Lycium, _Buckthorn_, is composed of heterogeneous powers, one part of its ingredients being heating, attenuate, and discutient, and the other, or terrene part, being cooling and gently astringent; so that it is desiccative in the second degree, and calefacient and refrigerant in an intermediate degree. They use it, therefore, as a detergent in obstructions of the pupil, and as an astringent in cæliac and dysenteric cases and ill-conditioned ulcers; and in inflammations as a discutient. The Indian is the best. * * * * * COMMENTARY. Dioscorides gives a sufficiently distinct description of the tree which produces the _lycium_, so as to leave no doubt that he points to the _Rhamnus infectorius_. The _Lycium Indicum_ of the same author, is now satisfactorily determined to be the product of the _Berberis Lycium_. See Royle (Antiq. of Hind. Med. 32), and ‘Linn. Transact.’ (xvii, 83); also Pereira (Materia Medica, 1152.) Dioscorides recommends the former of these as an astringent for the cure of various complaints, such as obscurities of the cornea, psoriasis, and pruritus of the eyelids, purulent ears and tonsils, ulcers of the gums, chapped lips, fissure of the anus; in cæliac and dysenteric affections, both in draughts and clysters; in hæmoptysis and coughs; in female fluxes, hydrophobia, and so forth. The Indian, he states, cures inflammation of the spleen and jaundice, prevents menstruation, purges water, and is a counter-agent to deadly poisons. (i, 132.) Galen’s account of it being nearly the same as our author’s, we need not expound at any length. He holds that the Indian species is far stronger than the other. (De Simpl. ix.) Oribasius and Aëtius in like manner follow Galen. Celsus recommends lycium strongly in ulceration of the throat. (iv, 4, 3.) As far as we have been able to discover, it does not occur in the works of Hippocrates. The Arabians treat fully of this article. See Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 429); Avicenna (ii, 2, 390); Serapion (c. 7); Averrhoes (v, 42.) We do not find that they supply any new views regarding its medicinal virtues. In the modern Greek Pharmacopœia the extract of catechu is set down as being the _Lycium Indicum_. We agree, however, with the authorities quoted above regarding it. Λυσιμάχιον, Lysimachium, _Moneywort_; its prevailing power is astringency; hence it agglutinates wounds, and is styptic, both itself and its juice. It also relieves dysentery when drunk and injected. * * * * *