360 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



But the description given in the Pentsao answers well enough 

 to PU'7'is. There is some confounding of the genus with 

 Osmtinda, The thallus and root-stock are both eaten and used 

 medicinally, and they are sweet, mucilaginous, and cooliiio-. 

 They expel fever, benefit the water passages, and promote 

 sleep. Tonic properties are also ascribed to them. d|. p 

 j§ % (Chiug-k'ou-pien-ts'ao), E >i ^ (Feiig-wei-tsao), ifj; ^ 

 :^ (Hung-mao-ts'ao), and 4^ 'fej^ [^ (Wu-kung-ts'ao), 1461, are 

 other names for Pleris^ but are not distinguished in the Pentsao. 

 7JC ^* (Shui-chiieh) is Ccratopteris thalictroides^ and is much 

 esteemed as a food. The root-stock has a sliohtlv bitter taste, 

 and it is regarded as eliminative and is used in constipation. 



PTEROCARPUS SANTALINUS.— ^ :jt (Tzu-t'an). 

 This is described in the Pentsao under the article on Santalum 

 album. The Chinese do not distinguish clearly between this 

 7'ed saimders and sandal-wood. It is not grown in China, but 

 comes from the region of the Kunlun mountains, and is not 

 fragrant like the sandal wood. Mr. Eitel (Handbook of 

 Chinese Buddhism) gives tailaparni or rakta tchandana as 

 Sanscrit names of this wood. He also speaks of a kind of 

 copper-brown sandal-wood under the Sanscrit name o{ s^osirclia 

 tchandana., which is rendered into Chinese as ^ ft j^ fg (Niu- 

 shou-chan-t'an). The saunders wood being of a red color is 

 considered a blood remedy ; therefore it is used in wounds, 

 ulcers, and the like, to check hemorrhage and suppuration. 

 It is not used for anything else. 



PTEROCARYA STENOPTERA.— <i (Chii), \% ;^p 

 (Chii-liu). Henry thus identifies this tree as it grows in 

 Hupeh. In other parts of China and in Japan the first name 

 is applied to an elm-like tree, the wood of which is highly 

 valued for making boxes and tables. In the latter country 

 this is identified as Ulmus keaki or Ze/kowa keaki. The seed 

 vessels of this look like small coins, and the country people 

 use the leaves as a substitute for tea. The description in the 

 Pentsao is very faulty, and does not distinguish between these ; 

 so the identification of Henry is here adopted. The bark of 

 the tree is used in medicine, and it is directed that it shall be 



