OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 399 



" from Kan-tou, Lou, Hoang-tchi, and other nations of the South : the nearest about ten days journey, 

 and the most distant about five months, their territories being large and populous (Siamese countries) ; 

 and they had many productions and rare objects." 



" 176 B. C." (Pauth.), on application from the emperor Wen-ti, the Chou-king recited from mem- 

 ory by Fou-chen ; having charge of Chinese literature thirty-seven years previously, at the time of 

 the Burning of the books. 



The same year (= 313 — " 137 yrs." in the Vichnu purana, Burn. ii. 778), a date possibly mark- 

 ing the accession of Samgata, son of Dasaratha and now king at Pataliputra on the Ganges. He is 

 called Sampada in the Avadana Asoka (Burn, introd. 430). 



" 175 B. C." (Clint, iii. p. 346), Seleucus IV. succeeded by Antiochus IV. Epiphanes, eighth 

 Greek king of Syria. 



" 171 B. C." (Liv., and Clint), invasion of Macedonia by the Romans, warring against king 

 Perseus. 



Hegesander of Delphi may have been at this time writing. He mentions Rhodophon of Rhodes, 

 legate to the Romans on the occasion of the above outbreak (Polyb. xxvii. 6. 3 to xxx. 5. 4). 



Astragalus glaux of the Mediterranean countries. A species of milk-vetch; and the TAAYKIC 

 KO N according to Hegesander 35 not growing about the Hellespont — (Athen. ii. 62), may be com- 

 pared : the "eugalacton" of the ancients is identified by Pliny xxvii. 58 with the "glaux," described 

 by Dioscorides as growing by the seaside, its five or six slender branches spreading on the ground a 

 span from the root, leaves whiter beneath and resembling those of " kutis6 " or " phak6," flowers 

 " lgukoiois "-like but smaller, purple, the plant in decoction restoring suppressed milk, and referred 

 here by Clusius, and Sprengel : A. glaux was observed by Sibthorp on Cyprus, growing in the open 

 country. Westward, the account of the "glaux" by Pliny seems chiefly taken from Dioscorides : A. 

 glaux was observed by Clusius hist. ii. 240 in Spain ; is described also by C. Bauhin pin. 347, and 

 Rivinus pent. irr. pi. 109. 



" The same year " (Diodor., Blair, and Clint.), invasion of Egypt by Antiochus IV.; and between 

 Pelusium and Mount Casius, the army of the youthful Ptolemy VI. defeated. 



" 170 B. C." (2 Maccab. v. 1, Blair, Clint, iii. p. 319, and Kitt. cycl. bibl. lit.) expulsion of the 

 high-priest Menelaus, appointed by Antiochus IV. ; the Jews being deceived by a false rumour. Re- 

 turning alive from Egypt, Antiochus IV. plundered Jerusalem, and polluted the temple by sacrifices 

 of swine. 



" 170-69 B. C." (Porphyr., and Clint, p. 387 and 399), Ptolemy Physcon associated with his 

 brother Ptolemy VI. in ruling Egypt. 



" 168, June 21st " (Blair, and Clint.), eclipse of the moon. The first eclipse predicted by a Ro- 

 man astronomer ; by Sulpicius Gallus to the Roman army at Pydna, which on the following day 

 defeated Perseus, bringing the Macedonian kingdom to a close. Gentius king of the Illyrians and 

 ally of Perseus, was separately defeated and taken prisoner by the Romans. 



Gentiana lutea of the high mountains of middle Europe. Called in Italy " gentiana maggiore " 

 (Lenz), and the r e N T I A N H discovered by Gentius, king of the Illyrians — and growing according to 

 Dioscorides on the loftiest mountains, the stem smooth as thick as the finger and two cubits high 

 with leaves at intervals, mentioned also by Servilius Damocrates, Galen, and Paulus Aegineta, is re- 

 ferred here by writers : the "ggntiane" or "aloe gallike" is identified in Syn. Diosc. with the 

 " aloitis " of the Dardani (on the border of Illyria), and " g£nous " or " kikSnthia " or " kuminalis " 

 of the Romans : the "gentianam " is mentioned by Pliny xxv. 34 as growing chiefly in " subalpinis ; " 

 and G. lutea is described by Renealme spec. pi. 63, and is known to grow in and around Switzerland 

 in Subalpine situations (Pers., A. Dec, and Lenz). Farther South, is mentioned by Serapion 

 (Spreng.); its imported root is enumerated by Alpinus among the ingredients of the Egyptian theriac, 



China the root and lower part of the stem "resolvens deobstruens diuretica ; " bitter in taste accord- 

 ing to'Lindley, and used by the Malays in intermittent fevers and liver complaints. 



Commia Cochinchi/iensis of Anam. An Euphorbiaceous tree of medium size called in Anam 

 " cay son gia " (Lour.) ; and from early times, its gum used medicinally : — C. Cochinchinensis was 

 observed by Loureiro 742 wild near the seashore of Anam, its white tenacious gum emetic, purgative, 

 deobstruent, useful in obstinate dropsy and obstructions (see also Lindley). 



Muricia Cochinchinensis of Anam and Tropical China. A woody climbing Curcubitaceous 

 plant called in Anam " cay goc " or " mouc biet tu," in China " mo pie su " (Lour.) ; and from early 

 times, employed medicinally : — observed by Loureiro 732 wild in Anam and China, its berries 

 used for tin^ein^ food, its seeds and leaves given in obstructions of the liver and spleen, in tumours 

 and malignant ulcers, and applied externally in prolapsus, dislocations, and fractures (see also 

 Lindley). 



