The Coriander plant is called Kothmir, a name derived from the Sanskrit Kusthumbari; when young it is much used in preparing chutneys and sauces. The fruits are largely used by natives as a condiment; as a medicine they are considered carminative, diuretic, tonic, and aphrodisiac, and are often prescribed in dyspepsia. A cooling drink is prepared from them pounded with fennel fruit, poppy seeds, Kanchan flowers, rosebuds, cardamoms, cubebs, almonds and a little black pepper; it is sweetened with sugar. Mahometan writers describe them as sedative, pectoral and carminative; they prepare an eyewash from them which is supposed to prevent small-pox from destroying the sight, and to be useful in chronic conjunctivitis. Coriander is also thought to lessen the intoxicating effects of spirituous preparations, and with Barley meal to form a useful poultice for indolent swellings. It is the Kuzbura of the Arabs and Kishníz of the Persians, who identify it with the Koriyun of the Greeks. The opinion that it has great cooling properties prevailed amongst Western physicians, “coriandrum siccum frangit coitum, et erectionem virgæ impedit.” Apuleius says it assists women in child-birth and protects them from fever. The following is an example of a cooling confection of the time of Charles the First:—R. Seminis Lactucæ, Portulacæ. Coriandri ana ana ʒi. Menth. siccæ ʒss, Sacchari alb. ℥iv. Pulverisentur omnia subtiliter, et post ea simul misce aqua nenupharis, f. confectis solida in morsulis, ex his sumat mane unum quum surgat.
A footnote marker and its footnote (classical references, partly in Greek) are left out.