26 Dr. Falconkr's Description o/" Aucklandia, 



tus, has long been a disputed point among botanical writers. Linnaeus, upon 

 no good grounds, conjectured it to be produced by the Co^^m* ^r«6/fM.y, which 

 opinion appears to have been first disproved by Jacquin. Sprengel, in his 

 Commentaries on Dioscorides,* states that the Arabian Costus was not so 

 designated from growing in Arabia, but because it was imported from India 

 into that country. He does not, however, hazard a conjecture about the 

 plant which produces it. Professor Royle, in his 'Illustrations,'! gives the 

 history of the Costus as found in the works of the Persian Hukeems, and cor- 

 rectly infers, that the " Putchuh" of the Calcutta bazars is the same as the 

 Arabian Costus. He throws out a hint that the root might be the produce of 

 an umbelliferous plant. Ainslie, in his ' Materia Indica,'| gives Putchuck as 

 the Tamil synonym of Costus Arablcus. The necessarily limited nature of a 

 private scientific library at a remote station in India, prevents me from enter- 

 ing further upon the historical part of this subject. 



The account of Costus given by Dioscorides § is thus : — " Arabian Costus is 

 the best ; it is of a white colour, and light, and emits a very grateful and sweet 

 odour. Indian Costus holds the second rank ; it is thick and light like Ferula 

 (/cat Kow^oc wc vapOri^). The third sort is the Syrian, which is heavy, in colour 

 like box-wood, and emitting a strong odour. The best Costus is that which 

 is fresh, light-coloured, compact, and of firm texture, dry, not worm-eaten, 

 devoid of an acrid smell, and which tastes hot and biting." The medicinal 

 properties are then detailed. 



The Persian Hukeems have evidently founded their account of the Costus 

 upon that of Dioscorides. The best is to be found in the Tofteh-ool-moomi- 

 neen||, which is thus: — " Koost (i^J) is a root resembling in appearance 

 that of the Mandragora (Loofah »UJ), and comes from the borders of Hin- 



doostan. The plant which yields it is humifuse and stemless, and has broad 

 leaves. There are three sorts: the first, called Arabian or Ocean KSost, 



* Kiihn's Leipzig edition, 1830, torn. ii. p. 353. 



t p. 360. I vol. ii. p. 164. 



§ Sprengel's edition, torn. i. p. 29. (lib. i. cap. xv.). 



U MS., article k-J>. 



