PHARMACOPCEIAL VEGETABLE DRUGS. 
SUMBUL 
Musk root, Ferula sumbul, was first introduced into Russia as . 
a substitute for musk, and was known in Germany in 1840 as a Russian 
product. Its history is to the effect that in 1869 a Russian traveler, 
Fedschenko (240), discovered the plant producing it in the northern 
part of the Khanat of Bukhara, 40° N. Lat. Sumbul has no authentic 
position in so-called ‘‘scientific’ medicine other than that it crept into 
the British Pharmacopeia in 1867 as a substance that had been rec- 
ommended as a substitute for musk in cholera. 
TAMARINDUS 
The tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a handsome tree indig- 
enous to tropical Africa. It is also found throughout India, Java, 
and Yemen, and has been naturalized in South America as well as in 
adjacent tropical islands, such as the West Indies; also in Mexico, 
we having gathered it in La Paz, Lower California. The ancient 
Greeks and Romans seem not to have known the tamarind. If known 
to the Egyptians, it was neglected by their authors, although Sir 
Gardner Wilkinson (688) states that tamarind stones were found in 
the tombs of Thebes, a statement not confirmed, however, by speci- 
mens of the contents of tombs in the British Museum. ‘The ancient 
Sanskrit writings mention tamarind, and the fruit was known to the 
Arabians as Indian dates, under which name it was mentioned by early 
authors, such as Avicenna (30) and others, including Alhervi (2), of 
Persia. Credit is given the Arabians for the distribution of the drug 
and its uses, it passing from them, with other Eastern products, into 
Europe through the famous school of Salernum. ‘Tamarinds have 
been used in their native countries in the making of a cooling drink 
much relished by persons afflicted with fevers, in which direction they 
have been also employed in medicine throughout the civilized world. 
It would be better if the modern physician were more familiar with the 
grateful home-made drink that tamarinds afford the parched sufferer 
from fever. : 
TARAXACUM 
The dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a plant familiar to all, 
being found throughout the whole of Europe, Central Asia, and North 
America, even to the Arctic regions. Although the word tararacum 
is usually considered to be of Greek origin, there is no authentic record 
that the plant was known to the classical writers of Greece and Rome. 
The herbal, 1488, of Johann von Cube (173) gives it a position under 
‘the name Dens leonis. It is mentioned by Rhazes in the tenth and 
by Avicenna (30) in the eleventh centuries, and it was used in Welsh 
medicine in the thirteenth century. In domestic medieval medication 
and as an ingredient of many popular American “bitters” and “blood 
purifiers” taraxacum was employed extensively. It yet enjoys a high 
reputation as a home remedy. 
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