Tas. 7075. 
BERBERIS Lycrum. 
Native of the Western Himalaya. 
Nat. Ord. Bexseripex.—Tribe BERBERER. 
Genus Berseris, Linn. ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. i. p. 43.) 
Berseris Lycium; frutex glaberrimus, ramulis gracilibus, spinis 3-fidis, 
foliis fasciculatis oblanceolatis apiculatis integerrimis rarius spinuloso- 
dentatis rigidiusculis subtus pallidis glaucis, racemis gracilibus multi- 
floris, floribus gracile pedicellatis, sepalis 3 exterioribus minutis 3 
interioribus petalis obovatis dimidio minoribus, baccis ellipsoideis sub- 
acutis, stylo brevi gracili, stigmate parvo pulvinato. 
B. Lycium, Royle in Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xvii. p. 94, and Ill, Plant. imal. 
p. 64 (ewel. syn.) ; Flick. § Hanbury Pharmacogr. p. 34 ; Drury Useful P?., 
of India, p. 76; Brandis For. Fl. p. 12; Stewart Panjab Pl. p. 7; 
Hook. f. & Thoms, Fl. Ind. p.225; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vol. i. p- 110. 
B. elegans, Hort. 
- B. aurahuacensis, Hort. Frebel. 
A very interesting plant, the subject of a learned 
treatise by the late Dr. Royle, published in the Transac- 
tions of the Linnean Society, in which it is shown to be 
one of the species of Barberry that yields the Indian 
Juycium of Dioscorides. The latter author mentions two 
species of Lycium as used for diseases of the eyes, a 
Grecian and an Indian, of which the latter is the most 
efficacious ; and the key to the identification of the Indian 
Lycium with the genus Berberis is the fact of Dioscorides 
giving it the Arabian name of Hooziz, which is the equi- 
_ valent for the Hindoo Rusot, and this again is the name 
applied to the various Indian species of Berberis which are 
used in native practice for diseases of the eye. 
Referring to its use, Dr. Royle says, “‘ The rusot is at 
the present day procurable in every bazaar in India, and 
is used by native practitioners, who are fond of applying 
it both in incipient and chronic inflammation of the eye, 
and in the latter state both simply and in combination 
with opium and alum. It is sometimes prescribed by 
European practitioners; and I have heard that it was 
found very efficacious by Mr. M‘Dowell in the ophthalmia 
of soldiers who had returned from the expedition to 
 Serremper Ist, 1889. — 
