8 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



begins to sprout, and resembling a crow's head in shape, is 

 called lVu-i''oi{. That with a pedicle like an ox-horn is 

 called Wu-hui (,^ P^). The inspissated juice is called ^J [^ 

 (She-wang). The T'' ien-lismng resembles the Fu-tsu^ but 

 is more slender, and from three to four inches long. The 

 Tse-tzti (tpj] -^j is a large lateral horn of the Fii-tzu. All 'Of 

 these names refer to the root of the same plant. Another 

 author considers them to be applied to different plants, each 

 of them growing in a different locality. Li Shih-chen, the 

 author of the Pentsao^ however, makes a statement similar to 

 that of T'ao Hung-ching's. Among other terms applied to 

 aconite by the Chinese are ^ ^ ^ (Lou-lan-tzu), which are 

 said to be the smallest lateral tubers ; ^ Bg 1^ (Liang-t'ou- 

 chien), which is a synonym for Wn-hiii ; fj" f^ ^ g^ (Chu- 

 chieh-wu-t'ou), which is synonymous with Ts^ ao-ztm-f on ^ or 

 the wild species ; |!t ^ (Keng-tzu), ^ 7^ (Tu-kung), and ^ |^ 

 (Ti-ch'iu). A kind known as j^ !% ^ (T'u-fu-tztl) is specially 

 spoken of as furnishing the arrow poison. 



It may be said in regard to this matter of identification 

 and classification, that as all of these varieties contain either 

 Aconitine, Japaconitine, Pseudaconitine, or possibly Delphin- 

 ine, so far as the pharmacist and physician are concerned, the 

 distinction becomes of less importance. Varying strengths of 

 the alkaloid represented in different specimens of the drug 

 would be the only question of importance to the dispenser, and 

 under the new methods of drug assay this can be readily 

 regulated. 



The so called Ch'uan-wu-t'ou {)\\ "^ g|) and Kuang-wu 

 (5iu %^^ ^s they appear in commeice, are top-shaped, tuberous 

 roots, from one inch and a quarter to one inch and a half in 

 length, and rather more than half an inch in thickness, 

 according to the number and size of the dried rootlets which 

 project irregularly from the surface. The external cuticle is 

 irregularly rough and hard, and of a brownish-black color, while 

 the interior structure is firm, amylaceous, and of a dirty white 

 color. The taste is bitter, acrid, and benumbing, the tubers 

 being seldom worm-eaten. The drug is highly poisonous. The 

 Pentsao gives the following description of Ch'uan-wu (/I| %\ 

 which it makes identical with Wu-t'ou {% Bf ) and Ts'ao-wu- 



