Mr. Rovrz on the Lycium of Dioscorides. 93 
procurable in every bazar in India, and used by the 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 Egypt. I have myself occasionally 
prescribed it ; and the native mode of application makes it particularly eligible 
in cases succeeding acute inflammation, where the eye remains much swollen. 
The extract is by native practitioners in such cases rubbed to a proper con- 
sistence with a little water, sometimes with the addition of opium and alum, 
and applied in a thick layer over the swollen eyelids; the addition of a little 
oil I have found preferable, as preventing the too rapid desiccation. Patients 
generally express themselves as experiencing considerable relief from the ap- 
plication. 
I conceive that two species, under B. aristata, or at least two such very 
distinct varieties have been included, as to require particular notice. These 
are distinguished by the natives, apt to confound things together, by the 
names kushmul and chitra. The former growing at low elevations, (as 3000 
feet,) and therefore easily acclimated in the plains of India, has the leaves and 
branches paler-coloured, more thorny; flowers numerous; racemes erect, ap- 
pearing earlier in the season, and having less pleasant-tasted fruit; while 
chitra, which I conceive to be the true B. aristata, I have not found below 
5000 feet of elevation, with brownish-coloured branches, smooth, shining, 
almost entire leaves, each flower much larger than those of kushmul, though 
less numerous, on each of the drooping racemes. The fruit of this species, as 
well as that of B. nepalensis, is dried as raisins are in the sun, and sent down 
to the plains for sale. 
k Berberis aristata, spinis infimis tripartitis superioribus simplicibus com- 
pressis basi vix bidentatis, foliis 4—6-fasciculatis viridibus obovatis ob- 
longisve nitidis basi attenuatis integerrimis spinuloso-dentatisve, racemis 
15-floris nutantibus folio longioribus, pedicellis sæpe trifidis trifloris, 
squamulis rotundatis, ovariis subpilosis, baccis oblongis utrinque acutis. 
B. aristata. DeCand. Syst. Veg. ii. p. 8. Prodr. i. 108. Wall. Catal. n. 1474. 
ex parte. 
