UMBELLIFERZ. 151 
<andahari Hing.—This substance appears to have 
quite unknown in Hurope, until. brought to the notice 
fessor Fliickiger and the late Mr. Hanbury by one of 
‘We have not as yet been able to obtain authentic speci- | 
s of the plant, but for the following reasons we consider 
kely that it will prove to be the same as that which pro- 
aces the officinal drug :— 
1. Bellew mentions a very high-priced Asafostida obtained 
wounding the leaf-bud of the plant which produces ordinary 
safcetida ; our article is generally mixed with numerous leaf- 
s, which have evidently been cut off by a sharp knife ; its 
e is also much higher than that of any other kind. 
When examining a number of bales of common Asa- 
da from Kandahar, we found some of them to contain par- 
s of the more expensive drug, and a large quantity of 
t appeared to be gum-resin in a transition stage between 
transparency of Kandahar Hing and the opacity of the 
mercial article. 
A portion of root found in a bale of Kandahar Hing 
d oo with a piece obtained from a bale of common 
4, Rihion. describes the juice of F. fwtida as a thick 
my reddish substance, and notices its adulteration with 
d clay ; this adulteration is only found in bales of Kandahari 
ndahari Hing comes to Bombay in small quantities ; it is 
n up in goat skins, forming small oblong bales, with the hair 
ide. When it first arrives it is in moist flaky pieces and 
s, from which a quantity of reddish-yellow oil separates on © 
sure; the gum-resin also is of a dull reddish-yellow colour, 
and somewhat elastic, with an odour recalling tbat - z 
lic and oil of caraways. By keeping, it gradually ns 
becomes brittle and of a rich red-brown pilents ; the ot 
becomes more purely alliaceous, and ; 
_eregpnes kind. ao Lig of ites i 
