APPENDIX. 493 



description is not at all clear. The Hnang-huan is non- 

 poisonous, and is considered to be antifebrile and counter- 

 poison. It is also diuretic and is prescribed in dropsy, and 

 also in profuse expectoration. The Lang-po-tsyi is poisonous 

 (emetic), and is only used externally in parasitic skin diseases. 

 It is said to be able to poison fish. 



ix. IS (Nli-wei). Li Shih-chen definitely says that this is 

 not Polxgonatiim viilgare. There is no description, however, 

 except to say that the plant is a climber. In the Imperial 

 Encyclopedia there is a figure of the plant, which shows it to 

 be a climber with two stems from a rhizome, with alternate, 

 penniform, entire, acuminate, ahnost sessile leaves. It is said 

 to resemble Vitis seriancs folia. The stalk is used medicinally 

 for dysentery and as a digestive ; also in cholera, colds, flatu- 

 lence, and in all diseases marked by diaphoresis. 



^ ;^ -J* (P'eng-ts'ao-tzu). This is referred in the Peji- 

 tsao to Hydropyruui setaria. The first character is used for 

 plants such as Artemisia, Erigeron, and others. In this case 

 the grain is used for food, and its qualities are not different 

 from those of ordinary rice. 



^ KS (K'u-hu). The meaning is "bitter gourd." T'ao 

 Hung-ching says that this is not a distinct species of gourd, 

 but that, among the sweet ones occasionally there is found some 

 that have a bitter taste. Others say that he is very much 

 mistaken, as this is a distinct kind. It may be Alomordica. 

 The pulp and seeds are used in medicine, and are considered 

 to be poisonous. They are employed in dropsy and are emetic. 

 Gravel, coughs, incontinence of urine, vomiting of nematode 

 worms, chronic ulcers, parasitic skin diseases, and jaundice are 

 treated with them. The flowers are used in scrofulous ulcers, 

 and the vine in leprous sores and favus in children. 



^ ii •? (Wu-lou-tzu). Some identify this as the true date 

 palm. Phoenix dactylifera; but Faber's identification is Cycas 

 revoluta (which see). It is probable that the former identifica- 

 tion is the more nearly correct. 



^4 ^ (Jui-ho), also called ^ i^ (Pai-sui), is the fruit (a 

 nut) of a thorny shrub. It is not Polygonatum^ as the first 

 character might indicate, but this character refers to the 

 drooping nature of the flowers. The tree grows in many 



