30 - “RANUNCULACEA. 
Hab.—Burope. The tubers. : 
Vernacular.—Ud-salap (Hind.), Ude-sélam (Bomb.). * 
History, Uses, &c.—This drug is the female Peony 
Dioscorides, and was esteemed by the ancients asa valuab! 
remedy in uterine obstructions, colic, bilious obstruction 
dropsy, epilepsy, convulsions and hysteria. Dioscoride 
describes two kinds of Peony, male, P. corallina, and female 
P. officinalis, + these are the two kinds of Fawdnia described 
Arabic and Persian writers. Galen describes its acrid qualities 
and emmenagogue virtues, and its use as an astringen 
diarrhoea. According to Pliny, the name Peeonia is derived fi 
Peon, the ley alain: of the gods, who was the first to dise 
this plant. Hippocrates mentions the use of. the seeds" 
uterine obstructions. The roots of P. corallina are tu 
shaped and about.as thick as the thumb ; those of P. offcina 
consist of oblong tubercles attached bys stout fibre | 
rhizome. The plant and roots are figured by Guibourt ( 
IIL, p. 763). Ud-sélap is used by the natives as a bloo 
purifier for children. In the time of Galen a supersti 
prevailed that Peony root enclosed in a bag and hung rou 
a child’s neck both prevented epileptic attacks and c 
them, and this belief is not extinct among the peasantry 
Europe even now; they also believe that wearing the s 
will prevent the cacigers of pugieiscae: Macer — 
Vir. Herb.) says: 
- ‘Iilius radix, pueris suspensa chclinets 
Non modicum prodest, Galienus ut asserit auctor.’ 
The plant has been proved not to be inert: 3 it produc 
-headache, noise in the ears, confused vision, colic and vom 
ing if taken in full doses (60 ers.). Modern observation k 
neither confirmed nor condemned the ancient opinions co 
cerning it; and although some have reported favourably of 
- 
rruptions of 44aJ! » 9¢ (Aod-el- on or ‘wood. of the 
_ Arabic name for the root of P. coralling , because on section it 
lines crossing one another, which are noe seen in the female Peo 
7 t Dios. iii. a Plin. 25, 10, 27, 60. 
