450 CHINESE MATERIA MEDIC A. 



UNCARIA RHYNCHOPHYLLA.— |!j ^ (Koii-t'^iig). 

 It is also called ^ ^ (Tiao-t'eug), on account of its hooked 

 thorns. It is common in the mountains of Hunan, Hupeh, 

 and Kiangsi, and it is a climber, varying in length from eight 

 to twenty feet, hollow, and about the thickness of a finger. 

 It is said that thieves use this hollow stem with which to 

 syphon out spirits from wine jars without having appeared to 

 have disturbed the latter. It is the Nauclea sinensis^ and has 

 been identified by Tatarinov as the Uncaria gambir. This 

 identification is somewhat doubtful. The task set for himself 

 by Hanbury, of identifying the various gambir and catechu 

 extracts with their respective plants has not, so far as we are 

 able to find, yet been accomplished. No mention is made in 

 the Pentsao article of any extract from this plant. Whether 

 it is that the Chinese have not recognized the identity of the 

 plant with that of the Indian Archipelago, from which pale 

 catechu is derived, or whether it is really not the same plant, 

 has not been determined. The drug is found in China under 

 the name of J^ 3^ ^ (Hai-erh-ch'a), or % ^ ^/g (Wu-tieh-ni), 

 being confounded with the product from Acacia catechu- (which 

 article see). Short pieces of the shrub constitute the form in 

 which the drug is found in Chinese comerce, 612. Each piece 

 is of a dark, or reddish-brown color, and contains a node from 

 cue half an inch to one inch in length, with two sharp stiff 

 recurvent stipules. These spines are sometimes found in 

 commerce as representing the form of the drug employed. 

 The drug is used in infantile fevers and the nervous disorders 

 of children. In adults, dizziness, motes in vision, and bilious 

 disorders are treated with it. A tincture is made of the nodes 

 of this plant, which seems to have the properties of tincture of 

 catechu. Another plant is spoken of in the same article in the 

 Pentsao called ^J ^ ^ (Tao-kua-t'eng). There is no descrip- 

 tion of the plant, except that it grows deep within the mountain 

 valleys, has long pointed leaves, and recurved spines by which 

 it hangs to the branches of the trees. It is recommended as an 

 astringent in all post-partum difficulties. 



Gambir or Pale Catechu of commerce. While it is not 

 certain that the plant under consideration is really Uncaria 

 gambir^ an account of the manufacture of this substance and 



