MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 33 
and dried in the sun. The mountain people make a preserve 
of it for sale which is very sweet and pleasant. They 
gather also the young plants to use them for food. It is a 
very palatable dish ; they call it H& 38 pe ts‘at, 
Lr Suat-cuen :—The huung tsing grows wild in the 
mountains. It is also cultivated. Its leaves resemble bam- 
boo-leaves but are not pointed. They are arranged in a whorl 
from three to five around the joints of the stem. The root 
grows in a horizontal direction, resembles that of the wed jue. 
The people gather the plant (stem and leaves) to use it for 
food. The bitter taste disappears after macerating and 
cooking. This is the 4 "% ZB pi kuan ts‘ai (pencil-holder 
vegetable). The Po wu-chi [3rd cent.] relates the following 
legend :—Emperor Huane t1 once asked one of his sages 
whether he knew a plant which when eaten gives im- 
mortality. The sage replied: There is the plant of the great 
male (or bright) principle (J¢ BB) which is called nt Ay 
huang tsing (yellow ethereal essence). When eaten it pro- 
longs life. There is also the plant of the great female (or 
dark) principle (3¢ BE) which is called $y Wy kou wen. 
When it enters the mouth, it kills man. 
The huang tsing is also called HE PE ch‘ni chu (beads 
hanging down), which name refers to its drooping flowers 
and berries. 
An author of the 16th century states that its root 
resembles young ginger, whence the popular name #F 4E 3 
ye sheng kiang (wild ginger). By partly steaming and 
drying it is prepared for food and used as a substitute for 
corn. Another name is 3 #R mé pu. 
Kiu huang [ LUI, 2] and Ch. [VIII, 18-21, also X, 
43] sub huang tsing, representations of various species of 
Polygonatum. The above Chinese descriptions of the huang 
tsing agree in a general way. | 
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