Vol. VI, No. 10.] Materia Medica Animalium Indica. 519 



[N.S.] 



The bile (Safra, Hind., Pitta, Sans.) of the buffalo, wild 

 bear, goat, peacock and rohitaka fish (Cyprina Rohita) is used 



under 



to Dr. Honigberger it is considered laxative. 



According 



Dr. Aitchison says that in Afghanistan the dung of sheep 

 and goats is converted bv destructive distillation into a tar or 

 pitch called sia-roghan which is used to protect the sores on 

 cattle from flies. 



Bezoar Stone. 



Vern. : — Padzahr, Pers. ; Bazahr, Arab. ; Vishik kulloo, 

 Tarn. 



This substance appears to have been first used as a 

 medicine by the Arabians, Avenzoar gives a wonderful account 

 of it ; and Ragis in his Continens describes it fully, and extols 

 its good qualities as a sudorific and alexipharmic. In India it 

 is still supposed to possess sovereign virtues as an external 

 application in cases of snake bite or scorpion stings. Linscho- 

 ten devotes a chapter to the description of " Bezar stones 

 and other stones good against poyson," and he quotes De 

 Orta's account of the origin of this biliary concretion. He 

 says : ' ' The Bezar stone commeth out of Persia from the land 

 or Province called Carassone (Khorasan), and also out of other 

 places in India : they grow within the maw of a sheepe or goat, 

 about a little straw, that lyeth in the middle of the maw : the 

 stone is very slicke and smooth without, of a darke greene 

 colour." Similar stones are obtained from the cow, goat, wild 

 boar, antelope, porcupine and camel. That obtained from the 

 camel is the cheapest, but that from the Persian wild goat 

 (Capra cegagrus) is considered the most efficacious. 



Two specimens are shown in the Indian Museum. The 

 larger one, about the size of a small hen's egg, is dark green in 

 colour and made up of concentric layers surrounding a central 

 straw. The substance of the stone is almost entirely soluble 

 in spirit. The smaller one from a Persian goat is dark brown 

 in colour, cylindrical, one inch long by one-third of an inch in 

 diameter. 



Camelus 

 Mai- 



Camel. 



aled 



a young camel. The camel after being overfed is driven about 

 violently, and then killed, when the blood is extracted. It is 

 brought from Bombay to Delhi and costs three rupees a tola. 

 It is administered in cases of impotence. 



Ainslie says the rennet of the camel, which the Persian 

 term puneer may eh -shooter y is placed amongst their aphrodisiacs. 



Dr. Honigberger calls the substance Camelinum coagulum, 

 and says it is highly esteemed by Arabian doctors. 



