Yashti madhu,

Madhuka.

Vern. Jashti madhu. Benq. Mulhatti. Hind.

Liquorice root, though not indigenous to India, has been used in Hindu Medicine from a very remote period, and is mentioned by Susruta. It is described as sweet, demulcent, cooling and useful in inflammatory affections, cough, hoarseness, thirst etc. It is much used for flavouring medicinal decoctions, oils and ghritas. It enters into the composition of numerous external cooling appli- . cations along with red sandal wood, madder, Andropogon muricatus etc. I have not met with any notice in Sanskrit works, of the watery extract of liquorice, sold in the bazars in the shape of black pencils, and called Rubas sus in Hindustani.