720 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Drs. Letheby and Hassall undertook to ascertain the effects of roasted 

 chicory on the human system. Three persons partook of a chicory breakfast ; 

 the infusion was dark colored, thick, destitute of the agreeable and refreshing 

 aroma so characteristic of coffee, and was of a bitter taste. Each individual 

 experienced for sometime after drinking the fusion, a sensation of heavi- 

 ness, drowsiness, a feeling of weight at the stomach, and great indisposition 

 to exertion ; in two headache set in, and in the third diarrhoea came on. 

 Hence the wholesome properties of chicory as an article of diet are question- 

 able. There is hardly any advantage of the admixture of chicory with coffee. 

 Chicory, from its narcotic character, exerts an injurious effect on the nervous 

 system ; according to some oculists, chicory-coffee is considered as among 

 the causes of amaurotic blindness. 



691—0. Endivia, Linn., h.f.b.l, hi. 391. 



Vern. : — Kasni (H. and Pers.) ; Kashini-virai (Tarn.); Koshee 

 (Tel.) ; Saz-e-hand ( Cashmere). 



English : — The garden endive. 



Habitat : — Northern India. 



It resembles the preceding species, but is more glabrous. 



Uses : — It is much valued by the Hakims as a resolvent and 

 cooling medicine, and is prescribed in bilious complaints much 

 as Taraxacum is with us (Dymock). 



The root is used in dyspepsia and fever as a tonic and 

 demulcent ; fruit, a cooling remedy for fever, headache and 

 jaundice. (T. X. Mukerji.) 



The root is considered warm, stimulating and febrifuge ; 

 given in "Munjus," the diluent taken preparatory to purging; 

 the seed is used in sherbets (Irvine). 



692 — Taraxacum officinale, Wigg., h.f.b.i., hi. 

 401. 



Vera. :— Dudal ; Baran ; Kanphul ; Dudli ; Shamooke (Pb.); 

 Buthur (Sind.) ; Pathree (Dec). 



Habitat: — Throughout the Himalaya and Western Tibet, 

 and the Mishmi Mountains. 



A scapigorous, milky herb, perennial. Root vertical. Leaves 

 all radical, glabrous, or crown and scape woolly ; leaves, sessile, 

 oblanceolate or linear, entire, toothed, pinnatifld or runcinate ; 



