CUBEBA 121 



by Linnaeus in 1737, the name being adopted from the 

 Greek synonym for Ridnus communis, the seeds of 

 which, as also those of Croton Tiglium, have a resem- 

 blance to a tick (dog-tick, Kporwv in Greek). As to 

 the origin of the term tiglium, some authorities ascribe 

 it to the Moluccan island of Tilho, while others (696) 

 believe it to be derived from the Greek word tilos, mean- 

 ing diarrhea. The botanical and vernacular synonyms 

 antedating the name given by Linnaeus are numerous, 

 and are generally carried by the older botanico-medical 

 works, e. g., by Dale, (179), Bauhinus (47), and others. 

 The post-Linnaean synonyms recorded in the Index 

 Kewensis are rarely if ever seen in pharmaceutical 

 print, and may well be reproduced, as follows: 



1. C. acutus, Thunberg, 1784. 



2. C. jamalgota, Hamilton, 1825. 



3. C. pavana, Hamilton, 1825. 



4. Kurkas Tiglium, Rafinesque (Sylva Tellur.), 1838. 



5. Halecus verus, Raf., 1838. 



6. Tiglium offidnale, Klotzsch, 1843. 



7. Croton muricatus, Blanco, 1845. 



8. Anisophyllum acutifolium, Bouv., 1860-61. 



CUBEBA (Cubeb) 



Mentioned in every edition of the U. S. P. The later volumes, 

 beginning with 1870, limit the drug to the unripe fruit. 



Cubebs, Piper Cubeba, the berry of a shrub indigenous 

 to Java, Southern Borneo, and Sumatra, was originally 

 introduced to Europe as a spice. Masudi (413) in the 

 10th century refers to cubebs as a product of Java. 

 Edrisi (221), 1153, mentions the berries as among the 

 imports of Aden. That they were known in Europe as 

 early as the llth century, is evident from the writings 



