at p . 258 . The

oil is well known and un1versally prized in all

Eastern countries, and is, I understand, spoken of in

a Chineseanedi’

cal work, entitled, Puntsaou, in highcommendation ; the seeds are called in Chin ese p ematsze.

see Article CXLII . p . 259 .

O IL KYAPO O T IE Cty'

aputi O leum.

This oil, diluted with about an equal quantity of

olive oil, I have found of the greatest use as an

external application in chron ic rheumatism. I haveknown benefit derived from the internal use of the oil

in palsy, and that sinking of the spirits,and loweringof the pulse, which frequently attend hysteria and

hypochondriasis, in doses.

of five or six drops in

syrup ; its taste is pungent but agreeable, it burns

quickly, and is perfectly soluble in sp irit of wine .

See Dr. Copland’

s London Medical Repository and Reviewfbr Feb . 1826 , pp . 183, 184.

CHAP . I II ; MATERIA INDICA . 6 19

See Article CL . p . 27 1 .

OPIUM Op ium.

R Syrupi papaveris,

Tincturae opii camphoratae as f g i..Aquae cinnamomi gss.

Misce, fiat haustus, ter in die sumendus in hooping after the bowels have been f ully opened .

A full dose of laudanum at the beginn ing of nervous

remittent fever in India, when the bowels have beenfully evacuated, often puts a check to it, such as

R Tincturae op i 1 f liquor. volatil. corn . cerv. fgi.

aquae cinnam. f‘

gi. , syrup . zingib. 5L; misce, fiat

haustus. In the asthmatic coughs of old people,

fg iiss.-5iij. of the tinctura opii camphorata may

be given in a little barley-water at bed-time, provided always that the bowels are open . R Sp irit .ammon . aromat . f5L, tincturae opil, mxxxv. , aquaecinnam. f gt ; misce, fiat haustus for flatulent

cramp in the stomach, when the bowels are open .

R Emplastri aromatici, emplastri opii, partes aequales ;fiat emplastrum, for flatulent cramp in the stomach,

or this embrocation may be used : R JEtheris sul

phurici f5113s , spiritus‘

camphorae fgiiss. , tincturae

op ii fgss. ; misce, fiat embrocatio. The followingis useful in spasmodic cholic R Tincturae op ii f5iss. ,

olei ricin i f gss” misturae assafoetidae fgvii. misce,fiat enema. Mr. Brande recommends the following

p ills in rheumatic pains : R O pii gran . iv. , calome

lano s gran . vi . , antim tart. gr. i. , extract . con ii

misce, et divide in pilulas“ viii . , sumantur duse hormdecubitus. Sertuerner having discovered that the

‘

sedative principle of opium was an alkaline salt,

O ften very obstinate in_India, and requiring frequen t change

bf air .


morp hia, Roubiquet, by many curious experimentsconfirmed his statemen ts, and has given to the worldthe best method of preparing it, which may be foundexactly detailed in Magendie

’

s“Formulaire, edit . by

Dr . Dunglison , pp . 3 , 4. By certain experIments

prosecuted by De Rosne, that gentleman obtained a

salt, in wh ich, he thought, consisted the sedative pro

perties of opium, but the subsequent labours of Ma

gendie and Robiquet have proved, that De Rosne’

s

salt, which they have named narcotineJ

r, is properlyspeaking that principle which p roduces the excite

ment felt by those who take op ium, before the sedativeeffects are produced . With regard to the quan tityof morphia produced from different opiums, Dr .

Thomson informs us, that he obtained from TurkeyOpium, n early three times the quan tity of morphia,

yielded by the same weight of' India op ium on the

other hand Mr . Brande procured from a caref ully

prepared sample of English op ium, a larger quan tityof morphia than from the same weight of Turkeyopium, (Manual of Pharmacy, p . It wouldseem, that opium in combination with vegetableacids or oil has its powers increased . With regardto the combinations of morphia, its acetate and ci

trate, they may be used in the same diseases in whichopium itself is indicated . Dr. Thomson, in the last

edition of his London Dispensatory, observes“ the

result of my own experience inclines me to re

gard the acetate as well adapted for cases of phthisisand inflammatory affections, where it is of importan ce to obtain the sedative effect of the remedy freefrom the exciting quality .

”The efficacy

‘

of the

The mode is also given in Brande’

s Manual of Chemistry,vol . iii. p . 6 9 .

'

l For its preparation see Magendie’

s Formulaire, edition byDr . Dunglison, p . 14.

6 22 MATERIA INDI CA. PART 1 .

two excellent substitutes are resorted to, both fullynoticed in Part II . of this work, V IZ . the fly namedin Hindoostan ie telini, which is the meloe ciclzorei

of natural history, and the one called meloe trianthema. See article Telini in vol . ii . The

‘

moxa,which, when burnt, is so much used as an externalstimulant in China and Japan , the reader will findnoticed in vol. ii . of this work, under the name Ma

sbiputrie (Tam. ) (A rtemisia Indica). There has

lately been discovered a peculiar chemical principle in black pepper

”“byMr . O erstadt, somewhat re

sembling the resins ; it would appear that M . Melihas successf ully employed it as a febrifuge it is said

to be even more certain than sulphate of quinine ;and more active, and must be given in smaller doses.

See Article CLXXI . p . 317 .

PO ISON NU T , or Nux V O MIO A Nua' Vomica.

In addition ' to what I have already stated regard

ing this nut, I have to observe , that M. le Docteur

Fouquier , physician O f the Hospital of la Charité of

Paris, is said to have employed the alcohol extract

w ith success in p arap leg ia ; Alibert for this purpose

tells us, that “ deux dé cigrammes (quatre grains)have been given in two doses, at two or three hours

distance betwixt each . The Chinese are well

acquainted with the deleterious qualities O f thisnut, which they call nza-tseen they have an idea,that n utmeg (tow-bow) has somehow the power of

dimin ishing its poisonous nature ; Loureiro observes,that he gave an infusion O f the half toasted seeds inwme to a horse labouring under weakness of limbs,and that he died convulsed about four hours after

See article Shevium, in vol. ii.

CHAP . I I I . MATERIA IND ICA. 628

taking it ; on the other hand he informs us, that theseeds burnt black may be safely admin istered, and

are useful in fluor albus (see Flora Cochin-Chin ,

vol . i . p . In Magendie’s Formulaire,

”

edited by Dr. Dunglison , will be found (p . the

mode oi'

preparing stry chnine, as also formulae for

its admin istration in p ills, t incture and mixture ;we are there told, that the action of pure strychn ineis like that of the alcoholic extract of nux vomica, butmuch more powerful, one eighth of a grain beingsufficient to kill a large dog . The p ills should b eso prepared

'

with conserve O f roses, that each do

not contain more than one twelfth, or one eighth

of a grain ; of the tincture from six to twentyf our‘

drops may be given ; it is made with an ounce of

alcohol, and three grains of stry chnine.

In the London Medical and Physical Journal, for

Feb . 1826 , p . 17 8 , is detailed a case of ep ilepsy byDr . Bqfifzr io, in which strychn ia was employed to

the extent of one grain doses, but not with any last

ing good effect. Mr. Stowe states, that poisoningwith nux vomica, must be treated in the same manner

as poison ing with henbanefi

See Article CLXXV . p . 327 .

PoTAss Potassa.

R Aqum cinnam. fgiss. ,liquor potassae subcarbon .

m xv. ,spirit . mther . n itric i f5ss. , tincturae opii

mxxv. ,syrup . simp . f 3L ; misce, fiat haustus, ter

in die sumendus, in gravel; R Aquae potassa:

fgss” aquae liquor. calcis fgvii. ; m isce, of this a

For an ac count of the effect of n ux vomic a in prokind of catalepsy, also in preventing hydrophobia and

the progress of lep ra, _

see Transactions of the CalcuttaSociety, vol . i. p . 138 .

6 24 MATERIA INDI CA . PART ‘I .

table-spoonfulmay be taken twice or thrice in the dayin a little chicken broth, in gravel. R Potassae sub

carbonat. 9 L, rhaei gran . vi . , pilulmhydrarg . gran . iij. ,Syrupi

~zingib . q . s. fiant p ilulae vi. , capiat unam his

in die, in gravel combined with hepatic derangement,to be repeated .

See Article CLXXXIII . p . 342.

RHUBARB Rheum.

The tinctura rhaei et aloes and the tinctura rhaei et gen tianae are both excellen t stomachic laxatives, and may be useful in cases of dys

pepsia or flatulent colic, in doses of from fgi. to f giv. ;

but if required to purge as far as f5vii . may be given .

The pilulas rhari compositae 1s perhaps the best ofall the stomachic purges in cases of hypochondriasIS

or dyspepsia the dose from grs. viii . to grs. xv. or

xvi . , twice daily.

R Rhub . pulv grs. x

Pulv. rad . colomb . grs. x .

Pulv. aromatic . grs. v.

Misce, fiat, pulv. hor. somn i sumendus, to keepthe bowels open in dyspepsia.

R Pulv. rhmi

Pulv . jalap .

Calomel.Syrup . zingib . q. s.

~ Fiant p ilul . vi. , four of which may be taken at

going to bed, and the other two if required in the

morning, to open the bowels freely, and carry of

offending bile . R Pulveris rhaei, pulveris myrrhae aa

grs. xv. , aloes vulg. extracti grs. vi i. extracti anthe

23


appeal s to have been the res of Virgil (G eorg . 11.

v. Dioscorides 1 . . c . lxxxix . p . 209 . says of

it,“

vi por1o exalfactoria pollet et sanat morbum

regium.

See Article CLXXXVI . p . 351.

RU E , COMMON Ruta .

Dr . Thomson says, that he has found a strong in

fusion of the leaves, exhibited per anum, of great

use in relieving the convulsions* of infants.

R Extract . rutse graveol . gran . xii . , aloes spicat.

gran . vi. , rhaei gran . viii . , syrup . simp . q. s. ; fiant p ilul . ,vi. to be taken during the day in suppression of the

menses. The oleum rutae is given in hysteria as a

stimulant and antispasmodic, in doses of frommiiJ.to m vi . in syrup ; the common dose of the extractis from grs. xii . to grs. xv . or Bi. in pills.

See Article CXCII . p . 365.

SAL AMMONIAC Mur ias Ammoniae.

Dr. Paris informs us in his Pharmacologia, that a

plaster prepared with g ss. of the muriate, 31. of

soap, and iJ. of acetate of lead, is a valuable rubefaciant in pulmonic complaints. The aqua ammonias

(Edin . ) some think the best of all antacids (whenwell diluted) in heartburn , the dose from mvii . to

mxv. in a large cup-full of tep id water. The spiritus

mindereri. (aqua acetatis ammonite (Dub . is, perhaps,

the safest and most effectual diaphoretic, the dosefrom fg iiss. to f5xii . repeated every three or four

Alston thought very highly of it in the same affect ions (Mat .

Med . vol . ii. p . Boerhaave himself took it in great quantities : Dolia ejus quotannis absumo

”

(vide Chem. ii. p . 7 7

CHAP . I II .-MATERIA IND ICA . 6 27

hours. R Aquae acetat . ammon . fg iiJ. , aquae fontanaefg ix. , potass. n itrat. gran . v . , syrup . simp . 3iss. misce,fiat haust. , to be given at bed-time, after proper

evacuations have been procured, in arden t remitten tfever ; to this, tinctur . opii mxxv . may be added, if

circumstances admit .

R Ammon ias (am-. pra

—zp . ) 9 ss.

Succ . limon .

g iiss.

Aqua? cinnam. gi.Syrupi zingib . g iss.

Misce, fiat haustus . A useful draught in fevers ;or fs i. of the liquor . ammon i subcarb . may be givenoccasionally in a little tep id gruel . The spiritusammon ia} arom. i , or sp ir. ammon . foetid . , in doses offg i . , are useful in hysteric depressions or colic ; or

the spirit. ammon succin . , in the dose of f5ss.

R Spir. ammon . succin . fg iiss.

Misturaacampho fgvii.Tincturae castor. fg i .

Syrup . simp .

Fiat mistura, cujus capiat aeger cochlearia duo,

in an hysteric attack . The lin imentum ammon iac

fortius (linimentum volatile is a most var

luable external application, spread on flannel, in sore

throat ; or-rubbed on the skin to relieve rheumatic

pains ; though it is often necessary to render it

milder by the addition of a little Olive O il : but IO ften found the soap lin imen t (lin . sapon . composit . )moreuseful in India in rheumatism.

Sal volatilis salis ammoniaci of the old Pharmacopoeias, also

sal cornu cervi.1' Spir . salis ammoniaci, P. L . 1720 — 1745.

1: O ften called sal volatile .

s s 2


See Article CXCVI . p . 37 3 .

SALTPETRE, or NITRE Nitrum.

R Potassa—z n itratis

Decocti hordeiO xymellis simp .

Misce, fiat’

gargarisma, in inflammatory sore

throat ; or the trochischi n itratis potassaa (Edin . )may be used for the same purpose, one or two takenoccasionally . R Decocti avenae 01J. , potassaan itratis

51ss. fiat potus ; in arden t fever, after due evacu

ations have been procured or it may be made withdecoctum

'

hordei O ij. R Potassaa n itratis giss. , aquaefontanae fgiv” mucil. gum. Arab . fgij. , vini antimon i

mxl . , syrup . aurant . f385. misce, capiat f i i. , ter indie, in remittent fever, with a hot skin and teazingcough . R Emuls. acacrae Arab . fgvi” potassae n i

trat . 9 11ss. , aceti scilla—3 fgv. , spiritus menth . p ip'

er .

fgiss. misce, fiat mistura, capiat aeger f3L, ter in die,in dropsical affections.

An O ld writer has said, that “ it is not probablethat a native saltpetre is any where to be found,whatever some authors may aflirm but we now

know that this is not the case ; Brande”“himself states,that “ it i s an abundant natural product .

”Cer

tain ly the ancients confounded it Often with other

substances ; Hippocrates speaks of w rgov, egudgov,

N r gov, 850 G alen f, Pliny 1, and Dioscorides5, alluse various names for a certain saline substance, but

Manual of Chemistry, vol. 11. p . 36

1 Vide Simpl . and 11.

1“

Pliny, lib . c . 10.

§L . 5. 131 .


gave sarcocol in substance to the extent of 3IJ.

(Mesue, Simpl . 1. ii . c . xviii . p . Shroder not

more than 31.

See A rticle CCI . p . 381 .

SARSAPARILLA, Substitute for Per ip loca I ndica .

I have noticed at p . 382, the nature and mode of

using this root . The true sarsaparilla of America,was at one time thought to possess powerful antisy

philitic virtues, but is now‘

merely considered as

useful in rendering a mercurial course more effica

z cious. Paris Observes, that it is rarely boiled enoughDr . Thomson on the other hand thinks long boilinginjures it ; Mr . Brande is of op 1nion , that the virtuedoes not reside exclusively in the cortical part ; butis to be sought for in the amylaceous covering of

the woody fibre, only to be dissolved by due boiling(Brande

’

s Manual of Pharmacy, p . Geoffroy,

gave it to the quantity of from 55s. to gij. in sub

stance, and in decoction to fgss. (Geofi ii . p .

in venereal affections, The reader w ill find much

curious information regarding sarsaparilla, In some of

the old authors de»Morbo G allico, such as Cardanus,

Claudianus, Massa, 8250 . The preparations in modernuse, are : the decoctum sarsaparilla}, of which fgiv .

may be taken thrice daily ; the decoctum sars. com

pos. , of which the same quan tity may be ordered.

Much of the good effects of this last preparatIO n Iconsider is owing to the guaiac . root which it contains ; a medicine perhaps not sufficiently appreciated,nor is the gum resin itself. The following is the

O ld decoctum lusitan icum, and which was, some

years ago, supposed to possess valuable alterativevirtues : R Radic is sarsaparillaz, ligni sassafrasencis,

CHAP . I I I . MATERIA IND ICA . 6 3 1

lign i guaiaci rasi, singulorum fgissq radicis mezerei,seminum coriandri, as. f5ss. , aquae distillatae 0. x. ,

coque ad octorios quinque ; of this a pint is to be

taken daily.

See Article CCIV.

SCAMMONY Scammonia .

I have Observed, that some of the old Arabianwriters said much against this medicin e, but no one

has expressed himself so decidedly in opposition to itas a writer of a much later age, Hoffman : Ego

nunquam in praxi mea in usu habui, nec in posterum

habebo ; me semper ab ejusmodi venen is colliquativisabstinens z

” Hoffman in Shrod . p . 57 3 . Alston oh

serves candidly, I reckon scammony milder than the

resinajalapae (Mat . Med . vol . ii . p .

R Scammon iae gran . vi. , pulv. jalapae gran . xv . , am

mon ia: subcarbonat . gran . vi. ; tere ut fiat pulvis,for a purge . R A loes spicat . gran . xxx . , scammonizn

gran. xxx . , terebinth . com. , q . s. ; fiant p ilulae xv. ,

one in general is sufficent to keep the bowels open,taken at bed-time . R Pulv. scammonias composit .

gran . xii . , pulv. rhaei gran . vi . , hydrargyr . submuriat.

gran . iiJ. , syrup zingib . q. s. ut fiant p ilulas v. , for a

dose, to purge off bile, or bring away ascarides.

See Article CCV. p . 389 .

SENNA Senna.

R Infusi senn tnTincturaajalap .

Magnesiaa sulphat.

Syrupi zingib.

Fiat haustus ; a strong purge, at the

inflammatory fever .

3 s 4


Senna is one of our most efficacious purges ; twodrachms, when infused during the whole n ight in

eight or ten ounces,of boiling water, are as powerful

as thrice that quan tity when infused but for one

hour : to this two drachms of manna may be addedbefore taken , to prevent griping . The electuarium

semnae composit . , by itself, is a good aper1ent, in dosesO f fromgi. to 5v . ; if a l ittle powdered Jalap, sayeight or ten grains, are added to it, it is a powerful

purgative .

I have.

not been able to learn, that any of the

G reek writers previous to A ctuarius notice senna ;

he was properly speaking a Jew physician , but wrote

in G reek, and practised in Constantinople in the

13 th century ; but the medicine had been particularlytreated of by the A rabian writers, upwards of . 300

years before his time ; first by Mesne, who died inA .D . 865, and afterwards by Serapio, who flourishedin A .D. 89 0.

See Article CCIX . p . 395.

SO DA, CARBONATE OF Carbonate of Soda .

R Extract. anthemid. 5L, sodae carbon . sss. , pulv.

rhaei EL, olei carui mx. , syrup . zingib . q . s . ; fiant

p ilul. xxiv. ; two to be taken thrice daily in dys

pepsia : or this : R Sodae subcarbon . 9 1v. , radicisrhaei contus. 3iiss. , corticis cascaril. contus. 5L, aquaeferventis fgxii. macera per horas tres, dein cola,

capiat anger f gi. his in die . R Sodae subcarbon . ,

myrrhm optimae as gran . iv. , ferri sulphat . gran . ij.fian t p ilulae dum, ter in die sumend . (Hoop er), in

scrophula : in that,

complaint in India, I have found

greater advantage from preparations of iron , and sea

bathing, than any other medicine . The best pre

634 MATERIA,IND I CA . PART 1 .

See Article c 111. p . 402 .

SQU ILL Scilla .

R Aceti scillm f gi.

Decocti hordei fgv.

Syrupi croci fgi.

Misce, fiat mistura. A table-spoonful to be takenthree or four times in the day, when cough is troublesome .

R Syrupi papaveris fgvi” oxymellis scillm f giijdecocti hordei f gvi. ; misce, capiat cochlear. duo

magna, ter in die ; in simple catarrh, proper evacu

ations having preceded . The compound squill pillis an excellent expectorant, in doses of from grs iij.to grs. xii. ; it may be combined with ipecac . , or,

when water may be suspected to be forming in thechest, with the blue p ill or calomel. R Pilulae scillaecomposit. Bij. , pulv . ipecac . gran . iv . , pilul. hydrarg .

gran . xii . , vel hydrargyr . suhmur. gran . syrup .

zingib. q . s. fiant p ilulaa xviii . , two to be taken at

n ight and one in the morn ing . R Pulv . scillae gran .

xii . pulv . ipecac . gran . X 11. , extract. tyraxaci Biij.

p ilul . hydrarg . gran . x . syrup . simp . q . s. fiant xxiv. ,

capiat duo, mane et vespere, in dropsy. Mr .

Bran de tells us, that obstinate hoarsen ess is sometimes removed, by thirty drops of the tincture of

squills, taken n ight and morn ing, in a little water.

The Romans used both the oxymel and acetum

The acetum scillw may be seen very highly spoken of,m con

sumptive cases, in an old book , attrzbuted to Galen ! viz.

“ De

Medicamentis, facile parandis ; of it is saidm that work, “ Item

phthisicos ab omnibus deploratos hoc medicamento sanitati resti

tuos nov1mus I believe it to be a very valuable expectorant,and have found it so in India.

CHAP . 111 . MATERIA IND ICA. 635

scillae (scillinum) the last they thought had virtues

in epilepsy : with the first they prepared a warm

gargle, which they ordered in quinsey (see Pliny,Nat . Hist. book xxiii. chap .

B< Pulv. scillae exsiccat . gran . pulv. fol. digital.

grs. ii . , pilulae hydrarg . gran . iiss . fiant p ilulae duac,hora somni sumendae, in in cipient hydrothorax ; ifrest is required, to this may be added, extract . lactucac grs. v . to vi.

See Article CCXVIII . p . 411 .

SULPHUR Sulp hur .

Before proceeding further, I must here rectify a

mistake, made by my amanuensis, at page 413 . In

speaking of sulphur, it is there said, that Dr. Thom

son cautions us against the e whausz‘

z’

on which sulphur

is so apt to induce ; this, he does not say of sulphur,

but of a very different medicine, sup er tar tras p o.

R ‘Sulphur. sublimat .

Potassae supertart .

Electuar. sennee compos.

Syrup . simp . q . s.

Misce, fiat electuarium ; of this a tea-spoonful

may be taken at bed-time for the p iles.

R Sulphur. sub lim.

Potassm sulph

Electuar. senuse compos .

Syrup . slmp . q . s.

Fiat electuarium, capiat aeger singulis noctibus

cochleare minutum, for the piles ; bathing the parts.

frequently at the same time with water made cold byme ans of salt-petre, in India .


R Sulph . sublima

Sacchari non purific . ,

Supertart. potassae, aa 31j.

‘

Misce, fiat pulvis, bis in die sumend. , in scabies,the itch, impetigo, or blotched face .

R Sulphur. lot1 Blj.— 9 11ss.

Sodae subcarbon . gran . xxx .

Pulv . an tim. gran . iss. gran . ij.

Misce, fiat pulv. , bis in die sumend . , in cutaneous*

impurity, consequent of unchecked cardialgia, whichit often is, in India.

R Sulphur. sublim.

Adipis praepar.

Misce, fiat unguentum to be rubbed on the af

fected parts every n ight at bed-time, in the itch, 1

L

See Article CCXXX . p .442 .

THORN APPLE Datura.

It would appear that M. Brande had succeededin procuring an alkaline principle from the seeds of

the datura stramonium, as well as from the hyoscya

mus m'

ger . Magendie regrets, however, that that

For such affections, Dr . Thomson says, that he considers

the solution of potass, (liquor potassae, LQnd almost a perfec t

specific , given in doses of frommx . to f5ij . 1u some bitter infusion .

1“The hydro

-sulphuretum ammoniac (Dub .) is a medicine I haveno experience of in India ; it is said to be powerfully sedative,lowering the action of the heart and arteries. Mr. Cruikshankordered it in small doses ofmv. or mvi. , three or four times in theday, m a la1ge tumbler of water.

1: In the Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of

Calcutta, p . 121, will be found an account of the successful use

of a decoction of the datura fast . in spasmodic asthma ; 3i. of

the bark, to lb . iss . of water, boiled to lb . 1,dose


much used, both externally and internally by all de

scriptions of medical men , in India ; next to it, asan internal medicine m that country, may be rankedthe tamarind pulp ; on the other hand, lime-julee, andthat of oranges, or pumplemoses, not quite ripe, arehostile to many stomachs, and apt to bring on ch

‘

o

lera morbus. A tea-spoonful of vinegar is an ada

mirable adjunct to tepid drinks, such as barley-wateror rice-gruel, when persp iration is required to be

brought on in inflammatory fever ; cloths dipped init and water, are a good application in sprains and

bruises ; or a cataplasm may be made with vinegarmixed w ith linseed-meal it forms a good collyriumwith a little brandy and rose-water. R Aceti fgij. ,sp iritus tenuioris fgi. , aqua: rosae fgxv. ; fiat collyrium. The following I have found to be a useful

embrocation in pains and bruises, when the skin re

mains entire : R Ammoniae preparatae gij. , aceti O iij. ,Sp iritus tenuioris O iiss. misce . The acidum aceto

sum aromaticum (aromatic Vinegar) is an agreeable

perfume, and is considered as antifebrile, taken indoses of f583 . in barley-water. With vinegar, boiledwith honey, may be prepared an excellent gargle, ininflammation of the

'

throat . Dr. Pearson gives us

this useful caution in his Practical Synopsis of theMateria Medica When vinegar is ema

ployed to fumigate sick rooms it should be boiled in

glazed earthen p ipkins, and carried about the bed,

and not thrown on hot bricks, by which means it is

decomposed .

”The anc ients thought very highly of

vinegar : Pliny tells us (Nat . History, book xxiii .chap . that an oxycrate made with it is an excellen t remedy in burns, scaldings, and various catas

neous afifeciz’

ons

CHAP . 111. MATERIA INDI CA . 689

See Article I . chapter 11. page 495.

ANTIMONY Antimonium.

R Pulveris antimonialis grs . v.

Potassa: nitratis grs. vi.

Misce, fiat pulvis, hora somn i sumendus ; as a su

dorific,in inflammatory fever.

R Calomel

Pulv . antimon .

Pulv. rhaei

Syrup . simp . q. s.

Misce, ut fiant p ilulae v . ,

i

one to be taken everytwo hours, at the commencement of ardent remib

tent fever in India. The mode of giving the antimonial , wine has already been mentioned . The pre

s

cipitated sulphuret of antimony was long considereda very useful medicine ; of late years it is not so

much trusted to, except when combined with mercury, and then it is prescribed with advantage in

venereal cuticular impurities, given at the same time'

with sarsaparilla.

R Sulphur. antim. prmcip . grs. iij.Pilulae hydrargyr.

Extract . lactucae grs. iij.

Fiant pilulae to be taken at n ight and one

in the morning, and continued for some time, in ano-a

malons venereal affections. O f a somewhat similarnature to this are the pilulze hydrargyri submuriatis

composita} commonly called Plummer’s pill,so frequently now ordered by Mr. Abernethy in se

condary syph ilis ; the dose from grs. iv. to grs. xii . ,twice daily. The ointment used for raising a local


pustular eruption on the skin , is prepared by rubbingtogether gij. of tartarized antimony and 31. of hog

’

s

lard.

For poison ing with antimon y, I find recommendedby Mr . W. Stowe, after vomiting and diluting wellwith large draughts of bland fluids, that decoctionsof astringent vegetables should be drank freely.

See Article II . chap . 11. p . 49 8 .

ARSEN I C Arsenicum.

If to be given in substance as a tonic, Dr. Thomson

thinks the best mode is by rubbing one grain of'

the

white o xide with ten of sugar, and then beating the

mixture with a sufficient quan tity of crumb of

bread, and making the whole into ten p ills, one of

wh ich is a dose . I have noticed the use of the

wh ite oxide of arsen ic in cancerous cases, sprinkledover the face of the sore . Much valuable information is to be found on the subject of arsen l c 1n

cancer, in Justanzond’s Treatise on Can cerous Affec

tions, and still more in Le Febure’

s work (Remede

pour Guerir le Cancer), published in 17 75. Fowler’ssolution is made by boiling thirty-two grains of whitearsen ic, reduced to powder, and an equal quantity of

subcarbonate of potass, in four ounces of water ;

adding to the solution , when cold, four ounces more

of water and two drachms of spirit of lavender : thishas been given to children in hooping-cough, in thequantity of from two to six drops ; to adults, in dosesof from ten to fifteen , three times in the day. Whatwas called Jacobi’s solution , was somewhat differentfrom th is, and rather weaker. Many able men havewritten on the use of arsen ic : F rieciub‘, M olz

'

ler ,

Duncan, B radsley , S immons, &c . While some are


See Article V I . chap . 11. p .504.

COPPER Cup rum.

A t page 511 I have mentioned the dose of sul

phate of copper, when ordered'

as an emet1c ; i n

very small doses it has been given, as a tonic, in epi

lepsy. Brande has the following formula :

R Cupri sulphatis gran . iij.Medullae pan is 31.

Fiat massa in p ilulas xxiv. dividenda, quarum ca

piat eeger unam ter in die .

O f the virtues O f cuprum ammomatum in ep ilepsy,I can speak from experience , in India ; I orderedthe following

R Cupri ammoniat gran . i .Confect. aromatic . gran . xv.

Fiat bolus, bis in die sumendus at the same timewith sea-bathing .

R Cupri sulphat .

Extract. cascarillze resinor. gran . xvu .

O pii

Syrup . zingib. q. s.

U t fiant pilulm viii . , one to be taken three times inthe day in epilepsy .

In cases O f poison ing from copper,“ large draughts

of milk and water are'

to be taken to encourage vo

miting whites of eggs to be stirred up with waterand drank freely . Inflammatory symp toms to be

subdued on general principles, and the nervous afl

fections to be relieved by anodynes and antispasmo

dics.

”Such is the treatment recommended by Mr.

Stowe, in his Toxicological Chart ; he further states,

CHAP. 111 . MATERIA INDIC‘

A . 643

that sugar is not a specific antidote in such cases, as

O rfila atfirst promulgated.

See Article X . chap . 11. p . 522.

IRON F errum.

R Ferri sulphatis gran . iij.Pulver1s rhaei,Pulveris aromat. as gran . iij.

Misce, fiat pulv. , bis in die sumendus ; in general

debility .

R Ferri ammoniat . grs. v.

Pulv.cinnamom. compos. grs. x11.

Misce, fiat bolus, his in die sumend. ; in scro

phula or chlorosis.

R Tincturae ferri muriat . f3ss.

Spiritus cinnamom. f3iss.

Misce . Capiat aeger cochleare parvulum unum,

vel alterum his in die, ex cyatho aquae fontanae ; inscrophula.

The tinctura muriatis ferri is a powerful antispas

modic in cases of dysury, given in the quantity of

six or eight drops every quarter of an hour till it

sickens. I have employed it often in India, in such

cases, with the happiest effect .

R Ferri rubig . gran . viii .Pulv. zingiber.

Pulv. rhaei, as gran . iij.Confect . rosae gallicae q. s.

U t fiat bolus, his in die sumendus ; in amenorrhoea.

* D r. F. Hamilton found the medical men of Barar ordering a

preparation of iron , sakasrang (Hindu) lokaclzasma in

hooping cough . MSS.

T T 2


The rust of iron . Mr . Brande says that this pre

paration of iron , the rubigo ferri (ferri subcarbonas),has lately been recommended in the treatment O f thetic douloureux ; and in cancer Dr. Thomson has

found it to suspend the symptoms of that dreadfulmaladyfi

“

See Article X IV . chap . 11. p . 532.

LEAD 1“ P lumbum.

R Liquoris plambi acetatis mxviii.Aqua—3 distillatm f5viii.

Misce, fiat collyrium ; for inflammation O f the eyes,

the bowels being previously well purged . V el,

R Liquor. plumbi acetat .

Tinctura: op11, asA qua: rosae fn i.

Misce, fiat collyrium in ophthalmia.

R Plumbi acetatis,O pii, as gr. ss.

Confec . rosae gallicae q. s.

Fiat bolus, his in die sumendus ; in spitting of

blood .

The ceratum plumbi acetatis is a valuable application for burns and scalds.

R Liquoris plumbi acetatis giss.

Sp iritus tenuioris fgiss.Aquae distillates O iss.

Misce, fiat lotio ; for incipient phlegmon or to this

Englehart, of Gottingen, has lately, by a series of eX peri

ments, asce rtained, that the red colour O f the cruor of the bloodis owing to the iron it contains ; having deprived a portion of

cruor of its iron , by means of chlorine , it became colourless

1 Dr . F. Hamilton found a preparation of lead, sis/rangmixed with honey, ordered by the medical men

‘

O f B arar for

diflicult menstruation and gonorrhma. MSS .


R Hydrarg . oxymuriat . grs. iv.

Ammonim muriat. grs. viii .Sp iritus vinos. tenuior. f

Solve ; of this a tea-spoonful may be given twicedaily in rice gruel, in confirmed constitutional sy

philis.

R Hydrarg . submuriat .

Sulph . antimon . praecip .

Guaiac . resinae

Bals. COpaib . q. s.

U t fiant pilul . lx. , capiat aeger tres, singulis nocti

bus ; in venereal herpes ; to be continued till themouth is touched, using at the same time frequenttep id baths.

R Hydrarg . suhmur . gran . iv.

Pulv .

‘

jalap gran . xv.

Extract . colocyn . gran . vi .Fiant pilulas v. ; to be taken early in the morn

ing at the beginn ing O f fever, or to carry O ff Offending bile .

R Pilulae hydrarg .

Pulv. antimon . as.

O pii

Syrup Z 1ng1b . q . s .

Fiat pilula, hora ‘somn i samenda ; in venereal

blotches, attended with weakness and diarrhoea.

The hydrargyri n itrico-oxydum (or red precipi

tate) is much used for the purpose of sprinklingover chancres to clean them ; an Ointmen t is prepared with it for similar purposes, and which also

is Often employed for inflammation O f the tunicaconjunctiva. When properly diluted, the unguent .

CHAP . 111. MATERIA INDICA . 647

n itrat. hydrargyri is resorted to for some of those in

veterate cutaneous affections, Often met with in India.

The weaker sort (the unguent. n it . hydrarg . mitius,Edin . ) is considered, when moderately diluted withlard, as a specific in psoropthalmia, and in the pu

rulent opthalmia of infants. The unguentum hydrarg . praecipitat . albi, is a common application forching -carp an, or obstinate itch of infants, in India ;though it is a safer practice, perhaps, not to repel such

complaints by mercurials, but to moisten the parts

with castor O il twice daily, and attend to the state O f

the first passages, correcting acidity, by frequent

gentle doses of magnesia and rhubarb . The com

mon mercurial Ointment, rubbed in to the quantityof 3ss. , morn ing and even ing, at the same time thatthe medicine is administered internally, is a treat

men t usually adopted in India, when it becomes anObj ect to affect the mouth quickly ; or double that

quantity may be rubbed in , should the bowels be tooweak to admit of the remedy being given internally,which is Often the case in dysen tery . Mercury, in

India, provided there is sufficient reaction in the

frame at the period of its being admin istered, is themost powerful and most useful of all medicines ;and, in judicious hands, either cures, or gives a

salutary check to many of the diseases to whichEuropeans are subject. But in all cases in which a

solution of continuity is approach ing, or putrescency

threatens, it is dec idedly con tra-indicated : if given ,

for example, at the commencement of hepatitis,it w ill preven t suppuration ; but if suppurationhas taken place, mercury will retard the cure . In

the advanced stages of typhus fever, it hastens death :had it been prescribed skilfully during the first days

648 MATERIA mc . PART 1 .

of indisposition, the malady, perhaps, might neverhave assumed the typhoid type ; so with dropsicalaffections ; calomel, or the blue pill, will do much on

such occasions, if resorted to in time, but if administered when the powers of assimilation are gone, it

will certainly disappoint .I can recogn ize in mercury no sedative property

whatever, however great the dose ; it may, indeed,act by weight, and so be hurried through the stomach,

little changed and nearly inert ; but its essentialnature must still be the same . Might we not aswell

be told, that three or four glasses of brandy, if drank,will inebriate, but that a whole bottle will not have thesame effect P Mercury I conceive to be the most universal stimulan t and alterative ”“in the whole range O f

the Materia Medica, and as such seldom fails to do

good where it is clearly indicated . A lthough the most

valuable, yet is it also the most capricious I I knew

an individual who had hismouth violently affected bythree grains O f calomel , taken for two n ights following yet a year afterwards, he took it for several

weeks, w ithout its producing a similar result . A fact

which afforded me a salutary lesson through after

life, that this mineral ought to be dealt with charily .

Children may take larger doses O f calomel with im

pun ity than grown _up people, owing to the abun

dant mucus with which their intestines are lined ;and those who are what is termed nervousi , men or

women , will suffer infin itely more from the irritatinginfluence of mercury, than those who are not. Mr.

it It is an old fashioned word, it is true ; but where we cannot

exactly explain the modus op erandz’

, I know none more expressive .

1' In such habits, it not unfrequently produces vertigo, tremour,

and palpitation .


a slight degree of ptyalism, under the circumstanceswe alluded to, as a friendly notice fromDame Nature

herself, that we had gain ed the wished-for goal . Ishall ever remember one very marked instance, in thecase of a poor fellow, a private of his Majesty

’

s 74thregiment, who was in so miserable a state from dysentery, that I expected every hour to be his last ; Ihad quitted him late the preceding even ing, whenhis motions were so frequent, and tenesmus so dis

tressing, that he required the almost constant use of

the bed-pan ; but what was my surprise in the morning, to find him sitting up in bed ; and on being askedhow many motions he had during the n ight, to hearhim reply,

“O h ! none since midnight ; but I have gotamuch worse complaint, so sore a mouth, that I canscarcely speak he had been for two days rubbingin g ij. of strong mercurial Ointment morn ing and

even ing, and which fortunately had the effect I somuch desired, just in time to save him ; the medicinehad exerted its alterative powers a transfer of

humours had been brought about to a distant part,and the bowels had in consequence been relieved bythe change !

To conclude ; when I have spoken O f mercury,I mean t mercury in all or any O f the forms in whichit is commonly admin istered . Calomel, by being a

valuable purge, is, no doubt, peculiarly useful in

many cases ; and, by its at the same time stimulatingthe liver and biliary ducts, an increased secretion O f

bile must naturally ensue from its being employed ;but I humbly conce ive, whatever may have been,c ertainly very ably, said by Mr. Annesly

*respecting

See his excellent Observations on the use and abuse O f ca

lomel , in the first volume (p . of the Transactions O f the

Medical Society of Calcutta.


the mechan ical and chemical operation of calomel,that the happ iest influence O f that preparation mustbe by its effect on the general habit, simp ly as mer

cury thereby changing for a time the nature of

many of the secretion s, rendering them evidentlymore fluen t, and, consequently, removing organ iccongestion , dark viscid bile, And, perhaps,

the best of all proofs, in support of what I have herewith much diffidence advanced, is our con templatingthe extraordinary relief often given in cases of he

patitis, syphilis, acute rheumatism, and, most O f all,

dysentery, when no calomel had been g iven at all,

but the mercury rubbed in, in the form of an un

guent .

See Article XX. chap . 11. p . 56 2.

SILVER Argentum.

The n itrate of silver is chiefly employed as a caus

tic, but of late years it has been found to be usefultaken internally as a ton ic and antispasmodic, andto be especially indicated in epilepsy (Med. Chir.Trans. vol . ix . p . and chorea ; but Dr. A .

T. Thomson is of opin ion , that little advantage is

gained by it, unless it is preceded by a course O f

purgatives.

R A rgent i nitrati gran . i .

Confectionis rosae gran . x .

Flan t p ilulae sex, sumat mger unam ter in die .

I have been informed, that the following prescription of Dr. Thomas’s, has been given with the besteffects in epilepsy. R Argenti nitratis grs. iij. solve

terendo in aquae distillatae m aliquot, et adde


micae panis q . s. ; fiat massa in p ilulas V1g1nti dis

tribuenda ; sumat aeger unam vel duas bis terve ink

d1e .

See Article X X I . chap . 11. p . 56 8 .

T IN 3“ Stannum.

Tin is now known to have no medicinal property,beyond its mechan ical effect in expelling worms ;and, in that respect, I believe it to be far inferior toeither the root of the pomegranate tree or O il of

turpentine .

R Limatur. stanni,

Confection . cassiae, as gi.Misce, fiat electuarium, capiat aeger magn itud .

nucis moschatae bis in die ; this may be continuedfor three or four days, after which, a purge of the

compound powder of scammony and rhubarb, or O f

calomel and rhubarb, may be taken to bring awaythe worm or worms.

R Pulv. scammoniae composit . (Lond. ) gran . xn .

Pulv . rhaei gran . xii.Misce, fiat pulv.

R Pulv . rhmi

Calomel

Misce, fiat pulvis.

it Dr. F . Hamilton found a preparation O f tin , called tap asralc

bangga ordered by the Vy tians of Bahar to be

g iven in milk, for gonorrhoea.

654 MATERIA INDI CA . PART 1 .

To produce vomiting, the sulphate of zinc hasbeen given to the extent of gss. , but from grs. x . to

grs. xv . or Bi. will generally excite it.

R Zinc . sulphat .

Misturae camphor,Aquaarosse, as

Misce, fiat collyrium.

R Z inci sulphat .

U nguenti adipis praapar. gMisce, fiat unguentum ; to smear the edges of

the eye-lids, in cases of venereal ophthalmia.

O F THE FIRST VOLUME .

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