366 Sino-Iranica 



countered by Buhse in the low mountains near Reshm (white galbanum) . 

 Galbanum is also called kilyani in Persian. 



Borszczow has discovered in the Aralo-Caspian region another 

 species of Ferula, named by him F. scha'ir from the native word lair 

 (= Persian Sir, "milk- juice") for this plant. The juice of this species 

 has the same properties as galbanum; also the plant has the same 

 odor. 



Abu Mansur 1 mentions a Ferula under the name sakbinaj (Arabic 

 form, Persian sakbina), which his translator, the Persian physician 

 Achundow, has identified with the Sagapenum resin of Ferula persica, 

 said to be similar to galbanum and to be gathered in the mountains 

 of Luristan. According to FLtJCKiGER and Hanbury, 2 the botanical 

 origin of Sagapenum is unknown; but there is no doubt that this word 

 {cxaykir-qvov in Dioscorides, in, 95, and Galenus; sacopenium in Pliny, 

 xii, 56), in mediaeval pharmacy often written serapinum, is derived 

 from the Persian word. 



The galbanum employed in India is imported from Persia to Bom- 

 bay. Watt 3 distinguishes three kinds known in commerce, — Levant, 

 Persian solid, and Persian liquid. The first comes from Shiraz, the 

 second has an odor of turpentine, and the third is the gaoshir or jawa- 

 shir; the latter being a yellow or greenish semi-fluid resin, generally 

 mixed with the stems, flowers, and fruits of the plant. It is obtained from 

 the stem, which, when injured, yields an orange-yellow gummy fluid. 

 Generally, however, the galbanum of commerce forms round, agglu- 

 tinated tears, about the size of peas, orange-brown outside, yellowish- 

 white or bluish-green inside. The odor is not disagreeable, like that 

 of asafcetida, and the taste is bitter. 



Galbanum consists of about 65 per cent resin, 20 per cent gum, and 

 from 3 to 7 per cent volatile oil. I 



1 Achundow, Abu Mansur, p. 84. 



2 Pharmacographia, p. 342. 



3 Commercial Products of India, p. 535. 



