250 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



identical with J^ H A (Yii-mei-jen), the likelihood of its being 

 Lychnis is small. It may be a rubiaceous plant, as the Pentsao 

 likens it to ^ (Ch'ien), which is Rubia. The root is used as a 

 tonic, anodyne, parasiticide, and hemostatic remedy. The 

 S § H (Chien-ch'un-lo) is undoubtedly Lychnis grandiflora. 

 It is a very popular garden flower, having fresh green leaves 

 and beautiful red blossoms. ^ ^X ^'^ (Chien-hung-sha) is 

 probably only another name for this. The leaves and flowers 

 are crushed together with honey and used as an application in 

 herpes zoster. 



LYCIUM CHINENSE.— ta ^ (Kou-chi), 607, \^ % i^ 

 (Ti-ku-p'i), 1267, 1384. It is also called |§ % (T'ien-ts'ai), 

 1300, which is the leaves, ^ ^ (Yang-ju), the fruit, and 

 fill A /^ (Hsien-jen-chang), the stalk. This was erroneously 

 identified by Porter Smith with Berberis lycium. It is not a 

 berberidaceous plant, but a solanaceous one. It is a common 

 shrub in the northern and western provinces, has soft, thin 

 leaves, which can be eaten, and small reddish-purple flowers. 

 The fruits are small, one-celled, red berries, having a sweet 

 but rather rough taste. The root is met with in light, 

 yellowish-brown, quilled pieces, having very little taste or 

 smell. The general action of the plant is considered to be 

 tonic, cooling, constructive, prolonging life, improving the 

 complexion, and brightening the eye. The shoots or young 

 leaves are recommended to be used in all forms of wasting 

 disease. Used in the form of a tea, they are recommended to 

 quench thirst and to remove the unpleasant symptoms of 

 pulmonary consumption. The root is supposed to have special 

 action on the kidneys and sexual organs, as well as those 

 virtues ascribed to the leaves, and is used as a hemostatic in 

 bleeding of the gums and wounds. The seeds are similarly 

 used. There are a number of officinal preparations, such as an 

 extract, pills, tinctures, and the like. 



LYCOPERDON.— .^ ^ (Ma-p'o). This is the ordinary 



pnj^-ball. It is of a purple color, hollow, and soft, growing 

 on decayed wood in damp places. When ruptured, it discharges 

 its spores in a fine powder. It varies in size, up to that of a 



