672 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
Orta explains that this fable originated "witli Dioscorides about a fruit 
wbich he calls per sea (?). Ruano says the conserve of peaches was 
good, but preferred that made with the pimenta or pepper grapes. 
Good peaches introduced from Persia were cultivated in Balaghat. 
COLLOQUY XLYII. 
Da eaiz da China. 
[China root — Smilax china, Linn.] 
Called lampato in China — [choh-i-chini in India.] 
Garcia says that this root was first brought from China to Goa in 
1535, and it supplanted the root guaiagao {Guiacum officinale^ Linn.) 
of which he had himself brought a supply from Portugal, as a cure 
for syphilitic diseases. The merciful God, he says, provided this 
remedy, as the morho napolitano is common in India, China, and Japan. 
He highly extols the merits of the infusion of this wood. Also in 
cases of palsy, arthritis, gout, sciatica, King's evil, indigestion, melan- 
cholia, stone, ulcers in the bladder, &c., while it also possessed 
remarkable powers as an aphrodisiac. 
"When first brought to Malacca it sold at the rate of 10 cruzados 
(= £1 85. 4d.), a ganta = 24 ounces ; afterwards it fell to 20 reis a ganta. 
It was believed to have cured the Emperor Charles V. of his gout 
but in spite of its wide reputation at one time, though still used in 
India, its efiiciency is doubted in Europe ; it is, however, recognized 
as a sudorific and alterative. Sarsaparilla has displaced it from most 
pharmacopoeias. 
[References. — Clusius {Acosta), p. 47; Zinschoten, i., p. 239 
n., pp. 107-112 ; Ainslie, i., pp. 70-72 and 592 ; FlucUger and Han 
lury^ p. 648 ; Khory^ p. 547.] 
COLLOQUY XLYIII. 
Do EuiBAEBO. 
[Rhubarb — Root of Rheum officinale^ Baillon. 
Called ravao Chini by the Moors ; ravao Turquino in Europe (as in 
modern times, incorrectly, Turkey rhubarb). 
Garcia says that all the rhubarb which came to India was shipped 
at Hormuz, reaching it through Usbeque (Tartary), from China by land 
