156 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



pahistre and Arahis perfoliata. The classical name of the 

 plant is '^ (Tien). Other names are ^pj r^ (Kou-chi;, •}^ '^ 

 (Ta-shih), and ;f; i^ (Ta-shih). Th.e plant very much resem- 

 bles mustard. The seeds are small, yellow, and very bitter- 

 Li Shih-chen says there are two kinds of this product — the 

 sweet and the bitter — and that the former is called jfij ^ ;,Kou- 

 chieh), "dog mustard." The seeds are the part used in 

 medicine, and are boiled with glutinous rice for this purpose. 

 They are said to act as a demulcent, laxative, and deobstruant 

 drug, and are given in dropsy, dysuria, amenorrhoea, coughs, 

 and fevers. Externally they are used for decayed teeth, tinea, 

 and poisonirrg from horse sweat entering a wound (possibly 

 anthrax). 



DRYANDRA CORD AT A.— ^^ -^ \^ (Ying-tzu-t'ung). 

 This is the same as ElCEOcocca verrucosa. ^ ( Ying) is an earth- 

 enware jar, carried by a string rurr through the ears. This 

 character is here used in allusion to the shape of the fririt. 

 The same character is used in the name for the poppy, in 

 reference to the shape of the capsule. Another name for this 

 tree is jr^ -^ '^ (Hu-tzu-t'ung), "tiger seed t'ung," in ref- 

 erence to the violently poisonous character of the seeds. Still 

 another name is f3£ '^ (Jen-t'ung), from the shape of the seeds 

 being similar to a bean called by this distinguishing character. 

 Then, finally and commonly, it is called fflt tlsl (Yu-t'ung), 

 "oil t'ung,', from the fact that from it is produced the oil 

 known as ^[5] •^ ^| (T'ung-tzu-yu ), " t'ung-seed-oil." This 

 tree is extensively cultivated in the Yangtse valley, and is also 

 well known in Japan. The Phttsao says in regard to it and its 

 product : " It grows in the hills, and the tree is like the Steradia 

 piatanifolia. That of which the people in the south make oil 

 is the f^ )^ (Kang-t'ung, " ridge-t'ung "). The seeds are 

 larger tharr those of Sterciilia. In the early spring a flower is 

 produced, in color a pale red, and in shape like a drum. The 

 flower changes into a tube, in which are found the seeds out of 

 which the oil is made." The above are quotations from ancient 

 works. Li Shih-chen says: "Ridge-t'ung is a purple flowered 

 Pixiiloiviiia. The branches, trunk, leaves, and flowers of the 

 Yu-t'ung are similar to the Ridge-t'ung, but smaller. The 



