COMMENTARY. It appears unquestionably to be the _Cupressus sempervirens_. See Stackhouse (Tab. Syst. in Theophrast.) Its fruit, being of a globular shape, was called σφάιρια by the Greeks and _Pilulæ_ by the Latins. Pliny (H. N. xvii, 14.) Pliny recommends this as a cure for the stings of serpents, and in cases of hæmoptysis. (H. N. xxiv, 10.) Dioscorides and Serapion recommend it in these and various other cases. The cypress-nut is powerfully astringent and balsamic: hence it proves an excellent remedy in diarrhœas and dysenteries, and, as such, it is celebrated by many authors ancient and modern. Dioscorides in particular recommends it for stopping bleeding, for agglutinating wounds, and as an application to erysipelas and anthrax. Galen writes fully of it, but borrows largely from Dioscorides. Serapion does little more than give the notices of it by Dioscorides and Galen. (c. 55.) Avicenna recommends the cypress, and more especially the nut, in various cases requiring astringents, and among others as an application to polypus of the nose; he also speaks favorably of it in cases of hæmoptysis and dysuria. Like the others, he says it is a good application in ruptures. (ii, 2, 146.) See further Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 216.) The cypress is found in the ‘Flora Hippocratica,’ and in that of Celsus. The cypress-nuts are commended as astringents by all our older herbalists, and held a place in our Dispensatory as late as the time of Quincy. (93.) Κύπερος, Cyperus, is heating and desiccative, without pungency. Hence it promotes the cicatrization of the more humid ulcers in a wonderful manner, and relieves those in the mouth. It has also some incisive quality, and is lithontriptic, diuretic, and emmenagogue. * * * * * COMMENTARY. It is undoubtedly the _Cyperus rotundus_. Our author’s account of its medicinal uses is taken from Galen, and is confirmed by Serapion, Avicenna, and Rhases. All of them, however, are indebted to Dioscorides, who gives it the character of being calefacient, anastomotic, and diuretic, recommends it in uterine complaints as an emmenagogue, in ulcers of the mouth, and as an ingredient in emollient plasters. (i, 4.) A modern author, Dr. Hill, gives it nearly the same character as the ancients; he calls it stomachic, deobstruent, emmenagogue, and diuretic. It likewise occurs in the Materia Medica of Tournefort, who also calls it deobstruent and emmenagogue. Quincy gives a confused account of it under the name of _Cyprus_ (Engl. Dispens. i, l, 69); see also Lewis. Dioscorides describes also an Indian species having a root resembling ginger. Both Matthiolus and Sprengel are inclined to refer to the _Curcuma_. We shall have occasion to notice it afterwards, when describing the substances introduced into the Mat. Med. by the Arabians. Κύπρος,