Notes on the elementary (cardinal) properties of medicines

In his interesting report on Punjab Drugs [in Baden Powell’s Handbook of the Economic Products of the Punjab], the late Dr. Burton Brown wrote

“At the present day the native physicians have adopted, with some modifications, the idea of Galen respecting the method of operation of medicines; this was, that the uses of all medicines were derived from their elementary or cardinal properties,—namely, heat, cold, moisture and dryness; and that all diseases could also be classed under the above heads, but that in the treatment of disease a medicine should always be employed which was of a contrary nature to the disease treated; thus a cold disease requires a hot remedy, and the converse.

The following is a list of some of the drugs employed, showing their nature according to native ideas, and also the real use in European medicine.

Scientific name.	Native name.	Use.
	Cold Medicines.
Phyllanthus emblica...	Amla	Astringent and acid purgative.
Rosa	Gul surkh...	Astringent.
Rosa	Gulab	Astringent and purgative.
Citrus aurantium	Narangi	Astringent, tonic.
Tamarindus indica	Imli	Refrigerant.
Terminalia chebula	Halela	Astringent.
Rhus coriaria	Samak	Astringent.
	Hot Medicines.
Semecarpus anacardium	Bhilawa	Acrid.
Corylus avellana	Findak	Demulcent.
Dracocephalum Royleanum.	Balangu	Aromatic.
Zingiber officinale	Soṅth	Aromatic.
Moschus	Mushk	Aromatic.
Aquillaria agallocha	’U’d	Tonic.
Caryophyllus aromatica	Karanful	Aromatic.
Amber	Kahruba	Tonic.
Narcissus tazetta	Nargas	Acrid.
	Dry Medicines.
Prunella sp—,	Ustukhudus	Aromatic.
Raw Silk	Abresham...	Inert.
Centaurea Behmen	Bahman	Tonic.
Poly podium...	Bisfaij	Tonic.
Dracocephalum Royleanum.	Balangu	Aromatic.
Psoralea corallifolia (corylifolia)	Babchi	Tonic.
Laurus cinnamomum	Darchini	Aromatic.
Laurus cassia	Taj	Aromatic.
Pastinaca	Shakakul	Demulcent.
Crocus sativus	Zafran	Inert.
Mentha sativa	Pudina	Aromatic.
Myristica moschata	Jaiphal	Aromatic.
Scientific name.	Native name.	Use.
	Moist Remedies.
Phyllanthus emblica	Amla	Astringent.
Tamarind us indica	Imli	Purgative.
Silica	Tabashir...	Inert.
Vitis vinifera	Zirishk	Demulcent.
Camphora	Kafur	Aromatic.
Onosma sp-,	Gauzaban...	Tonic.
Coriandrum sativum...	Dhanyan	Aromatic.
Rosa	Gul surkh...	Astringent.
Nymphœa...	Nilofar	Inert.
Citrus aurantium	Narangi	Aromatic.

From the above list it will be seen that many of the cold remedies, are what are used in European therapeutics astringent medicines, while the hot remedies are principally aromatics; but that very various remedies are classed under the terms moist and dry.”