Materia medica of Hindoostan, and artisan's and agriculturalist's nomenclature / by Whitelaw Ainslie.

  • Whitelaw Ainslie
Date:
1813
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Materia medica of Hindoostan, and artisan's and agriculturalist's nomenclature / by Whitelaw Ainslie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    PREFACE, IT has long been a source of regret that there was no where to he found a rorreet list of what particular articles of the British Materia JMedica could be procured in the Bazars of Hindoostan, with tlieir names in the languages which are spoken in the Pe ninsula ; or any arranged account of the Materia Medica of the Native Indians*—It is with a view of remedying these evils, in some measure, that the following Catalogue is now presented to the Public. I should have been extremely happy to have had it in my power to render this work more coni|)lete in what regards the Tamool lilateria Medica ; which has, 1 fear, hitherto been too much neglected. I have, however, been able to include many articles of high repute, and acknowledged efficacy ; as well ovving to the assistance 1 have received from a celebrated Tamool work of Agbastier, on the practice of Bledicine, (entitled “ Agbastier Vytia Anyouroo,”) as from information I fortunately obtained from several learned Vytians. As might naturally be supposed, some of the drugs mentioned in that ])ai t of the 1st Catalogue, which treats of the British Materia Medica, cannot be fouiul in these pro- vinces in such quantities as to j)reclude the necessity of regular supplies from established stores ; nor are they always to Ire met with of tlie best quality ; yet it may he gratify- ing to know what those Medicines are that can be procured, in many of the Bazars, or Gardens of the Natives, in cases of extremitj*. With regard to the Catalogue of Edible Vegetable productions, I can safely say that it has been the work of years. In a country like this, where so great a part of the inha- bitants eat no animal food, I had long been anxious to know what was the extent of their resources from another kingdom', (I ) and the possession ofa fruitful garden at Saint Thomas’s Mount, together svith the kind aid I ever received from that distinguished Potanist, the Reverend Doctor Ilettler, enconragtd me to pursue the inquiry. Most of the articles 1 have enumerated were reared under my own eye, that I might he able the more correctly to judge of them. Many Thad sent to me from the most remote corners of India j from Oude, from Guzerat, and Travancore j and a few, which 1 could not procure, I have inserted on the authority of those in whom I can well confide. In both Catalogues it will be observed that, when the substance mentioned is of a vegetable nature, the Botanical name of the plant is given, from which it is obtained j if, on the other hand, it is not of a vegetable nature, I have subjoined its scientific ap- pellation. In writing the Tamool, Telingoo, Diikhanie, Sanscrit, and other names, in English characters, I have been entirely guided by the impression the pronunciation of them made on my ear, indepenrient of the particular letters that compose the words ; and, this manner I have adopted, though at variance with high authority, as the l>est calculated, in my opinion, to convey the tme sound, to a person unacquaiated with the languages to be expressed. In place of the often obscure and unfamiliar English names, which have been given by the Botanists of Europe t» some of the trees and shrubs of tropical countries, 1 have, in several instances, taken the liberty of sul)stituting the common Indian terms ; by which means, the articles may, with greater facility, he obtained from the Native practitioners. Altho’ the proper scientific appellations of several of the plants, it will he seen, have rtot been ascertained, 1 have not, on that account, refused their insertion in the lists, in the hope that, by the exertions of others, at some future peiiotl, such defects may be bajipily remedied. The