278 CHINESE MATERIA MEDIC A. 



demulcent bolus to carry bones out of the cesopbagus. The 

 flowers are used cosmetically, and are thought to benefit the 

 hair. The plant is regarded as a woman's remedy. 



NARDOSTACHYS JATAMANSL— This plant, which 

 properly belongs to India, is found in the province of Yunnan 

 and on the western borders of Szechuan, but whether indigenous 

 or transplanted is uncertain. Its product. It |^ ^ (Kan-sung- 

 hsiang), or true spikenard^ is found in the medicine shops of 

 China. A name for this, taken from a Buddhist book, is ^ ^ 

 ^ (K'u-mi-ch'e). This is probably a transliteration of some 

 Indian name. Spikenard is classed together with lign aloes, 

 cloves, sandalwood, and Aglaia odorata^ as one of the five 

 odorous plants. The rhizome is used as a deodorant, carmina- 

 tive, and stimulant. A decoction is used in various skin affec- 

 tions and in the bath to give fragrance to the body. It is 

 used in India in hysteria, epilepsy, and other convulsive 

 diseases. The root is sometimes confounded with sumbul root. 



NASTURTIUM PALUSTRE.— ^ M (Ting-li), see 

 Draba nemoralis. 7JC j^ (Shui-ch'in), see CEanthe stolonijera. 



NAUCLEA GAMBIR.— See Uncaria gambir 2.\i^ Acacia 

 cecfechu. 



NELUMBIUM SPECIOSUM.— :it (Ho), ^ % (Pu-ch'ii). 

 This exceedingly popular and very useful plant has a distinct 

 name for its every part. Its stem is called ^ (Ch'ieh) ; the 

 rootlets on the lower part of the stem or at the top of the 

 rhizome are called ^ (Mi) ; its leaf is called 5g (Hsia) ; its 

 flower is called ^ "^ (Han-t'ao) ; its fruit jH (Lien) ; its root 

 ^ (Ou) ;■ its seed |^* (Ti) ; and itS' caulicle ^ (I). In some 

 parts of the country the flowers ate called ^ ^ (Fu-jung). 

 However, the common names now in use are limited for 

 the most part to jg 1^ (Lien-hua), 722, for the flower, |^ ^ 

 (Ho-yeh), 729, for the leaves, and ^ (On), 923, for the root. 

 Such is the arrangement in the Pcntsno, which discusses the 

 plant under the term ^ || (Lien-ou). The seeds, called ^ ^ 

 (Lien-shih), 726, and ^ jl -^ (Shih-lien-tzii), or more com- 

 monly %. ■? (Lien-tzu); are usually found in the hard, dry state, 



