10 



OPIUM : 



Twelfth century 



use of seeds to 



use of cap- 



aukw in twelfth 



.\H"iiicr poem on 



the Poppy. 



7. 



At the beginning of the twelfth century, in the reign of Hui TSUNG, one of 

 Court physicians, named K'ou TSUXG-SHIH (JOE ^ H), compiled a work called 

 Pen-ts'ao-yen-i ($ J|L ffr j|). In it he says that the flowers of the Poppy are in some 

 kinds extremely abundant in their leaves, and that the number of seeds in the heads 

 is beyond computation. " They are in size like those of the t'ing-li OP MX* and 

 white in colour. The seeds are cooling in their nature ; if taken in good quantity 

 they are beneficial for such affections as diarrhoea, and act favourably on the bladder. 

 Those who have been taking cinnabar, if they have them ground and boiled with 

 water, adding honey, and prepared in the form of broth, will find them beneficial in 

 a high degree." 



In the botanical section of the Tu-shu-chi-ch'enq the following extract is 

 found, taken from the work Shan-chia-ch'ing-Jcung (ill ^ jf^ i&), by a SUNG dynasty 

 medical writer named LIN HUNG ($ $), who, from his language implying the use 

 of the capsules of the Poppy with the seeds, we must suppose to have belonged 

 to the SOUTHERN SUNG. He is speaking of what he calls Poppy-milk fish, by 

 which is meant the juice hardened into cakes and taking the shape of fish. " Take 

 Poppy heads, wash them well, and grind out their juice. First place some meal 

 in a jar, covering the bottom. By means of a gauze bag filter the Poppy mil'v 

 upon it, removing the portion that floats above and allowing the thicker p;n( 

 to remain. Place it in an iron pan and let it boil for a little. Sprinkle rapidly 

 some weak vinegar on it, and take it up from the pan into the bag and press it into 

 a cake. It should then be placed in such a covered pan as is used for steam i 

 macaroni and the like, and there be well steamed. It is then to be sprinkled with 

 a solution of red leaven, steamed again for a short time, taken out, and made up 

 in cakes shaped like fish." 



A poem of HSIEH K'o (HJ $j), written in the SUNG dynasty, is found in the 

 work known as Kuang-ch'un-fang-p'u (J| 3y Iff). " There seem to be tiny spots 



* This plant is stated by WILLIAMS to be cruciferous, and like the mustard in shape and leaves. See the 

 drawing in the Pen-ts'ao, which says it is used as a light aperient. 



