VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 333 



includes a great variety of very dissimilar troubles. That the 

 prepared drug is comparatively inoccuous is proveu by the fact 

 that in some mission hospitals it has been substituted for 

 sulphate of potash in the preparation of Dover's powder. The 

 viscid sap of the stalk of the plant is said to restore fallen hair 

 and whiskers. 



PINUS SINENSIS.— ;^ (Sung). This character includes 

 Pinus^ Abies^ and Laj'ix^ but refers most specifically to this 

 species, which is the same as Pinus massoniana. Other species, 

 some of which are mentioned in the Pentsao^ are g j^ (Pai- 

 sung), Plnus bungeana ; H ^ (Hei-sung), Pimis thunbcrgii ; 

 ■^ ^ (Ch'ih-sung), Pinus doisifiora ; and \% i^ (Hai-sung), 

 Pinus koraiensis. This last bears large seeds, called \% ^ ^ 

 (Hai-sung-tzu), 1214, which are included among the edible nuts. 

 They are also called ilf ^ ^ •? (Hsin-lo-sung-tzu), as they come 

 from the country of Hsinlo (southern Korea), although they 

 are also brought from Yunnan. They are like the ordinary 

 pine-nuts found in other countries, three-cornered, and contain- 

 ing a rich, aromatic, meaty kernel. They are considered to 

 be very nutritious, improving the flesh, prolonging life, curing 

 constipation and coughs. Of the other species of Pinus a 

 number of products are mentioned, the first of which is ^ ^ 

 (Sung-chih), resin, also called ;^ ^ (Sung-kao), ^ "^ (Sung- 

 fang), ;^ ^ (Sung-chiao), and most commonly ^ ^ (Sung- 

 hsiang), 121 1. This, if it lies in the ground for a thousand 

 years, becomes changed into amber. It is administered inter- 

 nally, and is said to be carminative and antifebrile. But it is 

 used for the most part externally in various skin eruptions, 

 old ulcers, and indolent wounds. It is considered to be bene- 

 ficial to the tendons, eyes, and ears. It is administered in pill 

 in leucorrhcea. The joints of pine twigs, called ;^ f^ (Sung- 

 chieh), 1 2 10, form another product used in medicine. They 

 are prescribed principally in decoction, in colds, rheumatism, 

 toothache, and vomiting. ^ fp (Sung-i) is an extract prepared 

 by roasting the twigs of the pine (turpentine ?). There is no 

 description of the process, and the product is employed in 

 ulcers, itch, and the skin diseases of horses and cattle. The 

 pine needles are also used in medicine ; decocted, or chopped 



