532 Illustrations of the Botany and Natural History of the [Oct. 



this plant is indigenous ; that it was produced hy it was first learnt by Dr. 

 Wallich in Nepal ; the fact was confirmed by Dr. GovANin Sirmore, and the in- 

 formation communicated to the author on the same mountains was, that Bikh is 

 the name applied to Aconitum ferox and Meetha tellia to the root, which, though 

 a violent poison, is occasionally used in medicine. It may further be stated, that 

 the specimens of Aconitum ferox in the author's Herbarium, have the fusiform 

 roots attached side by side, black and wrinkled externally, and of a brownish 

 colour internally ; they impress upon the tongue and fauces a peculiar burning 

 sensation, and increase the flow of saliva, as is described to be the case with the 

 Bikh. They moreover exactly resemble the specimens brought in the Indian ba- 

 zars, of Meetha tellia, in the author's collection of Materia Medica. 



Both Drs. Buchanan andWALLiCH have mentioned the uncertainty and confu- 

 sion existing in the names of the several articles of the Indian Materia Medica. 

 This is no doubt true, and it therefore becomes more necessary to elucidate the 

 subject, when such powerful drugs are sold and administered as remedies for 

 disease. Considerable assistance will be derived in this labour, if, when consult- 

 ing native works on the subject, we at the same time procure as many as possible 

 of the drugs which are described. Without this no satisfactory progress can be 

 made, as we have no means of ascertaining when the same drug is given in differ- 

 ent parts of the country, under different names, nor when, which is sometimes the 

 case, different articles are given under the same name. 



Dr. Buchanan (Brewst. Journal, i. p. 250) gives Bish, Bikh, and Kodoya bish 

 or bikh, as the synonymes : to these Meetha ought to be added, instead of being 

 referred to bikkma. Professor H. Wilson {Cat. Med. Trans, vol. ii. p. 280) 

 referring to this article, says, that Bish, Bikh, or Vish, means poison simply, and 

 that it has several Sanscrit synonymes, as Amritam, Vatsanabhu, Visham, 8fc. 

 Dr. Carey, in his Bengalee Dictionary, refers Bish to Aconitum ferox, and 

 quotes as synonymes with Vatzanabhu, Mitha, or Mitha zuher (sweet poison). 

 Dr. W. Hunter (Cat. Med. Trans, vol. ii. p. 410) has Meetha zuhur, Meetha 

 bikh, and simply Mitha as synonymes. Dr. Wallich (Plantce Asiat. Rar. 

 vol. i. p. 41) mentions that Dr. Govan found the root called Meetha-doodya and 

 Meetha telya, and gives as synonymes, Visha, i. e. Venenum, et Ati visha, sum- 

 mum venenum ; Hindee, Vish or Bikh ,• Newar, Bikh. and Bikma. In the Mvkh- 

 zun-ool-Adwieh, probably the best Persian work on Materia Medica in use in 

 India, several kinds of Bish are enumerated; as — 1. Seengheea, so called from 

 its resemblance to the horn of a Deer. 2. Buchnag, like judwar. 4. Teezuk. 

 5. Kuroon-ool-soombul. 6. Buhrasoorut . 7. Burhmunee. 8. Muhoodah. 9. Huldeh. 

 10. Kalakoot. 11. Sutiva. 12. Tellia. But as it is doubtful whether these are 

 varieties or species, or whether more than those already mentioned, can be refer- 

 red to the genus Aconitum, they are only enumerated as subjects for further 

 inquiry. In the Taleef- Shereef, an Indian work on Materia Medica, lately trans- 

 lated by Mr. Playfair, Singia and Bechnack are given as two names of a most 

 deadly poisonous root from Nepal, no doubt the Aconite. 



In all the native works, the Bikh is represented as being a deadly poison, even 

 in the smallest doses. The Hindoo works quoted by Dr. Hunter describe it as 

 being at first sweetish (hence the affix meetha, sweet), and then followed by a 

 roughness on the tongue, or as it is expressed in one work, '• seizing the throat." 



