76 ORD. XXXIX. Tricocce. EUPHORBIA OFFICINARUM, 
1597. The officinal euphorbium of the shops is the concrete juice of this plant, - 
obtained by making slight incisions in the branches with a knife, from which 
a milky juice exudes, which by exposure to the air soon becomes solid. The 
recent juice is so corrosive as to erode the skin wherever it touches, and the 
people employed to gather it are obliged to tie a cloth over their mouths 
and nostrils, to protect them from the acrid dust of the withered branches. 
We are told by Bruce, that “ when the tree grows old, the branches wither, 
and in place of milk, the inside appears to be full of powder, which is so 
pungent, that the small dust which he drew upou striking a withered branch, 
seemed to threaten to make him sneeze to death; and the touching the 
milk with his fingers, excoriated them, as if scalded with boiling water.” 
In the lower regions of Mount Atlas the inhabitants collect the gum-resin, 
(which they call furbiune) in September; the quantity yielded is so consid- 
erable that they are cut only once in four years, the produce then obtained 
being sufficient to supply all Europe for that space of time: the concrete 
juicé imported into Europe, however, is the produce of several species of this 
genus, many of which furnish a similar acrid juice to the officinarum ; among 
whichare, the Euphorbia antiquorum and Euphorbium canariensis of Willde- 
now. Euphorbium is brought to this country immediately from Barbary, 
in packages containing from 100 to 150 Ibs. weight. 
Sensible and Chemical Properties. This concrete juice is in the form ofsinall 
drops of an irregular shape, externally of a pale yellow colour, but whitish 
within, and breaks readily between the fingers. It is inodorous, and when 
first chewed, has little taste, but soon gives a very acrid, burning sensation 
to the mouth and fauces, which is very permanent. When triturated with 
water, it renders it milky, but only one part in seven of the Euphorbium is dis- 
solved. It is soluble in ether, alcohol, oil of turpentine, oil of almonds, and 
partially so in acids and alkalies. Aleohol takes up one part in four, and 
forms a clear, straw-coloured solution, which is rendered milky by the addi- 
tion of water. When the ethereal tincture is evaporated on water, it leaves 
on the side of the glass a pellicle of transparent resin, resembling an offici- 
nal plaister. When ignited, it burns with an agreeable odour and a bright 
flame. Its specific gravity is 1,124. According to Braconnot, 100 parts of 
Euphorbium contain 37,0 of resin, 19,0 wax, 20,5 malate of lime, 2,0 malate 
of potass, 5,0 water, 13,5 woody matter, and 3,0 loss. 
this plant after Euphorbus.—“Ubi jam Muse statua? Periit! evanuit ! Euphorbi 
autem perdurat, perennat, nec unquam destrui potest.”"—Crit. Bot. 89. 
