_-■ 
^5 
--dt 
i 
+ 
to harden : tliis being done, a fecond tranfverfe fedion of the root 
IS m 
ade, but no thicker than is necefTary to remove th 
Ci 
u 
remaining 
fuperficial concretions which would otherwife obftrud the farther 
effufion of frefh juice ; the " 
fcreening is then again employed for 
forty-eight hours, and the' juice obtained a fecond time 
mentioned. In this way the Afafoetida is ' ' 
? 
as 
eiglit 
before 
times repeatedly 
coUeded from each root ; obferving, however, that after every third 
fedion, the root is always fuffered to remain unmolefted for eight or 
• 
ten days, in order that it may recover a fufficient ftock of juice 
Thus, to exhauft one root of its juice, computing from the firft time 
of colleding it to the laft, a period of nearly fix weeks is required ; 
when the root is abandoned, and foon periihes. 
The "whole of this bufmefs is conduded by the peafants who live 
in the neighbourhood of the mountains where the drug is procured ; 
and as they colled the juice from a number of roots at the fame 
time, and expofe it in one common' place to harden, the fun foou 
gives it that confidence and appearance in which it is imported into 
Europe. 
Afafoetida has a bitter, acrid, pungent tafle, and is well known by 
its peculiar naufeous fetid fmell, the ftrength of which is the fureil 
tefl of its goodnefs ; this odour is extremely volatile, and of courfe 
the drug lofes much of its efficacy by keeping. According to 
Kaempfer's account, the juice is infinitely more odorate when recent 
than when in the flate brought to us : Affirmare aufim, unam drachmam 
recens effufam, majorem fpargere foetorem, quam centum libra 
3 
vetuftioris quem ficcum venundant aromatarii noftrates. " We have 
this drug in large irregular mafi^es of a heterogeneous appearance 
compofed of various fliining little lumps or grains, which are 
partly whitilh, partly of a brownifh or reddiih, and partly of a violet 
hue. Thofe mafles are accounted the bell which are clear, of a pale 
reddiih colour, and variegated with a great number of fine white 
tears. Afafoetida is compofed of a gummy and a refinous fubfl 
ance. 
the^ firft in largeil quantity. Its fmell and tafle refide in the refin, 
which is readily diflblved and extraded by pure fpirit, and 
part, along with the gummy matter, by water* 
> 
C 9> 
m a great 
/ 
No, 2. 
M.ewis's Mat. Med 
G 
AfafcKtida 
/ 
