LEGUMINOSZ. A87 
4 SS esry, Uses, &c.—This goles is the Cicer of the’ 
Romans.* Plautust and Horacet speak of ‘Cicer frictum,’ 
‘parched gram,’ which would appear to have been eaten by the 
rer classes just as it is in India now. The Italians call it 
ce.’ The plant is cultivated in the south of Europe and also 
India, the leaves and stems are covered with glandular hairs 
taining oxalic acid, which exudes from them in hot weather 
, hangs in drops, ultimately forming crystals. In India the 
seeds form one of the favourite pulses of the natives, being eaten 
Taw or cooked in a variety of ways; the flour is also much used 
a8acosmeticandincookery. Cicer is the epeSivbos of Dioscorides. 
The acid liquid, which is obtained by collecting the dew from 
Chanaka plant, is mentioned in Sanskrit works under the 
name of Chanakémla, and is described as a kind of vinegar 
ving acid and astringent properties, which is useful in dys- 
epsia, indigestion, and costiveness. Moidin Sheriff gives the 
lowing description of its collection :—‘‘In a great many parts 
India, where C. arietinum is cultivated, a piece of thin and 
Clean cloth is tied to the end of a stick, and the plants are 
brushed with it early in the morning, so as to absorb the dew, 
hich is then wrung out into a vessel.” 
Dr. Hové (1787) says:—‘‘On the Feed (to Dhotka) we met 
With numerous women who gathered the dew of the grain, called 
the inhabitants chana, by spreading white calico cloths over 
é plant, which was about 2 feet high, and then drained it out. 
to small hand jars. They told me that in @ short period it 
becomes an acid, which they use instead of vinegar, and that it” 
_ takes a pleasant beverage in the hot season when mixed with 
_water.”? Dr. Hové states that the freshly collected fluid 
tasted like soft water, but that some which he preserved 
became after some days strongly acid. 
According to Dr. Walker (Bomb. Med. Phys. Trans., 1840, 
Pp. 67), the fresh plant put into hot water is used by the Por- 
_ tuguese in the Deccan in the treatment of dysmenorrhea ; the 
patient sits over the steam. He remarks this is only another 
* Col., 2, 10; Plin. 22,72. + Plant Bac. 4,5,7. JA. P., 249. 
