I20 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



made between this plant and the Cniais japoniciis^ as the 

 Chinese regard the latter as simply a small variety of the 

 other. Generally speaking, the Hsiao-chi is used internally, 

 and the Ta-chi is the more frequently recommended for external 

 application. 



CNIDIUM MONNIERI.— $^ "^ (She-ch*uang), 1114. 

 This is the Selimim ^nonnieri of Linnaeus. The classical name 

 is g^ (Hsii). Other names are ^ ^ (Hni-ch'uang), % ^ 

 (Ma-ch'uang), ^ % (She-mi 1, ,g, g (Ssu-i), ifl ^(Sheng-tu), 

 ^ ]^ (Tsao-chi), and ^| ^ (Ch'iang-mi). It is a fragrant 

 umbelliferous plant, the seeds of which are used in medicine. 

 It is found in nearly every part of China, but the product 

 coming from the region of Yangchow is considered to be the 

 best. The drug has very little odor, but a warm taste. It is 

 said to act on the kidneys, and to be aphrodisiac, antirheu- 

 matic, sedative, astringent, vulnerary, and discutient. Washes 

 and ointments are made from the crushed or powdered seeds 

 for bathing prolapsus recti, piles, anal fistula, and leprous or 

 scabious sores. Li Shih-chen makes the very appropriate 

 remark, that although we are familiarly acquainted with our 

 own indigenous plants, we are apt to neglect them in search of 

 far-fetched drugs of no better quality. 



COCCULUS.— 155 a (Fang-chi), 291. This identification 

 is somewhat doubtful, but is from Hoffmann and Schultes, 

 who follow Siebold. They give ^H |JJJ £, (Han-fang-chi) as 

 Cocaihcs japoiiicus^ and /fC ^ £^ (]\Iu-fang-chi) as Cocciilus 

 Thiinbergii. Faber gives Fang-chi as Mcnispervium dajiri- 

 cuvi^ and a Japanese identification is Stephania herjiandifolia. 

 The Chinese books describe only the root, so it cannot be 

 decided from these what plant is meant. Henry says that 

 Cocciihis Thunbcrgii is known by other Chinese names in 

 Hupeh, but he does not say what these are. Other names 

 given by the Pe.ntsao are ^ f|fl (Chieh-li) and ^ ^ (Shih- 

 chieh). The drug is a brown, bulky, amylaceous, tuberous 

 root, split longitudinally into two or four pieces, and showing 

 on its cross section something of the same radiated disposition 

 of the vascular tissue as is met with in Adenopiiora and other 



