324 - UMBELLIFERyE. 



red colour when warmed with hydrochloric acid. The mucilage of 

 galbanum has not been minutely examined. 



Commerce— Galbanum is, we believe, brought into commerce chiefly 

 from Eastern Europe. It is stated that considerable quantities reach 

 Russia by way of Astrachan and Orenburg. 



Uses— Galbanum is administered internally as a stimulating expec- 

 torant, and is occasionally applied in the form of plaster to indolent 

 swellinss. 



Allied Substances. 



Sagapenmn—Thk is a gum-resin which, when pure, forms a tough 

 softish mass of closely agglutinated tears. It differs from asafoetida in 

 forming brownish (not milk-white) tears, which when broken do not 

 acquire a pmk tint ; also in not having an alliaceous odour. A good 

 specimen presented to us by Professor Dymock of Bombay (1878) re- 

 minds in that and other respects rather of galbanum. We find this 

 sagapenum to be devoid of sulphur but containing umbelliferone ; it is 

 extremely remarkable for the intense and permanent purely blue colour 

 It acquires m cold when the smallest fragment of the drug is immersed 

 m hydrochloric acid llS sp. gr. 



Sagapenum which in mediaeval pharmacy was often called Sera- 



rnnum 



have been a plentiful substance. At the present day it can scarcely 



frn^P ''''• ^^•S^''^^ ^^^"^ ^^ Bombay, whither it is sometimes brought 

 irom rersia. ihe botanical origin of the drug is unknown. 



AMMONIACUM. 



Gummi-resina Ammoniacum; Ammomacum or Gum Ammoiiiacum; 

 r. ^oinme-v48ine Ammoniaqiie ; G. Ammoniah-g^immihafz. 



wiflf r.t"^?^^ Origin.— Do?'ewa Ammoniacum, Don, a perennial plant,' 

 i^fnnt!, ^ ^ T^""^.' ^^^^^^^ flower-stem, 6 to 8 feet high, dividing towards 

 DO Jr? nn f^^^ '? "" numerous ascending branches, along which are dis- 

 acmf. nf «hort stalks, ball-like simple umbels, scarcely half an inch 



fore vpI ^^•^''ll^^'^""'- The aspect of the full-grown plant is there- 

 leaves Jtl?". ¥ ^^ ^^^'^^^- The Dorema has lai^e compound 

 with aw ?^^ ^2H The whole plant in its young state is covered 

 which ir^''^ '^^^^' stellate hairs, which give it a|reyish look, but 

 ^eJt ntTF'^'^' '^."P'^« it« f™its. The withered stems long remain 

 ^:^l^':n^^X.l^T^^^^-^^J^^^ -^ --topping the oter 



3d m 

 The 



g 



appearance.2 The root is 



Persia ic, fCn 7 ."^ ^ ^'^^ area of the barren regions oi >vm.^- 

 limTain.^ Lri!' or A'^'^^^^^S ^o Bunge and Bienert, its north-western 

 wTrl to th? A be Shahrud (S.E. of Asferabad), whence it extends easf. 

 nio fsoutlern r f T^^^.*^^ ^ea of Aral and the Sir-Daria^ The 

 a vilCe of On, ?^'°^ ^V""^^'^ ^^^ plant has been observed is Basiran, 

 ^ ^_ ^e ot bouthern Khorassan in N. lat. 32°, E. long. 59°. 



^^««^ partfrusTsr'^ '^"™'°' ^^''^'"- 118; Polak, Perskn, das Land nnd seine 

 Fraser, J^.^ney 'into Kkorasan, 1823. ^'"''' "' <^^^^ ^^^^ 



