VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 307 



PAP AVER RHCEAS.— M § :f (Li-ch'un-ts'ao). It is 

 probable that J^ H A (Yii-niei-jen) is the same, but this is 

 considered to be a species of Lychnis. It is also called f|I] 2^ ^' 

 (Hsien-nii-liao), or "fairy artemisia. " Its habitat is said to be 

 the mountain valleys south of the Huai river. The flower and 

 root are used in medicine, and are prescribed for jaundice. 



PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM.— ^ ^ H (Ying-tzu-shu). 

 It has a jar-shaped capsule, and seed like those of Sctaria 

 viridis ; hence the Chinese name. Another name, ^^p %, (Yii- 

 mi), was derived from the tact that the grain was paid as 

 Imperial taxes. The plant was originally grown on account of 

 its beautiful flowers, and both the young plant and the seeds 

 were used for food. The poppy seed oil is also spoken of, and 

 was used in medicine. The seed was employed in the treat- 

 ment of nausea and vomiting, fluxes, and fever. The capsule, 

 1359, was prepared by washing, removing the outer skin, dry- 

 ing in the shade, slicing, and digesting in rice vinegar or 

 honey. It was used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, 

 prolapse of the rectum, spermatorrhoea, old coughs, and for 

 the relief of spontaneous pains everywhere. It was specially 

 recommended in all kinds of fluxes. 



Opium.— pnj ^ ^^ (0-tu-jung), ppj y^ (0-p'ien), ^ ^ 

 (Ya-p'ien). The poppy does not seem to have been indigenous 

 to China. Evidence goes to show that it was introduced 

 during the Sung period. But even then the preparation of 

 opium does not seem to have been known. Li Shih-chen 

 mentions its appearance just prior to his time (end of XVI 

 Century), and quotes a contemporary work, which says that it 

 came from 5c 3fr P (T*ien-fang-kuo) ; for this reason it is also 

 called PpJ "^ (O-fang). The method of piercing the capsule 

 and scraping off the inspissated juice that oozes out, as prac- 

 ticed at the present time, is described in the Phttsao as the 

 method introduced from ^C ")$• The author of the Appendix 

 to the Pentsao^ who wrote in the Chienlung period, mentions 

 the prevalence of the opium smoking habit, and describes the 

 manner of preparing and smoking the drug. He speaks of 

 the opium dens, and says that after one has smoked a few 

 times the habit becomes established. As a result of this there 



