NOTES ON CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



263 



and has suggested that they are produced by Pinellia tuberifera, iseo-ea. 

 Tenore, a plant of wide distribution in China, as well as in Japan. 

 The name Pwan-hea (sang signifies crude) appears to be applied 

 to several species of Arum. 



f$ JH Nan-sing; 1 Tuber of Arum pentapliyllum, L. Nan-sing. 

 (Aroidece) ; Tatar., Gated. Med. Sinens., p. 40 ; Cleyer, Med. 

 Simp., No. 88, 



Sard, whitish tubers, ^ an inch to 1J inch across, of flat- 

 tened spherical form, having a depression, generally surrounded 

 with little pits, on the upper surface, marking the situation of the 

 bud. Many of the larger tubers have smaller ones branching from 

 them. In the dry state the drug has but little smell and taste; yet 

 when chewed, even in minute quantity, it proves exceedingly 

 acrid. Both Cleyer and Loureiro 2 enumerate many virtues ascribed 

 to this drug, but they are too indefinite to merit much attention. 



This drug resembles the preceding (Sang-pivan-hea), but the 

 tubers of this attain much larger dimensions and are far less 

 regular in form and size. 



WOODS, BARKS, &C. 



vu 'tT Chin-heang ; Wood of Aquilaria Agallocha, Koxb. Lign Aloes. 

 (Aquilarinece) ; Chin hiam, Cleyer, Med. Simp., No. 208 ; Sinkoo, 

 Kaempfer, Amcenitates, p. 903; Agallochum, Calambac, Agila 

 Wood, Aloes Wood. 



The history of this celebrated substance, which is the aloes 

 or lign aloes of the Scriptures, is so replete with interest, that 

 it is difficult to bring even the most succinct account of it within 

 due bounds. I will, therefore, refer the reader who wishes for 

 further information to the authors cited below. 3 



It may in the first place be observed that this, the Biblical 

 aloes, has no relation with the extract now called by that name, 



1 The plant to which Ksempfer (Amcen. p. 786) applies these characters is 

 the Arum triphyllum of Thunberg's Flora Japonica, p. 233. 



2 Flora Cochinchinensis, ed. Willd., p. 652. 



3 Guibourt, ,Hist. des Drog., ed. 4, tome Hi., p. 313 ; Roxburgh on the genus . 

 Aquilaria, Linn. Trans., vol. xxi., p. 199 ; Royle, Illustrations of the Bot. 

 of the Himalaya, vol. i., p. 171 ; Loureiro, Flora Cochinchinensis, ed. 

 Willd., p. 327 ; Kaeiupfer, Amcenitatcs, p. 903 ; Finlayson, Mission to <Siam 

 and Hue, pp. 94-258. 



