270 



NOTES ON CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA. 



Mylitta 

 lajndescens. 



186O-62. exterior surface is of a dark brownish-grey colour, and generally 

 finely corrugated : their inner substance has a granular appear- 

 ance, is of a pinkish-brown colour, and of almost stony hardness. 

 A microscopic section shows that the tissue is divided into 

 areolce after the manner of that of the truffle and other under- 

 ground fungi; no trace of fructification has been observed in 

 any specimen. 



This curious vegetable production, which had previously only 

 been known from its occurrence in the drug-shops of China, 

 has lately been obtained in Southern India by Dr. E. J. Waring, 

 who states that it is dug from the chalk-beds in the mountains 

 separating Travancore from Tinnevelly. In India, as in China 

 also, it is used as a medicine, being regarded as powerfully 

 diuretic. 



Liquid Ben- 

 zoin. 



Sung-hcang. 



>JC >T Js* ^ Shuy-gan-seih-keang ; literally, Liquid Benzoin. 



This drug is a dark-brown, semi-fluid resin, having an extremely 

 fragrant odour of storax. It is met with in small globular 

 wooden shells, apparently the pericarp of some fruit, about 

 If inch in diameter, closed with wax. Its origin is very ob- 

 scure. The Chinese assert that they import it from the Straits, 

 or, in other words, by way of the Indian Archipelago ; but I 

 have not been able to trace it either there or in Siam. It is 

 curious moreover, that this fragrant resin, even to the shell 

 inclosing it, is extremely like that kind of balsam of Peru which 

 was brought to Europe long ago in the capsules of a Lecythis, 

 and naturally supposed to be a product of South America. 



The Liquid Benzoin is very expensive, a single shell, holding 

 perhaps half an ounce, being worth four dollars, or 20s. 



^ ^ Suny-heang ; Sumhiam, Cleyer, Med Simp., No. 190; 

 Tatarinov, Catal. Med. Sinens., p. 50. A pale-yellow terebin- 

 thinous resin, closely resembling mastich, occurring in small 

 irregular tears, somewhat opaque externally from mutual friction, 

 but perfectly transparent within, and exhibiting a vitreous 

 fracture. It would be a good substitute for mastich. 



The name Sung-heang is said to be also applied to other tere- 

 binthinous resins. 



