สำนักงานราชบัณฑิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand Vol. 41 No. 3 July-September 2016 40 Abstract Kwao Khruea ( Pueraria spp.) and Rocksalts: the Origin of Dinthanan Thansutha Nomphrathoranee in the Tale of Phra Apai Mani Thosaporn Wongratana Fellow of the Academy of Science , The Royal Society of Thailand The verses from the Tale of Phra Apai Mani were largely based on life of Sunthorn Phu and scenes of the advanced world brought to Bangkok by the western invaders during the reigns of King Rama I-II-III. From the beginning, both Thais and the westerners made seagoings and kept fighting with each other, which represented the conflict between the Thais instead. There were things like very large ships, strange vehicles for land and air travels, technological warfares, unseen music instruments, religion, knowledge, culture. Among the characters, some had supernatural power, some used elixia or the traditional medicines. In this paper “ Dinthanan ” “ Thansutha ” “ Nomphrathoranee ” the remedies that cure all illnesses and prolong life from the tale have been classified. According to the names, shape, size, colour, place of finding and properties of them that were mentioned in the tale, they correspond with every detail to the root of a climbing plant, known as Pueraria spp. (“ Thansutha ”, Nomphrathoranee ”), and the rocksalts (“ Dinthanan ”, “ Dinthanum ”, “ Namnomsila ”). For comparison, all verses about the names from the tale and the popular medical properties of Kwao Khruea found from local drugstores are presented. It is possible that from the properties of “ Phonphusit ” in the Thai version of “ Liad Kok ” Sunthorn Phu did the same with Kwao Khruea but under those names for the tale. Keywords: Tale of Phra Apai Mani, Sunthorn Phu, Dinthanan, Thansutha, Nomphrathoranee, Kwao Khruea กวาวเครือ และดินโป่งเป็น ดินถนัน ถันสุธา นมพระธรณี ในนิทานพระอภัยมณีค� ำกลอน