Dr. Blane’s Account of 
«' foot of the hills, to perceive the air perfumed with an aro- 
m atic fmell; and, upon aiking the caufe, I was told it pro- 
« ceeded from the roots of the grafs that were bruifed or 
“ trodden out of the ground by the feet of the elephants and 
“ horfes of the Nabob’s retinue. The country was wild and 
“ uncultivated, and this was the common grafs which covered 
tt t he furface of it, growing in large tufts clofe to each other, 
“ very rank, and in general from three to four feet in length. 
“ As it was the winter feafon, there was none of it in flower. 
“ Indeed, the greateft part of it had been burnt down on the 
“ road we went, in order that it might be no impediment to 
^ the Nabob’s encampments* 
“ I collected a quantity of the roots to be dried for ufe, and 
« carefully dug up fome of it, which I fent to be planted in my 
“ garden at Lucknow. It there throve exceedingly, and in 
“ the rainy feafon it fhot up fpikes about fix feet high. Ac- 
« companying this, I fend you a drawing of the plant in flower, 
“ and of the dried roots, in which the natural appearance is 
“ tolerably preferved. 
“ It is called by the natives Terankus, which means literally, 
« i n the Hindoo language, fever-reftrainer, from the virtues 
« they attribute to it in that difeafe. They infufe about a 
“ dram of it in half a pint of hot water, with a fmall quan- 
<. tity of black pepper. This infufion ferves for one dofe, and 
« is repeated three times a day. It is efteemed a powerful 
« medicine in all kinds of fevers, whether continued or inter- 
« mittent. I have not made any trial of it myfelf; but ihall 
«( certainly take the fir ft opportunity of doing fo. 
“ The whole plant has a ftrong aromatic odour; but ot 
U the fmell and the virtues refide principally in the hulky 
« roots, which in chewing have a bitter, warm, pungent tafte, 
“ accom- 
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