426 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER." 



tery, cures fainting in children, irregularities of the digestive 

 organs, heart or stomach, paralysis, nocturnal alarm, &c, and 

 increases the general health." 



In the Chinese Kepository* is a further quotation from Li 

 She Chan concerning Dragon's bones, as follows : " The bones 

 are found on banks of rivers and in caves of the earth, places 

 where the Dragon died, and can be collected at any time. The 

 bones are found in many places in Szechuen and Shanse, where 

 those of the back and brain are highly prized, being variegated 

 with different streaks on a white ground. The best are known 

 by the tongue slipping lightly over them. The teeth are of 

 little firmness, the horns hard and strong, but if these are taken 

 from damp places, or by women, they are worthless."! 



It is possible that other mythical animals besides the Dragon 

 may be, like it, partly of fossil origin, as were, without doubt, 

 numerous races of Giants, which sprung from the discovery of 

 Mammoth bones. Fossil bones from caves, under the name of 

 Dragons' bones, were long used as medicine in Europe. A live 

 Dragon was discovered in Sussex in 16144 



It is not so long since all kinds of nastiness, such as pow- 

 dered Mummy and album grsecum were regularly used in English 

 medicine, as now by Chinese doctors. Sir Thomas Browne, in 

 his "Pseudoxia Epidemica/' published in 1646, although he 

 explodes many false notions in vogue at his day, as to the 

 Unicorn, yet gravely discusses the power, as antidotes to poisons, 



* The Chinese Eepository, Canton, 1832-1838, p. 253. Extract from 

 " Pun Tsaou Kang Muh." 



t For accounts of Chinese Medicine, see M. P. Dabry de Thiersant, " La 

 Medecine chez les Chinois." Also same author, and Dr. Leon Soubeiran, " La 

 Matiere Medicale chez les Chinois," also " Etudes sur la Matiere Medicale 

 des Chinois." Acad, de Medicine, Paris, July 16, 1873. 



t "True and Wonderful, a Discourse relating to a strange and mon- 

 strous Serpent or Dragon lately discovered and yet living, to the great 

 annoyance and divers slaughters both of men and cattell by his strong and 

 violent poison. In Sussex, two miles from Horsham, in a wood called 

 St. Leonard's Forest, and thirtie miles from London, this present month 

 of August, 1614." Printed at London, by John Trundle. In this book a 

 picture of the Dragon is given. It is in the form of a large lizard 

 with protruded barbed tongue and rudimentary wings. The dead victims 

 .ne strewed in front. The Dragon was nine feet in length. Its principal 

 haunt was at a place called Faygate. • 



