512 GENTIANACEA. 
churna, and it gives its name to a compound oil called Kirétad 
taila, in which it is combined with 26 other drugs, mostly aro- 
matics and stimulants, This oil is rubbed on the body in 
obstinate cases of ague, causing emaciation and anemia. 
( Bhaishajya-ratnavalt.) 
Mahometan writers upon Indian drugs have identified Chi- 
retta with the Kasab-ed-darira of the Arabs, and Calamus 
aromaticus of Dioscorides. Guibourt was alas of the ia 
opinion, but Fée and Royle dissent from it. 
The author of the Makhzan-el Adwiya gives at the end of hi 
article upon Kasab-ed-darira the following short summary of 
the manner in which Chiretta is used by the Hindu phy 
cians :— 7 
«They consider it to be cold and dry, light and flatul 
a remedy for colds and bilious affections, burning of ie b d 
and the fever arising from derangement of the three 
which they call sannipat (fever wills delirium).” The lal 
first described by Roxburgh under the name of Gentian: 
rayita in 1814, Ainslie notices it, and remarks that it 
to be much used in Bengal; it was probably rather a 
drug in Southern India in his time, as he says little ab 
In England it began to aitract attention about the year J 
and in 1839 was introduced into the Edinburgh Pharmacop 
ias, 
is generally accepted as a valuable bitter tonic. In We 
— it has a Aghios asa remedy for bei ae 
