MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 285 
Li Sat-cuen :—The Nau fang ts‘ao mu chuang [ see 
Bot. sin., 1, 38] says:—The ye ko is a climber. Its leaves - 
resemble those of the lo le (Ocimum basilicum), are glabrous 
and thick. It is also called #f] & #4 hu man ts‘ao. When 
people happen by mistake to eat the leaves mixed with 
vegetables, they die in the course of half-a-day. The Yu yang 
tso tsu [8th cent.] states :—The hu man ts‘ao grows in Yung 
chou and Yung chou [differently written in Chinese. Both in 
Kuang si, App. 429, 428]. Flowers flat (?), resembling the 
flowers of the chi tsz‘ (Gardenia). [See 335] but are slightly 
larger and of a yellowish white colour. Leaves of a blackish 
colour. When eaten by mistake they cause death in a few 
days. Counter-poison : the blood of white goose and duck.— 
The Ling nan wei sheng fang (Prescriptions for Preserving Life 
in Southern China) says :—The leaves of the hu man ts‘ao 
resemble tea-leaves. Small yellow flowers. One leaf when 
introduced into the mouth causes hemorrhagies from all 
orifices (pores), followed by death. Li Sui-cnen adds that 
this plant is also called A Be tuan ch‘ang ts‘ao (herb 
_which cuts the bowels) and fj J #4 lan ch‘ang ts‘ao. When 
it comes in contact with the bowels of man or beast they 
become black and gangrenous in half-a-day. The leaves 
are round and glabrous. The younger leaves in spring and 
summer are especially dangerous, the old leaves in autumn 
and winter are less injurious. The plant flowers in the 5th 
or 6th month. The flowers resemble those of the ki lu 
[see Bot. sin., LI, 238] and appear in dense clusters forming 
aspike. The kind which grows in Ling nan [South China] 
has yellow flowers, that of Tien nan [Yiin nan, App. 338] 
has red flowers, and is also called K #{8 FE huo pa hua. 
Ch. XXIV, 54, 55:—Kou wen. The drawing repre- 
sents only leaves. It cannot be decided what plant is meant. 
—Ibid., 55 :—Verso sub jt ] | Tien (Yiin nan) hou wen, 
a plant is figured which resembles a Polygonatum. 
