MYRRHA. 143 



Vanghan ' states that the Somali Country and the neighbourhood of 

 Hurrur (or Harar or Adari, 9° 20' N., 42" 17' E.) south west of Zeila 

 are the chief producing districts. It is generally brought to the 

 great fair of Berbera held in November, December, and January, 



where it is purchased by the Banians of India, and shipped for 

 Bombay. 



It appears that all these informations rather refer to the Bisabol or 

 Hahaghadi variety of myrrh ; only the first notice, due to Hildebrandt, 

 applies to true myrrh. 



MjTrh trees abound on the hills about Shugra and Sureea in the 

 territory of the Fadhli or Fudthli tribe, lying to the eastward of Aden ; 

 myrrh is collected from them by Somalis who cross from the opposite 

 coast for the purpose and pay a tribute for the privilege to the Arabs, 

 who appear to be scarcely acquainted with this drug.^ But a sample 

 of it, received by one of us from Vaughan in 1852, and others we have 

 since seen in London (and easily, recognized), proved it to be somewhat 

 different from tj^ical myrrh, and it is probably afforded by another 

 species than Balsamodendron Myrrha. 



It would thus appear that there are three different trees affording 

 micxh, namely that just alluded to, secondly the " Habaghadi,'' and 

 thirdly that growing east of Aden. 



^ Description — Myrrh consists of irregular roundish masses, varying 

 m size from small grains up to pieces as large as an egg, and occasion- 

 ally much larger. They are of an opaque reddish brown with dusty 

 JulUurface. When broken, they exhibit a rough or waxy fracture, 

 having a moist and unctuous appearance, especially when pressed, and 

 a rich brown hue. The fractured, translucent surface often displays 

 characteristic whitish marks which the ancients compared to the light 

 ^ark at the base of the finger-nails. Myrrh has a peculiar and agree- 

 able fragrance with an aromatic, bitter, and acrid taste. It cannot be 

 ™% powdered until deprived by drying of some of its essential oil 

 and water ; nor when heated does it melt like colophony. 

 ^ >> ater disintegrates myrrh, forming a light brown emulsion, which 

 viewed under the microscope appears made up of colourless drops, 

 among which are granules of yellow resin. Alcohol dissolves the resin 

 ot m^-Trh, leavinoj an^jular non-crystalline particles of gum ^ and frag- 

 ^^^ents of bark. ^ ^ , -^ ^ 



Chemical Composition— Myi^h is a mixture, in very varying 

 proportions, of resin, mucilaginous matters, and essential oil. A fine 

 specniien of myrrh from the Somali coast, with which Captain Hunter, 

 ^ l?/7, kindly presented one of us, yielded 27 per cent, of resin. The 



undissolved portion is partly soluble in water. 



■the resin rliecrxi^v^r. ^^^^i^+^Ur iti i^T^ir^T-r.fnvm r\r nlpohol. and the 



colour 



of 



^ff<irm 



is but partially sohible in alkalis or in bisulphide of "carbon. 



^■'<arm Jouni. xii. (1853) 226 also Spreiiger, AUe Gcofjraphie Arabiem, 



Uranh^l^- \ ^^'^^s, in Journ. of E. Geo- 313. 



visiter K ^Y- (^^^1) 23G. The country ^ Druggists who prepare large quantities 



" i^mvm-f ^^^ ^"^ Muuzinger is the of Tincture of Myrrli may utihze this gum 



countrv J ^^^'^ exterior," the outer for making a common sort of mucilage,— 



about U^^n- A-'^^S ^y^^ of the ancients, Pharm. Jouru. 10 June, 1871, 1001. 



'" ^N. lat. and 57° E. lone. See 



