VEGETABLE KINGDOM. QI 



(lH '^^ the leaves, the stalk, the root, and the juice. The 

 flowers are recommended in the 120 different forms of J|L (Feng) 

 disease, in menstrual disorders, and in wounds. The achenia, 

 which are considered to be poisonous, stimulate the nervous 

 system, and if used in excess, Vv'ill produce hallucinations and 

 staggering gait. They are prescribed in nervous disorders, 

 especially those marked by local anaesthesias. The seeds, by 

 which is meant the white kernels of the achenia, are used for 

 a great variety of affections, and are considered to be tonic, 

 demulcent, alterative, laxative, emmenagogue, diuretic, an- 

 thelmintic, and corrective. They are made into a congee by 

 boiling with water, mixed with wine by a particular process, 

 made into pills, and beaten into a paste. A very common 

 mode of exhibition, however, is by simply eating the kernels. 

 It is said that their continued use renders the flesh firm and 

 prevents old age. They are prescribed internally in fluxes, 

 post-partum difficulties, aconite poisoning, vermillion poison- 

 ing, constipation, and obstinate vomiting. Externally they 

 are used for eruptions, ulcers, favus, wounds, and falling of 

 the hair. The oil is used for falling hair, sulphur poisoning, 

 and dryness of the throat. The leaves are considered to be 

 poisonous, and the freshly expressed juice is used as an anthel- 

 mintic, in scorpion stings, to stop the hair from falling out and 

 to prevent it from turning grey. They are especially thought 

 to have antiperiodic properties. The stalk, or its bark, is 

 considered to be diuretic, and is used with other drugs in 

 gravel. The juice of the root is used for similar purposes, 

 and is also thought to have a beneficial action in retained 

 placenta and post-partum hemorrhage. An infusion of hemp 

 (for the preparation of which no directions are given) is 

 used as a demulcent drink for quenching thirst and relieving 

 fluxes. 



Another Tiliaceous plant, the CorcJionis capsularis^ is 

 identified by the Japanese as ^ %l^ (Huang-ma), which is one 

 of the terms at the head of this article. It is cultivated for its 

 fibre (ji'tc) in South China and other parts of tropical Asia. 

 It is not known to be used in medicine. It may be that in the 

 Pentsao and other Chinese medical works it is regarded as 

 identical with ^^ |j^. 



