VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 47 



catechu is usually regarded iu the West as inferior. Tonic, 

 stomachic, astringent, antiperiodic, detergent, and anthelmintic 

 properties are assigned to the fruit, which, as a tea, was lormer- 

 ly used in the south as a prophylactic against malarious and 

 mephitic vapors. One of the synonyms used in the Phitsao is 

 ^ iS ^ (Hsi-chang-tan), " antimalarious panacea," and 

 indicates its repute in this direction. The powdered nut has 

 long been in use in China as an anthelmintic, and the expul- 

 sion of tape worms is its chief use in the West. An alternative 

 way of writing the first character in the Chinese name for the 

 plant is ;^. One of the varieties of Areca catecJm is known as 

 :^ ^ ^ (Ta-fu-tzu) and |t ^f\ ^^li (Chu-ping-lang). The bark 

 of this tree enters commerce under the name of ;^ ^ ^ (Ta- 

 fu-p'i), 342. It is a rough, dirty, tow-like substance, which is 

 used for very much the same purposes as the Areca nut, such 

 as choleraic affections, and for flatulent, dropsical, and obstruct- 

 ive diseases of the digestive tract. An ointment and a wash 

 are prepared for use as detergent applications to fistulous sores 

 and to scabious, impetiginous, and other eruptions. 



ARGEMONE MEXICANA.— ^M^(Ivao-shu-le). This 

 spinous plant, belonging to the PapaveracecB^ is met with in 

 the south of China. The seeds are said to be expectorant and 

 sedative. They yield a fixed oil, which has long been in use in 

 the West Indies as a purgative, and has since been recommended 

 by Dr. Waring as a mild, painless purge in constipation and 

 colic. The oil is said to allay the irritation of herpes and many 

 other eruptions of the skin. The name is applied to Spinifex 

 squarosis and to Acanthus ilicifolius. 



ARIS^MA JAPONICUM.— 5c ft M rT'ien-nan-hsing), 

 1297. This was identified by Loureiro and Tatarinov as Arum 

 pentaphylhivi^ and by Kaempfer as Arum t7'iphilum. The 

 Chinese have not distinguished between this and Ariscsma 

 thunbergii. As the Pentsao discusses this drug under the latter 

 heading, we will refer to that article for the medicinal virtues 

 and uses oi AriscBtna japonicu77i. 



ARIS^MA RINGENS.— i 111 (Yu-po). This is said 

 to grow in forests. By some it is considered to be the young 



