186 A CATAXOGUE OF'. JNDIAH .^ 



CJ3IPH.0R, Cafur,^^^. H. CurfuruyS. . _, ,;, 



(Murray, IV. 44,5. 

 , , - Laurus Camphora, < " ^^ ' 



(WOODVILLE, IV. 66, 



.£iiiNA Root, Choi) CliiniS^) H, 



^Murray,, I. 450. 

 Smilacsj China. < j'" - 



"=■;•'■ \"- ( Wood viLLE, n^ 66,- 



This root was formerly held in high estimation, in. Europe, as a reme- 

 dy for the venereal disease ; but has long beea superseded, by its congener.^ 

 the iSmilax Sarsapqrilla ; yet this last has been, by some authors of great 

 authority, considered as a very inert substance, and scarcely possessing' 

 any medicinal virtue v^^hatsoever.* Those who judge more favourably of 

 its efficacy, may, in cases where it cannot be procured, have recourse to 

 the CAm^ root, as a substitute, Dr, Wood vrj.pE,iafler observing that, 

 " like the Sarsaparilla, the Chhia root contains a considerable share of 

 " bland nutritive matter," adds, " that it appeared to him not less adapted 

 " to the auxiliary purposes of medicine. "-f If the sanative virtue of these 

 roots depends on this niitritrve matter, which is ]>Po^ably the case, the 

 €hdna root would seem to claim the preference -as If contains it in a much 

 larger proportion, amounting to upwards of half "the weight of^tFie root;! 

 but there is much 'diffieufty mapprecia:ting the comparative efficacy of me- 

 dicines of such moderate a6livity as the t^)76°fn"^qnesti6n. The China root 

 was formerly much used in the hospitals here ; and, as far- as I could 

 judge from my owii experience, it§T utility^ either as an auxiliary to mer- 

 cury, or for improving the general health, after the use of that-reraedyr 

 is at least equal to that of the Sarsaparilla. 



• (1) Kafoor. , . ^-> Chob Cheenee. 



* J. HuNTEK. Ven. Dis. p. 371. CullEn. Mat. Med. p. 200. Duncan, Edinb. New 

 Disp. Ed. 1806. " " ' . . . 



+ Med; Bof/ IV^ 67/ " 



% Aikin's Lewis. Mat. Med. II. p. S3L 



