Chap 55.] 



STOEAI. 151 



vessel, whereas, if it is adulterated, it will float upon the sur- 

 face like oil, and if it has been drugged with _ metopion or 

 hammoniacum, a white circle will form around it. But the 

 best test of all is, that it will cause milk to curdle, and leave 

 no stain upon cloth. In no commodity are there practised 

 more palpable frauds than in this, for a sextarius of balsamum 

 which is sold by the fiscal authorities at three hundred denarii, 

 is sold again for a thousand, so vast is the profit to be derived 

 from increasing this liquid by sophistication. The price of 

 xylobalsamum is six denarii per pound. 



CHAP. 55. — STOBAX. 



That part of Syria joining up to Judaea, and lying above 

 Phoenicia, produces storax, which is found in the vicinity of 

 Gabala and Marathus, 79 as also of Casius, a mountain of Se- 

 leucia. The tree 80 bears the same name, and has a strong 

 resemblance to, the quince. The tear has a harsh taste, with a 

 pleasant smell ; in the interior it has all the appearance of a reed, 

 and is filled with a liquid juice. About the rising of the Dog- 

 star, certain small winged worms hover about this substance 

 and eat it away, for which reason it is often found in a rotten 

 state, with worm-holes full of dust. The storax next in esti- 

 mation after that already mentioned, comes from Pisidia, 

 Sidon, Cyprus, and Cilicia ; that of Crete being considered the 

 very worst of all. That which comes from Mount Amanus, 

 in Syria, is highly esteemed for medicinal purposes, and even 

 more so by the perfumers. From whatever country it comes, 

 that which is of a red colour is preferred, and it should be 

 both unctuous as well as viscous to the touch ; the worst kind 

 is that which crumbles like bran, and is covered all over with 

 a whitish mould. This substance is adulterated with the resin 

 of cedar or with gum, and sometimes with honey or bitter al- 



79 These localities are mentioned in B. v. 



fe0 The Storax officinalis of Linnaeus, a tree found in the south of 

 Europe and the Levant. The variety found in France, and known as the 

 Aliboufier, produces no storax, or at least a very small proportion. The 

 storax of commerce appears in three states — grain storax, with which Plmy 

 does not appear to have been acquainted ; amygdalite, which is perhaps 

 the sort which he speaks of as adulterated with bitter almonds; and lump 

 storax, of reddish brown colour, which is frequently mixed with wood dust, 

 or worm dust, as mentioned by Pliny, and is but little esteemed. The tree 

 is also called Liquidanibar styraciflua. 



