204 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



HEMEROCALLIS.— ^ if (Hslian-ts'ao), 476. The first 

 character is written =^ (Hsiian; in the classics, and is defined by 

 »S ffi (Wang-yu), the plant of forgetfulness. The common 

 name is H ^ (Lu-ts'ung), because the plant is like the onion 

 and deer eat of it. Still another name is 5|^ ^ (I-nan), because 

 it is said that if pregnant women wear the flowers at the 

 girdle the child will be a male. There are several species 

 of this genus found in China, mostly having orange and 

 yellow flowers. The names given in this article are variously 

 referred to Hejnerocallis fiilva and Heniorocallis minor. The 

 dried flowers are largely consumed as food by the Chinese, and 

 are called ^ ff* ^ (Chin-chen-ts'ai) and ^ ^^l ^ (Huang-hua- 

 ts'ai). The article appearing in the Customs list, however, does 

 not consist alone of the flowers of this plant, but also of other 

 species of lily. They are used both as medicine and as a relish 

 with meat dishes. They consist of inferior, tubular perianths 

 of the unopened flower, enclosing six introrse stamens, with 

 the three-celled, superior ovary, and simple stigma characteristic 

 of lilliaceous plants. They are twisted, or wrinkled, so as 

 to give a length of four or five inches, the color being of a dark, 

 brownish-yellow, translucent, and covered with a whitish mould 

 or bloom. The odor is agreeable, and the taste sweet and 

 mucilaginous. Medicinally, they are used together with the 

 shoot, and are considered to be antifebrile and anodyne. Some 

 intoxicant or stimulant properties seem to belong to these 

 drugs. The root is diuretic, and is given in dysuria, lithiasis, 

 .dropsy, jaundice, piles, and tumor of the breast. 



HEMIPTELEA DAVIDIAN^A.— |g (Ch'u). This is a 

 small ulmaceous tree, provided with large thorns, and found 

 in the northern provinces. It is described in the Phitsao 

 together with the elm^ and its medicinal virtues are uot 

 distinguished, from those of the latter. 



HEPATICA.— M ^ (Ti-i), "earth clothes," also called 

 % H i^ (Yang-t'ien-p'ij and i^ "Ji ^ (Chli-t'ien-p'i). The 

 Pentsao does not give much description of this plant, but 

 what is given is characteristic. The taste is bitter, cooling, 

 and slightly deleterious. Its medicinal virtues are said to 



