54 
equivocal generation. Among the non-locomotive medicines, 
plants are placed, and are followed by mineral medicines ; 
among which, gold, silver, arsenic, mercury, diamonds, 
pearls, and earths, are enumerated. Heat and cold, light 
and darkness, the increase and decrease of the moon's age, 
are mentioned as means to be employed in the cure of 
diseases. Thus we see sol-lunar influence very early 
attracted the attention of physicians in tropical countries. 
In the Kalpastanum also, we are told, that " as patients 
are apt to grow worse in the night, double doses of medi- 
cine should be given them in the evening. These nightly 
exacerbations are owing to the influence of the moon, and 
especially of its beams, which produce injurious effects even 
on healthy persons." 
In the last-mentioned work, medicinal drugs and plants 
are arranged under the following heads : Tuberous and 
Bulbous Roots ; Roots ; Bark of Roots ; Bark of large 
Trees ; Trees possessing a peculiar smell ; Leaves ; 
Flowers ; Fruits ; Seeds ; Acrid and Astringent Vege- 
tables ; Milky Plants ; Gums and Resins. This work is 
also extremely interesting, as giving probably the earliest 
notices respecting Botanical Geography ; the sites and 
climates where different kinds of plants grow ; the soils 
and seasons whence, and when medicinal plants should be 
collected ; modes of keeping medicines and their prepara- 
tion ; time during which they remain good ; with the 
weights and measures to be used. Among the rules of 
Pharmacy, we have directions for making Rasaha, or the 
expressed juice of fresh vegetables ; Kalkaha, the powder 
of well-dried plants ; Sitaha, cold infusions ; Srutaha, 
Kashaim and Pandaha, decoctions. Ingredients that are 
added to the decoction after the boiling is over, as syrup, 
honey, pippaly, salts, &c. are called Brativapam by the 
Sastrums. Decoctions made with oil are called Tailam. 
