932 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



drawn up by Piso, in which the Nux Medica is said to have played 

 such an important part in the restoration of the diseased to thmr 

 former health. We cannot refrain from reproducing in this place for 

 the benefit of the " sons of ^sculapins '* at least two of the many 

 medical prescriptions which were believed in and followed in the 16th 

 and 17th centuries : 



In Peste et Febribus malignis Gontagiosis. 



Cocci Maldivensis gj. Seminis Acetosse mundati 9]. Syrupi 

 e succo Graiiatorum acidorum, aut Scabiosas. aut florum Tunicse §j. 

 Diascordii Fracastorii gj. Decocti radicum Petasitidis, Scordii et 

 ScorzonersB, aut aquarum Boraginis, Buglossae, q. s. F. Potio. 



In Dysenteria cruenta, et Torminibus : facta ante praeparatione 

 debita per Rheum et Clysteres. 



Corticis intermedii Nncis Medical 31 (si desit, Medulla aut Putamen 

 vicem suppleat), Terrae Lemnise, Lapidis Bezoartici Onentalis et 

 BistortsB radicis ana 3J. Syr. de succo Portulac?e parum, ad consis- 

 tentiam, Bol. F et insuper adjectis requisitis, Couditum, Potio,, et 

 similia. 



The most complete historical account of the Sea Cocoa-nut we find 

 in Rumphius (Herbarium Amboinense, VI, 210) who describes the 

 marvellous fruit under the Dutch name " Calappa Laut." The stories 

 are fabulous enough, but in addition to it he tells us, that many other 

 tales were related to him respecting it^ too absurd to be repeated. The 

 Malay and Chinese sailors used to affiim that it was born upon a tree 

 deep under water, which was similar to the Cocoa-nut tree, and was 

 visible in placid bays, upon the coast of Sumatra, but that if they sought 

 to dive after the tree, it instantly disappeared. The Negro priests de- 

 clared it grew near the island of Java, where its leaves and branches 

 rose above the water, and in which a monstrous bird, or griffin, had its 

 habitation, whence it used to sally forth nightly, and tear to pieces 

 elephants, tigers, and rhinoceroces with its beak, the flesh of which it 

 carried to its nest. Furthermore they avouched that ships were 

 attracted by the waves which surrounded this tree, and there retained, 

 the mariners falling a prey to this savage bird, so that the inhabitants 

 of the Indian Archipelago always carefully avoided that spot. Rum- 

 phius thinks that the Chinese as well as ihe natives of the Archipelago 

 have set, perhaps too high a value upon the medical properties of the 

 nut, considering it an antidote to ah poisons. The principal virtue 



