ICO OCTANDRIA. 



kept for some time, it becomes thin, limpid, light, of 

 a greenish hue, and then of a gold yellow, after which 

 it grows thick like turpentine, and loses much of its 

 fragrance. Bruce says, that the odour at first is vio- 

 lent, and strongly pungent, giving a sensation to the 

 brain like that of volatile salts, when rashly drawn up 

 by an incautious person. 



On the authority of scripture it would seem that 

 the estimation of this Balsam is of the highest anti- 

 quity, for Balm and Myrrh wqre carried by the Ish- 

 maelites to Egypt/ and the high opinion entertained 

 of its virtues may be inferred from this verse in Jere- 

 miah ; " Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no phy- 

 sician there ? why then is not the health of the daugh- 

 ter of my people recovered ?"s Among the Eastern 

 nations it is still in the highest repute for its medical 

 properties, but in Europe it is not believed to possess 

 any miraculous power, except now and then to 

 enable an impostor to amass a large fortune from the 

 poor, the illiterate, and the credulous. 



British PIa?its of this Order. 



Botanical Generic Names. Common Names. 



20 Acer 2 Maple 



4 CiiLORA 1 YEL LOW-WORT 



28 Daphne 3 Mezereon 



14 Epilobium 7 Willow-herb 



f Genesis, c. xxxvii. v. 25. Z Jeremiah, c. viii. v. 22. 



