90 HAUPT— TOBIT'S BLINDNESS AND SARA'S HYSTERIA. 



infection, although the ancients were familiar with the sanitary 

 efficacy of fumigation. After the slaughter of the suitors Ulysses 

 fumigated the dining-hall with fire and sulphur (Od. 22, 481/2; 

 EB^^ 14, 353''). At marriages the Mohammedans of India burn 

 benzoin with nim-seeds to keep off the evil spirits. The nim-tvee is 

 called also head-tree, because its nuts are used for the beads of 

 rosaries, especially in Spain and Portugal (EB^^ 14, 350^). 



It may seem strange that asafetida should have been used for 

 incense, but this gum-resin is relished as a condiment in Persia and 

 India, and is in demand in France for culinary purposes. In north- 

 ern Abyssinia it is chewed like a quid of tobacco in this country or 

 betel-nuts in the East (BL 78). In the sixteenth century, valerian, 

 which is now regarded as intolerable, was considered to be fragrant ; 

 the dried root was placed among clothes as a perfume. The fresh 

 root has no distinctive smell, but on drying it, it acquires a powerful 

 odor of valerianic acid. By the poorer classes in the north of 

 England it was esteemed of such medicinal value that no broth, 

 pottage (cf. Lat. lasaratum) or physical meat was considered of any 

 value without it (EB^^ 27, 858^). It was called setwall, a corrup- 

 tion of zedoary, French zedoaire, which is the Persian zedwar, 

 zidwar. We object to the flavor of garlic, but in southern Europe 

 it is a common ingredient in dishes and is largely consumed by the 

 agricultural population. It was eaten also by the ancient Greek and 

 Roman soldiers, sailors, and rural classes. The nard-plant, Nardo- 

 stachys jatamansi, from the bases of which the famous perfumed 

 unguent of the ancients, known as spikenard, was derived, is closely 

 allied to valerian (BL 69, 14). Mountain nard, collected in Cilicia 

 and Syria, is supposed to have consisted of the root of Valeriana 

 tuberosa. The odor of Nardostachys jatamansi is intermediate be- 

 tween valerian and patchouli, although more agreeable than either 

 (EB^^ 25, 668^). Patchouli, which gives their peculiar odor to 

 India ink and Indian shawls, is liked by some persons, while others 

 detest it. In Cant. 2, 12 spikenard denotes the membrum virile 

 (AJP42, 165). 



The gall of the fish caught by Tobias is said to have cured also 

 his father's blindness or, rather, the white spots in his eyes, caused 



