VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 355 



but is said now to be grown in Kansu and Mongolia. The 

 tree and fruit is fairly well described in the Pentsao. The 

 kernel is used in coughs, flatulence, and heartburn. 



PRUNUS JAPONICA.— 15 ^ (Yu-li), 1551, % )^ 

 (T'ang-ti), '^ |^ (Ch'iao-niei). Tlie second name is also 

 written H kt (T'ang-ti) and ^ \% (Ch'ang-ti). This is a 

 small tree, six or seven feet in height, growing in the mountain 

 valleys of Kiangsu, bearing a small, red fruit, like a cherry, 

 having a rather harsh, sour taste and edible, but not much 

 used. It is sometimes made into sweetmeats, and for that 

 reason, and for the kernels of the seeds, the tree is cultivated 

 in some parts of China. The kernels are either dried, or put 

 lip in a sort of confection with honey, and used in medicine. 

 They have a bitterish-sour- taste, and demulcent, diuretic 

 lenitive, and deobstruent properties are ascribed to them. They 

 are given in dropsy, rheumatism, fevers, cardialgia, indicres- 

 tion, constipation, and mixed with Baroos camphor are used in 

 ophthalmia. The root of the tree is used in affections of the 

 teeth, constipation, fevers of children, and to destroy pin worms. 



PRUNUS MUME.— 1^ (.Mei). This is said to have been 

 indigenous to Shensi, but is now found in many of the prov- 

 inces. There are a great many varieties, both wild and 

 cultivated. There are also several kinds of the prepared 

 fruits. If plums are gathered half ripe and smoked, they 

 constitute what is called ^ |g (Wu-mei), "black-plums ;" if 

 the green ones are pickled in brine and then dried, thev are 

 called g ^ (Pai-mei) ; they are also made into a confection. 

 The ripe plums are put in a press and the juice expressed, to be 

 used as an addition to water for a cooling summer drink. 

 Plums, if taken freely, are not considered to be entirely free 

 from deleterious effects. They are said to injure the teeth, 

 harm the tendons, corrode the spleen and stomach, and inflame 

 the diaphragm. The "black plums" mentioned above are 

 considered to be carminative, antifebrile, and antispasmodic, 

 and they are recommended in fluxes, malaria, choleraic 

 difficulties, nausea, intestinal worms, fish and sulphur poison- 

 ing, and poisoning from the bite of a horse. They are soaked 



