l68 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



pupil of a cat's eye, and for this reason the plant is called |g 

 51, IIS 3h ;^(Mao-erh-yen-ching-ts'ao). On account of its green 

 leaves and green flowers it is also called ^ M M ^ M (Lh-yeh- 

 lii-hua-ts'ao). The stalk and leaves are the parts used in 

 medicine. They are prescribed in fevers, dropsies (especially 

 anasarca"), malaria, and as an anthelmintic. The young shoots 

 of the plant are sometimes eaten as food. 



EUPHORBIA HUMIFUSA.— Ji^ M (Ti-chin). This 

 plant has a large number of common names, referring to such 

 thino-s as its nocturnal blooming habit, the form of its flower, 

 the use to which it is put medicinally, and the like. It is a 

 very common creeping plant, found in fields and gardens, has a 

 reddish stalk, and bears a reddish-yellow flower. The whole 

 plant is employed in medicine ; its chief uses being that of an 

 anthelmintic remedy, and in menorrhagia, dysentery, corroding 

 ulcers, hematuria, and hemorrhages from the bowels. All 

 sorts of discharging wounds and sores seem to be treated with 

 it. It is also used topically in decoction for the treatment of 

 impetigo, scabies, and other skin diseases. 



EUPHORBIA LATHYRIS.— if ^ (Ui-ju). In Japan 

 this is Euphorbia sieboldiana^ and another species which is 

 given in the Pentsao wvl^^x. this same title, and called i^ ]{|] ^ 

 (Ts'ao-lii-ju), is there EupJiorbia pahistris. In the Customs lists 

 (115) is given a product called ^ ^'^ (Ch'ien-chin-ts'ao) for 

 which this identification is suggested. The plant is mentioned 

 in the appendix to the Peiitsao^ where its resemblance to the 

 spurges is pointed out. The flowers, seeds, and herbage are 

 all prescribed in diarrhoeas. There is also another mentioned, 

 called ^ p^ !^ (P^'ei-yang-ts'ao), 299, identified as Euphorbia 

 pihdifera^ but this has not been found in the books. The Lil-jii is 

 a common mountain plant, growing from two to three feet high, 

 and has a large long root like that of the radish, sometimes 

 forked, with a yellowish-red skin, and white flesh containing 

 a yellow sap. The stem and leaves resemble those of other 

 spurges, and when broken they discharge a white sap. The 

 flowers are purple, the fruit the size of a pea. The root is 

 the part used in medicine, and is thought to have slightly 



