38 
Rhazes, who was prior to Avicenna, wc have in the 
article De Emblico, " Inquit Scarac indianus ,-" and in 
that De Zingibere, " Dixit Sarac" But in the article 
De Allio, another Indian author is quoted, whom I have 
not been able yet to trace out — " Ait Sindifar (in another 
place written " Dixit Sindichar' 1 '') indianus valet contra 
ventositatem." 
The Arabs were not, however, always satisfied with merely 
referring to the opinions of these Indian authors, but as 
they frequently copied from the Greeks, so have they 
sometimes condescended to borrow from the Hindoos. To 
illustrate this, I select a subject from the animal kingdom, 
but still confining myself to the class of remedies. Professor 
Wilson, in his notice respecting the medical and surgical 
sciences of the Hindoos, published in the Oriental Maga- 
zine, to be immediately more particularly referred to, says, 
" Much pains, and perhaps to but little good purpose, were 
bestowed upon the subject of leeches. It is said that there 
are twelve sorts, of which six are venomous ; they are thus 
enumerated : — The six poisonous leeches are, the krishna, or 
black and two-headed ; the karbura, the large-bellied leech, 
with a scaly hide ; the alagarda, the hairy leech ; the 
indmyz/dha, which is variegated like a rainbow, whence its 
name ; the samudrika, which is striped yellow and black ; 
and the gobandana. The bites of these produce excessive 
irritation, great itching, heat, and pain, spasms, sickness and 
syncope; and that of the indrayudha, even death." On 
referring to the chapter of Avicenna, " De Sanguisugis," 
and considering the double translation that the original has 
undergone, the coincidence is remarkable ; for Avicenna 
says, " Indi diooerunt quod in quarundam sanguisugarum 
natura existit venenositas : ab eis igitur cavendum est, qua; 
sunt ex genere magna habendum capita, et quarum colores 
sunt antimoniales et nigrae : aut quarum color est viridis : 
