208 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



western countries. But this is true in regard to all of the 

 cereals raised in China, and is due probably to long years of 

 inbreeding, failure to rotate crops, and lack of proper condi- 

 tions of soil. Barley is considered by the Chinese to be very 

 nourishing, preventing fever and giving vigor and strength to 

 the body. Continual use of it as food is said to prevent the hair 

 from turning grey. It is used for making poultices for ulcers 

 and as a dressing for burns. The shoots of the plant are used 

 as a diuretic and as an application to chilblains and to frozen 

 extremities. A mildew or rust found on the awns about the 

 time that the grain is ripe, and called -j^ ^ j^ (Ta-mai-nu), is 

 considered to be antifebrile and antidotal to poisonous drugs. 

 Jkfa/i or Barley Sprouts^ under the name of f^- ^ ^ (Kung- 

 mai-nieh), or ^ ^ (Mai-ya), 817, is prepared by moistening the 

 grain and allowing it to germinate. It is then dried in the 

 sun, the sprouts rubbed off, and the grain is ground into flour. 

 It is considered to be peptic, stomachic, lenitive, demulcent, 

 expectorant, and abortifacient. This last property might indi- 

 cate the presence of an ergot. It is much prescribed in puer- 

 peral and infantile affections, and its reconstructive properties 

 are well recognized. For this purpose it is recommended in 

 phthisis and the kan y-^) disease of children (tabes mesenterica ?). 

 It is also said to have the power of suppressing the secretion of 

 milk in women whose children have suddenly died after birth. 



HOUTTUYNIA CORDATA.— ^ (Ch'i), ^ % (Chu- 

 ts'ai), ^^ §1: ]|[ (Yii-hsing-ts'ao). This plant grows in damp 

 shady places in mountainous districts. It has a heartshaped, 

 succulent leaf, green on one side and red on the other, 

 and is good for feeding to pigs. Notwithstanding the fact that 

 it has a decayed fishy smell, to which the last name above 

 given refers, it is sometimes eaten by the Chinese as a salad. 

 It is a piperaceous plant, and was formerly pickled. When 

 eaten in excess it is said to cause shortness of breath, and is 

 therefore considered to be slightly deleterious. Its ascribed 

 properties are in the main antidotal and astringent, and it is 

 therefore prescribed in poisoned sores, infectious skin diseases, 

 piles, prolapsus ani, pernicious malaria, snake bite, and the 

 like. The juice of the fresh leaves is most frequently used. 



