FRUCTUS ANETHI. 



327 



quantity imported into Bombay in 1872-73 was 1671 cvyt.,all from the 

 Persian Gull? 



Uses — The drug is administered as an expectorant and is also used 

 in certain plasters. 



The weak 



Allied Gum-resins. 



African Ammoniacum. — This is according to Lindley ^ the pro- 

 duct of Ferula tingitana L., a species growing over all northern Africa 

 as far as Syria, Rhodus and Chios. It is called Keith in Morocco, its pro- 

 duct, Fasay, being shipped occasionally at Mazagan (el Bridja) or also 

 at Mogador, This gum-resin is in large, compact, dark masses, formed 

 of agglutinated tears having a whitish or pale greenish, or a fawn 

 colour. But there are also seen very impure masses, 

 odour of the Moroccan drug is not suggestive of true ammoniacum. 

 Moss (1873) found in a specimen of the former 9 per cent, of gum and 

 67 per cent, of resin. It yielded umbelliferone to Hirschsohn (1875), 

 and by melting it with potash Goldschmiedt (1878) obtained Resorcin 

 and a peculiar acid, (J'W'0\ which he failed to obtain from true 

 arnmoniaeum. 



Opopanax — A gum-resin occurring in hard, nodular, brittle, earthy- 

 looking lumps of a bright orange-brown hue, and penetrating offensive 

 odour, reminding one of crushed ivy- leaves. It is commonly attributed 

 to Opopanax Chironium Koch, a native of Mediterranean Europe. 

 We have never seen a specimen known to have been obtained from 

 this plant; but can say that the gum-resin of the nearly allied Opopa- 

 nax persicum Boiss., as collected by Loftus at Kirrind in Western 

 ■rersia in 1851, has neither the appearance nor the characteristic odour 

 of officinal opopanax. Powell,^ who endeavoured to trace the origin of 

 the drug, regards it as a product of Persia. 



Opopanax was veiy common in old pharmacy, but has fallen out of 

 use, and is now both rare and expensive.'' 



FRUCTUS ANETHI. 



Semen Anethi ; Bill Fruits, Dill Seeds ; F. Fruits d'Anetk ; 



G. DillfritcJite. 



Botanical Origin— ^'>2e^/m?7i graveolens L., (Peucedanum' graveo- 



ern) an erect, glaucous annual plant, with finely striated stems, 

 to 1 to 1 A feet hicrh. ^innate leaves wdth setaceous linear seg- 



lens Hi 



usually to 1 to 1| feet high,~pinnate leaves wdth setaceous linear 



ments, and yellow flowers. 



, i ^^ indigenous to the Mediterranean region, Southern Russia and 

 i^ne Caucasian provinces, but is found as a cornfield weed in many 



o/-V?"d""^"* o/ the Trade and Nnvuiatmi 

 1870 -o ^'^''^^^^y "/ ^om?>ay, 1871-72, and 



Da!/9'rVir^ ^'^^ Pereira, Mat, Medlca, ii. 



ScJ.J L^^"^ P' ^^^- See also Hanbury, 

 ^JncePapm, 1876. 376. 



(1868) 4oT'' ^"^^^"^^^ ^/ ^'^^ ^«"i^^' ^• 

 ^rther particulars regarding Opopanax 



and Sagapcmim, xnay be found in tlic 

 theses of Przeciszewski (1861) and Vigier 

 (1869), noticed in our article on Ammo- 

 niacum, and Dragendorff's Jahresbericht, 



1875. 119. 120. 

 « Bentham and Hooker {Gen, Plant. 919) 



suppress the genua Aiicthnm, uniting its 



one Bohtary species with Peuccdanuvu 



