the taste of water, and, in addition, to lessen the quantity of water taken, which in hot countries is often so excessive as to produce serious illness. As a remedy it is invaluable from its demulcent properties, in cases of gastro-intestinal disorders. It also holds a place among domestic remedies, for the same purpose that flax seed occasionally does with us, i.e., a grain of the seed
is placed in the eye (where it gives no pain) to form a mucilage by means of which a foreign body may be removed from the organ. I have found it of great service as a poultice.
With reference to the above, Mr. John M. Maisch wrote : — Most of the fruits of the Labiatœ do not differ very greatly in size or shape, and more or less similarity must be expected among those of the numerous species of salvia ; how many of those may agree in the colour of their epicarp and in the presence of the mucilaginous epithelium it is impossible at the present time to say. But I think it must be concluded that at least several species have fruits resembing in appearance very small ricinus seeds, and that most likely such of them which are mucilaginous have been used by the aborigines under the name of chia, which would, therefore, have to be regarded as a generic term, applicable to all fruits of salvias having the characters indicated.
Seeds of Indian species of Salvia may be put to the same uses as those of Mexico and California.
1002. Nepeta elliptica, Royle, h.f.b.l, iv. 658.
Vern.—Tukm malangá. (Pb.).
Habitat. — Western Temperate Himalaya, from Kashmir to Kumaon.
Herbs often flexuous, ascending, densely hairy. Stem l-2ft., woolly branched. Leaves subsessile elliptic-oblong or obcordate, tip rounded or acute, pectinately-crenate, ½-lin., tomentose. Whorls sessile, crowded in terminal spikes. Spikes 3in. long, slender, often interrupted at base ; bracts ovate or lanceolate, awned ; calyx sessile ¼in., teeth filiform ciliate, as long as the tube ; flowers about ⅓in. long, pale-blue, nearly white (Collett). Corolla-tube hardly longer than the Calyx.
Use. — One dram of seeds infused in cold water, used in dysentery.
1003. N. ciliaris, Benth., h.f.b.l, iv. 661.
Vern.—Zúfa zábis (Pb.) ; Joofa (Sind).
Habitat. — Western Temperate Himalaya, from Kashmir to Garhwal.
Herbs tall, erect, branched, softly densely tomentose ; stem
