BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 395 
The principal sources of the gum resin are 
Persia, western Thibet, Turkestan and Af- 
ghanistan. The asafcetida is obtained from the 
root, and the mode of procedure is to cut thin 
slices from the top and gather the milk-like 
juice. This is allowed to concrete in irregular 
masses, made up of whitish tiers imbedded in 
a brown or yellowish sticky mass, which as a 
tule contains many impurities, such as sticks, 
stones, vegetable fibre and calcium sulphate. 
Odor, garlicky and disagreeable; taste, bitter, 
alliaceous and acrid. Asafoetida is freely solu- 
ble in water, and with it forms milk-like emul- 
sion. The gum is partly soluble in ether and 
alcohol. Asafoetida is said to contain, besides 
the usual impurities, 40 per cent. of resin and 30 
per cent. of gum, in which is found a volatile 
oil containing 2 terpenes a sesquiterpene and 
two sulphur compounds, and traces of acefic, 
Jormic and valerianic acids. The oil is of a 
pale yellow color, very acrid, and with a very 
offensive odor. 
The drug known to the ancients as Laser 
and Hengu is supposed to be the asafcetida of 
this generation. There is much diversity of 
opinion, however, upon this subject. The ma- 
jority of writers are satisfied that the only 
source of the asafcetida of commerce is the 
Narthex Asafcetida. This drug has been used 
as a remedy from the earliest ages of man, and 
is still highly thought of as an anti-spasmodic 
Stimulant, expectorant and laxative, the dose of 
which is 5 to 22 grains (0.3 to 1.5 grams), given 
in form of pills, emulsion and tincture. 
