446 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



and separation. It is much used to stiffen clothes. Medicinally, 

 it is cooked and used in dysentery, or parched and made into 

 a poultice with vinegar to be applied to all sorts of swellings. 



Wheat gluten. — ^ ^ (Mien-chin). This is prepared 

 by washing out the starch, and when a small quantity is 

 wanted for catching birds, it is only necessary to masticate 

 the wheat until nothing else is left. It is used as a nutritious 

 article of diet, and is also considered to be antifebrile. 



Wheat dextrine. — ^^ (Mai-ch'ao). This is prepared 

 by steaming, drying and powdering the wheat. It is consid- 

 ered to be nutritious, antifebrile, and quieting. The young 

 sprouts of wheat are considered to be antivinous, constructive, 

 and antibilious. A growth upon the wheat ears, evidently 

 parasitic in its nature, is called ^ ^ (Mai-nu). For this see 

 the article on Ergot. The straw of wheat is burned to an ash, 

 and used as a caustic application on unhealthy granulations. 



TROP^OLUM MAJUS.— ^ii^CChin-lien-hua). The 

 Kuaiig-chiin-faiig-pii describes fully this flower, giving as its 

 natural habitat Wutaishan in Shansi. It is not mentioned 

 in the Pentsao^ but the first two characters of the name are 

 given under the article on Limnanthemum nyniphoides. 



TULIPA GRAMINIFOLIA. — llj % -^ (Shan-tz'u-ku), 

 653. See Orithyia edulis. 



TUSSILAGO FARFARA.— ^ ^ (K'uan-tung), 650. 

 This is the common coltsfoot used in popular medicine in 

 western countries, and the flowering scapes, with the purplish 

 bracts and unopened florets, are used in Chinese medicine. 

 Two varietes are met with in China and Korea, one having a 

 large flower. A number of names are given for the plant, 

 among which is ^ ^ (To-wu), which is Farfitgium kcsmpferi 

 (which see). Some of the names given refer to the early 

 flowering of this plant and its resistance to cold and frost. 

 The principal medicinal qualities attributed to the drug are 

 those of an expectorant in apoplexy, phthisis, coughs, and 

 asthma, and as a demulcent in fevers. Eyes are bathed with 

 a decoction of the flowers in hot water. The flowers are also 

 smoked in the treatment of chronic cough in much the same 



