Mr. RovLE on the Lyciiim of Dioscorides. 93 



procurable in every bazar in India, and used by tiie native practitioners, who 

 are fond of applying it both in incipient and chronic inflammation of the eye, 

 and in tiie latter state, both simply and in combination with opium and alum. 

 It is sometimes prescribed by European practitioners ; and I have heard that 

 it was found very efficacious by Mr. M'Dowell in the ophthalmia of soldiers 

 who iiad returned from the expedition to Egypt. I iiave myself occasionally 

 prescribed it ; and the native mode of application makes it particularly eligible 

 in cases succeeding acute inflammation, where the eye remains much swollen. 

 The extract is by native practitioners in such cases rubbed to a proper con- 

 sistence with a little water, sometimes with the addition of opium and alum, 

 and applied in a thick layer over the swollen eyelids ; the addition of a little 

 oil I have found preferable, as preventing the too rapid desiccation. Patients 

 generally express themselves as experiencing considerable relief from the ap- 

 plication. 



I conceive that two species, under B. aristata, or at least two such very 

 distinct varieties have been included, as to require particular notice. Tliese 

 are distinguished by the natives, apt to confound things together, by the 

 names kushmul and chitra. The former growing at low elevations, (as 3000 

 feet,) and therefore easily acclimated in the plains of India, has the leaves and 

 branches paler-coloured, more thorny ; flowers numerous ; racemes erect, ap- 

 pearing earlier in the season, and having less pleasant-tasted fruit ; while 

 chitra, which I conceive to be the true B. aristata, I have not found below 

 5000 feet of elevation, with brownish-coloured branches, smooth, shining, 

 almost entire leaves, eacii flower much larger than those of hushmul, though 

 less numerous, on each of the drooping racemes. The fruit of this species, as 

 well as that of B. nepaletisis, is dried as raisins are in the sun, and sent down 

 to the plains for sale. 



1. Berberis aristata, spinis infimis tripartitis superioribus simplicibus com- 

 pressis basi vix bidentatis, foliis 4 — 6-fasciculatis viridibus obovatis ob- 

 longisve nitidis basi attenuatis integerrimis spinuloso-dentatisve, racemis 

 15-floris nutantibus folio longioribus, pedicellis saepe trifidis trifloris, 

 squamulis rotundatis, ovariis subpilosis, baccis oblongis utrinque acutis. 

 B. aristata. DeCand. Si/st. J'eg. ii. p. 8. Prodr. i. 108. trail. Catal. n. 1474. 

 ex parte. 



