man. Cakes made of the flour of this species, we are 
told by Thunberg, round, coloured, and baked, are sold in 
every inn in Japan. 
Loureiro states, that P. odoratum is cultivated through- 
out the kingdom of Cochin China as an excellent vegetable 
for eating with broiled meat and fish. 
Humboldt states, that the South American Indians 
smoke the leaves of P. hispidum instead of tobacco. 
P. perfoliatum is said by Loureiro to be used by the 
Chinese for softening ivory and bone, so as to render them 
more fit for being coloured and stamped with various figures. 
According to the same writer, P. tinctorium is used for dye- 
ing linen of a beautiful blue or green colour. P. chinense, 
barbatum, and aviculare, are cultivated in Japan for the 
same purpose; of these, we are informed by Thunberg 
that the former yields a sort of indigo,—the leaves being 
dried and pounded are made into cakes, in which state they 
are sold for dyeing both silk and cotton. 
The medical properties of Polygonums are unimportant ; 
none of the species are admitted into modern Materia 
Medicas, except the P. distorta. The root of this abounds 
with an astringent principle, which has been said to be 
of the utmost efficacy in atonic and chronic diarrhoeas, 
 hemorrhages, &c. The Centumnodia of the old Materia 
Medicas (P. aviculare) was said to have seeds endued with 
an emetic principle; but there appears to be no ground for 
the assertion. There is also a species known in Brazil, in 
the province of St. Paul, called Erva de bicho, which is not 
only used as a sort of sauce for all kinds of meat, but is 
administered, both externally and internally, as a kind of 
universal remedy for diseases and wounds. y4 
