474 CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



quently made of glutinous rice. Formerly, at tlic Fifth Moon 

 feast, they were thrown into the river to feed the scaly dragon 

 {^ nl» Chiao-lung). They are considered to be an excellent 

 adjuvant to anti-malarial remedies. 



A kind of fried cake which was formerly made and eaten 

 the day before the Feast of All Souls (about April 5th), and 

 is still made to some extent, takes its name from the day above 

 referred to, and is called ^ M. (Han-chii), "cold articles." 

 It is said to keep for several months. Other names are 

 fl Bl (Nien-t'ou), "pick-ups," ^ f| (Huan-ping), "ring 

 cakes," and ||^ (San). They are made of glutinous rice and 

 flour, with a little salt, and are fried in sesamum oil. They 

 are used as an antidote to tobacco smoking, are said to tone 

 up the excretory organs, lubricate the intestines, warm the 

 centers, and benefit the breath. Chronic dysentery is treated 

 with them. 



Steamed Cakes, ^ ^ (Cheng-ping), are made of wheat 

 flour, and are of many varieties. They are usually raised 

 with leaven, and are eaten both hot and cold, being included 

 among the cold foods above referred to. They are considered 

 to be peptic, nourishing, anhydrotic, and eliminative. They 

 are recommended in chronic diarrhoea, menorrhagia, colli- 

 quative sweating, burns, scalds, fractures, and other injuries. 



Sweet-meats are known by the names |^ |f (I-t'ang) 

 and 1^ (Hsing). They are made of a variety of grains and 

 seeds ; but that used medicinally is made of glutinous rice, 

 with that made of maize sometimes employed. It is said to 

 be best in the form of a thick treacle, like the Japanese midsit 

 ame. It is often made of malted grain, when it probably much 

 resembles glucose. It is regarded as tonic, cooling, strengthen- 

 ing, carminative, and expectorant. It is also regarded as an 

 antidote to aconite poisoning. Externally it is applied to 

 virulent sores and wounds. 



CAREX PACHYGYNA.— M fl (Yai-tsung). There is 

 not much description of this. It is used with three unidentified 

 plants 'i%^M (Chi-weng-t'eng), ^ ^ HI (Pan-t'ien-hui), and 

 ^j* ll ^ (Yeh-lan-ken), as a woman's remedy in wasting 

 diseases. 



