*v 



"Soomboolkhar, 'the white oxide ol arsenic' There are sii 



kinds of this, one named Sunkia the third Godanta, the fourth 

 Daroaa, the fifth Huldea. The Yunani physicians do not allow this 

 to form a part of their prescriptions, as they believe, it destroys 

 the vital principle. The physicians of India, on the contrary, 

 find these drugs more effectual in many disorders, than others 

 of less power, such as the calx of metals. For this reason too 

 I am in the habit of seldom giving these remedies internally, but 

 I usually oonfine my use of them to external application and as 

 aphrodisiacs which I prescribe to a few friends, who may have 

 derived no benefit from Yunani prescriptions. It is better 

 however to use as few of them as possible." l 



"Para, 'Mercury.' It is very generally used throughout India 

 in many ways, both in its native and prepared state, but in the 

 latter we ought to be very cautious, fox it is seldom sufficiently 

 killed or removed from its native state, in which it is a dangerous 



drag." 2 



"Loha, •Iron.' It is commonly used by physicians in India, 

 but my advice is to have as little to do with it as possible." 3 



At the end of the present work is appended a glossary of 

 Indian plants described by Sanskrit writers. In the body of the 





work I have selected for notice only such drugs and plants as 

 have some definite U3e in a particular disease, or class of diseases. 

 Numerous other plants used in medicine incidentally, or for 



economic purposes, are mentioned by Sanskrit writers, but these 

 are not of sufficient importance in a medicinal point of view to 

 deserve detailed notice in a work of this sort. I had prepared 

 an alphabetical list of these plants with their vernacular and 

 scientific names for my personal use. Dr. King kindly undertook 

 to revise this glossary for me, and, at his suggestion, it is printed 

 as an appendix to this work. 



The Bengali equivalents of the Sanskrit terms in the glossary 

 have been taken mainly from Sir Raj 4 Rudhakdnta Deva's 

 Encyclopasdia of Sanskrit learning entitled the Sabdakalpadrurna. 

 The Hindi names have been obtained from the vernaculars given 



1. Taloef Shareef. translated by Geerge Playfair, page 99. 



2. Idem, page 26.. 



3. Idem, pag e 146. 



