EUPHORBimi. 



55U 



its name in honour of Euphorbus, physician to Juba II., king of Mauri- 

 tania. This monarch, who after a long reign died about A.D. 18, wa.s 

 distinguished for his literary attainments, and was the author of several 

 books^ which included treatises on opium and euphorbium. The latter 

 work was apparently extant in the time of Pliny. 



Euphorbium is mentioned by numerous other early writers on mcdi- 



the reign of 



^ and Oribasius 



in the 4th. Aetius and Paulus J^gineta, who lived respectively in the 

 Cth and 7th centuries, were likewise acquainted with it; and it was 

 also known to the Arabian school of medicine. In describini: the route 



from Aghraat to Fez, El-Bekri' of Granada, in 1068, mentioned the 



erne, as Rufus Ephesius, who probably flourished during 

 Trajan, by Galen in the 2nd century, and by Vindicianus i 



Host* (1760-1768) stated that the plant, which he also correctly 



compared with Opuntia, is growing near Agader, soutli of Mogador. 



The plant yielding euphorbium was further described at the 

 beginning of the present century by an English merchant named Jack- 



who had resided many years in Morocco. From the figures he 

 published,'' the species was doubtfully identified with Euphorbia cana- 

 nensis L., a large cactus-like shrub, with quadrangular or hexagonal 

 stems, abounding on scorched and arid rocks in the Canary Islands. 



In the year 1749 it was pointed out in the {Admiralty) Manual of 

 Scientific Enquiry, that the stems of which fragrants are found m com- 

 mercial euphorbium, do not agree with those of E. canariensis. Berg 

 carried the comisarison further^ and finally from the fragments m ques- 

 tion drew up a botanical description, which with an excellent figure he 

 published ' as Euphorbia rcsinifera. The correctness of his observa- 

 tions has been fully justified by specimens" which were transmitted to 

 the Royal Gardens, Kew, in 1870, and now form flourishing plants. 



The drug has a place in all the early printed pharmacopceias. ^ 



P«11^„^:--_ TTi 1 ■> • ' _i i-:„,J l^^r vnolrinnr inP.isionS lU 



Collection— Euphorbium is obtained by making incisions in the 

 green fleshy branches of the plant. These incisions occasion an abun- 

 ^lant exudation of milky juice which hardens by exposure to the air, 

 encrusting the stems down which it flows; it is finally colected in the 

 latter part of the summer. So great is the acridity of the ^f'^^'fT' 

 that the collector is obliged to tie a cloth over his mouth and nostii s 

 to prevent the entrance of the irritating dust. The ^["gf.f;.V;: 

 collected in districts Iyin<v east and south-east of the city ot Morocco. 

 ^, Description-The dmg consists of irregular pieces, seldom moi-e 

 tlian an inch across and mostly smaller, of a dull yellow or brovv n ^^ a.j - 



a branch of the natural size. The latter is 

 rX the figure of a different species 



' Smith, JDkf. of Greek and Boman Blo- 

 y'yh, ii. (lS4ti) C3G. 



und Fes, 



Description de VAfrlque septentrlonafe, 

 tradmte par M. de Slaue, Journal a^latique, 

 ^^fiy^ns, 1859)413. 



A achrichtcn von Marokos 

 Copenhagen, 17S1. 308. 



Account of the Empire of Morocco and 



7 t'u^'^^ -^^ '^"*'^' -^^^^^^ ^^^^' ^^' I^'* 

 '•"T-'^h^ plate represents an entire plant, 



and also what purporta to be a portion of 



Berg . 



'^ Sey^ 1^-^oor.ea by M. Waiiaa. 

 firace and forwarded to England by Mr 

 a F. ci^tensen, British Vice-Consul at 



Moijadon 



