Chap. 63.] 



CINNAMON OE COMA CUM. 155 



bryon of second-rate quality is produced from the cedar of 

 Lycia. 92 (Enanthe, too, bears an affinity to these substances, 

 being the clusters of the wild vine : it is gathered when it is 

 in flower, or, in ether words, when it has the finest smell : 

 after which it is dried in the shade upon a linen sheet spread 

 beneath it, and then stored away in casks. The best sort is 

 that which comes from Parapotamia ; " the next best kinds are 

 those made at Antiochia and Laodicea in Syria ; and that of 

 third-rate quality, comes from the mountainous parts of Media ; 

 this last, however, is preferable for medicinal purposes. # Some 

 persons give the preference over all to that grown in the 

 island of Cyprus. As to that which comes from Africa, it 

 is solely used for medicinal purposes, being known by the 

 name of massaris. 94 Whatever country it may happen to be, 

 the white wild vine produces an cenanthe of superior quality 

 to the black. 



CHAP. 62. — ELATE OE SPATHE. 



There is another tree 95 also, that contributes to the manu- 

 facture of unguents, by some persons known under the name 

 of elate, but which we call abies ; others again call it a palm, 

 and others give it the name of spathe. That of Hammonium 

 is the most esteemed, and that of Egypt next, after which 

 comes the Syrian tree. It is only odoriferous, however, in 

 places that are destitute of water. The tears of it are of an 

 unctuous nature, and are employed as an ingredient in un- 

 guents, to modify the harshness of the oil. 



CHAP. 63. — CINNAMON OE COMACFM. 



In Syria, too, is produced that kind of cinnamon which is also 

 known as comacum. 96 This is a juice which is extracted from 



92 The bud, probably, of the Juniperus Lycia. 



»3 See B. vi. c. 31. . A a -a 



94 Said to have been a surname given by some nations to the god Bac- 

 chus. .. , 



95 It is generally supposed by the commentators, that Pliny mates a 

 mistake here, and that the elate or spathe was not a tree, but the envelope 

 or capsule, containing thjB flowers and fruit of a tree, which is supposed by 

 some to have been really the Phoenix dactylifera, or date-palm, lnere 

 can be little doubt that he is mistaken in his mention of the abies or fcr- 

 tree here. See B. xxiii. c. 53. 



9 6 Bauhin thinks that this juice or oil was extracted from the nutmeg, 



