The trowcal agriculturist. 
[May 2, 1892. 
?q8 
trade and intercourse, and the development of natural 
science, botany and chemistry chiefly, still further 
additions \^'ere made, and are being daily made to the 
Pharmacopeia of each nation, until at the present 
day, notwithstanding tho process of elimination 
which is constantly going on of every artiole in the 
Materia Medica, which is tasted in the crucible of ex- 
perimental science and found worthless — tho task of 
Keeping even fairly abreast with themost valuable novel- 
ties which are gradually finding a place among oflicinal 
\.e. authoritatively recognised remedies, is almost hope- 
less to the busy practitioner of medicine, who is ex- 
pected to prescribe them or the chemist who has to keep 
them in stock. 
It is chiofly this diflicnlU which the volume before 
ns is intended to meet. “ In scope and design it is 
totMly distinct from any other work (on Materia 
Medica) ; for it embraces not only a very full account 
of the uses of the drugs handed down by the North 
American Indians to the medical men in America, 
but it brings up the list of dnigs and chemicals to a 
late date, at tlio same time furnishing suflHcient 
information on each to enable a medical man to see 
at a glance its probable value In any case in which 
he may require to employ it, or at any rate to 
decide in his mind if it is worth further research.” 
Tho Index is a special feature in this volume ; as 
every drug has its botanical, native and common 
names given to it and in many instances their French, 
Oeeman and Indian equivalents, and will bo found 
equally useful to the chemist and student of medicine 
as to the botanist and dealer in drugs. 
The book is tho joint production of Dr. Leonard 
of Detroit, America, who presides, wo suppose, over 
the medical portions of the book and Mr. T. [Christy, 
the well-known author of “ Commercial Plants and 
Drugs," whoso name alone should be a guarantee of the 
excellence and accuracy of tho botanical portion. 
Aa far as we may judge from casual roforences to 
drims both new and old, tho book is fairly reliable 
ana the information given quite up to tho latest date. 
It would be unreasonable to expect it to contain 
every new remedy — the name of which is legion 
but it has Inclndod within its S87 pages, wo believe, 
nearly every principal drug in tho three Phamiacopeias 
of Great Britain, the United States, and India and a 
great many others non-officinal which have stood the 
tost of time. 
Of our Island plants referred to m tho body 
of tho work and in tho appendix wo notice 
the Jtuusardium occidentalt (cajn) figuring in an 
Aipoct th&t is new to U8. It is horo called tho 
JHabeUs bark tree, aad is recommended for the non- 
Bacoharine form of diabete.t. Wo are not aware that 
it haa any great local reputation for tin's affection, 
though wo Miove it is often prescribed by vodarolas 
as aiL aatcingont. Another plant which according to 
Thwaitea la not nneonnnon in the South of 
tho island {Jndroffraphis paniculata, Wall.) -and 
which Mr. Thoinaa Chriaty claims to have introduced 
into Kuropean practice, and which is identified by its 
imeclfio appellation (given above) and^ its common 
Hin^fltani name “Kariyat or Creyat”— is surely none 
other than our well-known /iTin bin kohomha. the true 
Chireita of the bazaars, according to Balfour—in com- 
mon use all over India as a febrifuge and tonic and a 
cheap Bubstituto for cinchona in every hospital in the 
East. It has been known for ages, and is the principal 
ingr^ent in the ** I>roque am4r«'' so much esteemed in 
France, the plant having been introduced into Sou- 
thern India, according to Ainslie, f^m the Isle of 
France and onitivatod InTinnevoUy, though it is found 
wild in Bengal, Ceylon, the PeninsiUa and Java. We 
are surprisea that tnis plant which is olhcinal in the 
Indian Fharmacopoia should have boon included among 
the now remedies as “ introduced by T. Christy, 
V . L. s.,'’ while no suspicion seems to have crossed 
hla ’ mind (notwithstanding the affinity of the Indian 
name Kanyat or Creyat, derived from the Sanskrit 
Kairatd whence Chireita) that it was one at least 
of the sources of the well-known ^ Cbiretta of 
the Indian bazaars, which he describes in its proper 
place in this book as obtained from the Ophelia 
t'AtVofa. 
Another Ceylon plant is the Cassw alata, the j 
winged cassia or ringworm shrub, which though not 
indigenous is now naturalized all over the island. 
It is a favorite with tho Tamils for rin^orm, the 
fresh leaves, bruised and mixed with lime juice, 
being used for the purpose. Also as a remedy for 
various skin diseases, in poisoned bites, drc., and an a 
general tonic. This shrub with its gaudy yellow flowers 
may be found growing almost wild both in Colombo and 
upcountry and would be wortli introducing more 
freely among tho Tamil coolies who appreciate tho 
value of aimi agati. 
Uolarthena or Wriyhtiaanti^dyaenterica, better known 
Tellicherry bark, iuderjow seeds — the suddu’idda of 
the Sinhalese — veppalci in Tamil — is reputed as a 
remedy in dysentery, but it haa no special action in 
this disease like ijiecacuauha, and is only a good 
astringent and tonic. 
^^yqrophila ipinosQ, or Aetera.caniha lonqifolxa, 
well-known loc^ly by its Tamil name mVmtcf/i, 
better deserving of a place iu any Dictionary of 
Materia Medica. It is not only one of the best 
diaretics known to tho vederalas, but is superior to 
any known in European practice for the treatment of 
cases of dropsy complicated with diarrhoea or 
dysentery. 
Of medicinal plants used for lung diseases, broii. 
chitis, asthma, Ac., wo are pleased to find Jnaticia 
cdafoi/a mentioned {adJxatoda), Tylophor a aethmatica. 
{hinoaja), and Kuviiorbia piluliftra, or snake- weed {boho- 
dada’keenydj^^X common plants, much used in native 
practice, and of deservedly great repute. 
Still another is the Caaam FifUUa or purging cassia 
{ehtla gae), which, to judge from the villainous 
mutilations constantly practised on the few beautiful 
sp^imons which (thanks to the late Mr. W. Ferguson) 
exist in the Cinnamon Gardens, seems to be in 
groat demand among tho Goths and Vandals who 
infest our streets. 
It would not be difficult to pick holes in a Dictionary 
which aims at being at once comprehensive and 
sncciuct, but when the book reaches a second edition 
W9 would advise the printers’ devil to he more careful 
of his orthography and to avoid such blunders as 
Cabvum, CARWMdMUM, SuLPHOKosuM, tfeo., whilo re- 
serving a little more space for such useful well-known 
remedies as Calcic Sulphide, Aristol, Ac. I’henacetin 
is surely deserving of a more detailed notice than 
“one o{ the European patent medicines prepared as a 
substitute for antipyrin, antefobrin, drc., used as an 
antipyretic.” As far bock as iss? its chemical com- 
position was described by Messrs. Ilinsberg and Hast 
in tho Phami. Zeit. Berlin, as an acetw derivative 
from Carbolic Acid having the formula Nll 2 C 5 n 40 
its pliysiologica 1 effects are already 
as well known aa those of antipyrin, <frc. 
But, trivial omissions of this kind apart, the Dictionary 
appears to us to really supply a much felt want, while 
its moderate cost (five shillings, in beautiful cloth 
binding^, and its dainty appearance should recommend 
it still lurthor to medical men and vendors of drugs 
equally. 
KUSSIAN TEAS : THEIR IMPORTATION 
INTO EUROPE. 
A CritiquFu on Thkib Qualities, Specialties, etc. 
(Specially contributed to the Ceylon Obnerver.") 
A Russian engineer and traveller sojourning on 
the Riviera recently read an interesting paper before 
a select circle of listeners — both fair ana firm — on 
the importation into, and distribution over, Europe 
of Russian teas, or, rather, of teas grown in China, 
and exported into Europe pm Asiatic Russia by 
painful routes of immense distances, so vast and long 
that the journey, once undertaken, seems as though 
it will never end. There being no railways yet over 
the regions, everything is borne either by camels, 
sledges or canals - generally, all three methods of 
transit in succession. Nearly a year elapses ere the 
apparent “ destination without end ” of unknown 
fatigue and weariness is gained; before the historic 
frontier stone is reached, where on one side is chiseled 
Asia and on the other side Euuope ; and ere finally 
the railroad at Nijni-Novgorod is come up to. 
