Page:A Short History of Aryan Medical Science.djvu/112

104 common properties. Other writers have added to the list, which forms an interesting literature of the Materia Medica of India. They have also described the proper seasons for gathering the herbs, the period of their growth, when they possess their distinctive properties, the localities from which they should be collected, and the manner of treating them, extracting their active principles, and preserving them. Some of the groups mentioned by the Indian writers are given below : —

1. (Antispasmodic), as Vidarigandha (Costus speciosus).

2. (Cathartic), as Haritaki (Terminalia Chebula).

3. (Haemostatic), as Indrayava (Wrightia antidysenterica).

4. (Emmenagogue), as Jotishmati (Cardiospermum Helicacabum).

5. (Lithonlytic), as Grokshura (Tribulus terrestris).

6. (Anaphrodisiac), as Bhoostrina (Andropogon schoenanthus).

7. (Purgative), as Katuki (Picorrhiza kurroo).

8. (Anemetic), as Dadima (Punica granatum).