220
THE CHINA REVIEW.
differences may be determined, but there is no facility for this at present in the Civil Hospital,
C. J. WHARRY, M.D. Government Civil Hospital,
Hongkong, 22nd February 1887.
2. Strychnos (nux vomica) N.O. Loganiaceæ. Pên tsao, No. 387.
I. 番木鼈 II. 馬錢子 III. 苦實把豆
Cantonese Mandarin Fan muk Fan mu pit. pieh. Ma tsin Ma chien taz. tzů. Ma shat K'u shih pp tan. pa tou. Fshatwo shih IV. RAM ak po to. I'è pa tu.
The above characters are taken from the Pin ts'ao. The second appears to be the most common name in Hongkong.
In the Chinese drug-shops are to be found, under one or more of the above names, the seeds of a species of Strychnos which are indistinguishable from the Nux Vomica seeds of western pharmacies. The native merchants in Hongkong state that the supply comes from Sze chuen.1
These seeds are much larger than those furnished by the fruits of the only two species of Strychnos actually known to grow in China, and although the information given in the Pen ts'ao, as to the plant yielding Ma tsin tzů having been introduced - the date is not given - from some Mahommedan country, points unquestionably to S. nux vomica, we must decline to ascribe it to this particular species in the absence of more precise information.
1. See also F. Porter Smith, Contributions towards the Mat. Med. and Nat. Hist. of China (1871) p. 156.
2. paniculata, Champ., Hongkong and adjacent continent; and S. angustifolia, Benth., Hongkong. Mora Hongkongensis (1881), p. 282.
The seeds of these two species will be again referred to in a future paper.
It may not be out of place to mention here, that S. nux vomica is a widely distributed plant, being found in N. Australia, India, Ceylon, Burmah, Siam, and according to Loureiro, in Cochin China, where it is known as Cay cu chi, a name which is not unlike the Hindustani term for this plant kuchila.3
The Chinese do not appear to be aware of the poisonous action of these seeds on man. In the Pên ts'ao,4 contrary to expectation, we find the plant placed in the climbing group, and not in the poisonous section as in the case of Gelsemium elegans. The writer states, however, that they are reputed to have a poisonous effect on dogs, and that the tree yielding them grows in... Chang Chow, C. Kung shan, in the province of Sze chuen. They are recommended to be used in colds, fevers, and throat affections: also, in certain cases of abdominal swellings and tumours. It appears also to have been used as a remedy in diseases of the eye, and as an agent in procuring abortion.
Among the Chinese in Canton and Hongkong this drug finds but little favour as an internal remedy. It is mostly used externally, mixed with other drugs, in the form of powders, ointments and other preparations in the treatment of sores and skin diseases.
The authors will be glad to examine the flowers and fruit of the Sze chuen variety of Strychnos yielding these seeds: the flowers and leaves should be soft, either dried between folds of bibulous paper or preserved in spirit; the fruit should be forwarded carefully bottled in spirit or brine.
HONGKONG, February 25th, 1887.
1. Pharmacographia (1879), p. 428. This species is figured in Bentley and Trimen's Medicinal Plants, (1880) Vol. III., No. 178.
2. Flora Cochinchinensis, (1798), Ed. Willdenow, p. 154.
3. Dymock, Materia Medica of Western India, (no date), p. 497.
4. Pên ts'ao kung mu, Chap. XVIII. Sub-end. 3 to End: 1.
Extract from the Report of the Apothecary and Analyst for the year 1888.
140
20. Before leaving this section of my report I would respectfully urge on the Government the necessity of introducing measures for controlling the sale of certain medicines which are used by the Chinese for criminal poisoning. The value to the Police of a Sale of Poisons Ordinance in their endeavours to secure the detection of the crime of poisoning would, I believe, be considerable.
21. It will of course be urged that the usefulness of such a measure, in respect of the sale of vegetable poisons, is by no means evident, seeing that there are, growing wild in the Colony, the very plants which furnish the drug the sale of which it is proposed to control; and that a criminal would be hardly likely to purchase of a druggist or herbalist a poison which he could gather without much trouble in the Colony. Objections of this character are of course entitled to some weight. A perusal of the records of the crime of murder by poisoning will, however, show that the criminal, in matters of detail, is by no means so astute as people imagine.
22. I will only incidentally allude to this matter now as it is my intention to lay my views on this subject before the Government in the form of a special communication.
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220
THE CHINA REVIEW.
differences may be determined, but there is no facility for this at present in the Civil Hospital,
C. J. WHARRY, M.D. Government Civil Hospital,
Hongkong, 22nd February 1887.
2. Strychnos(nux vomica }) N.O. Loganiaceæ. Pên tsao, No. 387.
I. 番木鼈 II. 馬錢子 III. 苦實把豆
Cantonese Mandarin Fan muk Fan mu
pit.
pieh.
Ma tsin Ma chien
taz.
tzů.
Ma shat K'u shih pp tan.
pa tou. Fshatwo shih
IV. RAM ak po to. I'è pa tu.
The above characters are taken from the Pin ts'ao. The second appears to be the most common name in Hongkong.
In the Chinese drug-phops are to be found, under one or more of the above names, the seeds of a species of Sraycans which are indistinguishable from the Nux Vonica seeds of western pharmacies The native merchants in Hongkong state at the supply comes from Sze chuen.1.
These seeds are much larger than those furnished by the fits of the only two species of Sravcubs actually known to grow in China, and although the information given in the Pen isfac, as to the plant yieldinga tsin tez having been introduced the date is not given-from some Mahommedan country, paints unquestionably to S. nux vomica, we must decline to ascribe it to this particular species in the absence of more precise information,
1. See also F. Porter Smith, Contributions towards the Mat. Med. and Nat. Hist. of China (1871) p. 156.
2. paniculata, Camp., Hoogkong and ad- jacent continent; and y. augustijiora, Beath., Hongkong. Mora Higkongensis (1881), p.
282.
The seeds of these two species will he again referred to in a future paper.
It may not be out of place to mention here, that, S. nur vomica is a widely distributed plant, being found. N. Australia, India, Ceylon, Burmah, Siam, and according to Loureiro. in Cochin China, where it is known as Cay cu chi,ja name which is not unlike the Hindustani term for this plant kuchila.8.
The Chinese do not appear to be aware of the poisonous action of these seeds on man, In the Pén ta'40,4. contrary to expeolation, we find the plant placed in the climbing group, and not in the poisonous section as in the case of Gelesmin elegans. The writer states, however, that they are reputed to have a poisonous effect on dogs, and that the tree yielding them grows in TPH M. Chang Chow, C. Kung shaft, in the province of Sze chuen. They ale recommended to be used in colds, fevers, and throat affections: also, in certain cases off abdominal swellings and tumours. It appears also to have been used as a remedy in diseases of the eye, and as an agent in procuring abortion.
Among the Chinese in Canton and Hong- kong this drug finds buf little favour as an internal remedy. It is mostly used extern- ally, mixed with other drugs, in the form of powders, ointments and other prepara- tions in the treatment of sores and skin diseases.
The authors will be glad to examine the flowers and fruit of the Sze ohuen variety of STRYCHNOS yielding these seeds: the flowers and leaves, should be soft either dried be- tween folds of bibuloyé paper or preserved in spirit; the fruit should be forwarded carefully bottled in spirit or brine.
HONDRONG, February 25th, 1887,
1. Pharmacographia 1879), p. 428. This species is figurod in Bentley and Trimen's Me- dicinal Plants, (1880) Vol. p., No. 178.
2. Flora Cochinchinensif, (1798), Ed. Will- denow, p. 154.
8. Dymock, Materia Medica of Western In- din, (no date), p. 497.
4. Pên ta'ao kung mu, Chap. xvII.
Sub-end. 3 to Enel: 1.
Extract from the Report of the
Apothecary
year 1888.
and
140
Analyst for the
20. Before leaving this section of my report I would respectfully urge on the Government the necessity of introducing measures for controlling the sale of certain medicines which are used by the Chinese for criminal poisoning. The value to the Police of a Sale of Poisons Ordinance in their en- deavours to secure the detection of the Crime of poisoning would, I believe, be considerable.
21. It will of course be urged that the usefulness of such a measure, in respect of the sale of vegetable poisons, is by no means evident, seeing that there are, growing wild in the Colony, the very plants which furnish the drug the sale of which it is proposed to control; and that a criminal would be hardly likely to purchase of a druggist or herbalist a poison which he could gather without mach trouble in the Colony. Objections of this character are of course entitled to some weight. A perusal of the records of the crime of murder by poisoning will. however, show that the criminal, in matters of detail, is by no means so astute as people imagine.
22. I will only incidentally allude to this matter now as it is my intention to lay my views on this subject before the Government in the form of a special communication.
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