218 TH YMEL MA CEM. 



Hglit, and cholagogue ; removing diseases of the ear, nose and 

 eyes. In native practice Agar is used as a deobstruent, stimu- 

 lant, carminative, and tonic ; it is said to relieve the pain ia 

 gout, and to check vomiting. Susruta directs Aguru, Guggula* 



t 



and salt to 



be made into a paste with gh( to form au anodjme fumigation 

 for surgical wounds, culled in Sanskrit Vcuandrcdcs/mghnaif- 

 (Ihupaih. As aloe wood bears the Sanskrit name of Anarya-ja, 

 it is probable that it was used by the aborigines of Eastern Asia 

 before it became known to the Hindus, but that at a very 

 early date it was carried overland to Central Asia and Persia, 

 and from thence reached Arabia and Europe. 



The early Arab travellers appear to have collected a good 

 deal of information concerning the commerce and sources of 

 supply of the wood, 



Yohanna-bin-Scrapion mentions four kinds, Hindi, JfandaH, 

 Si/iji and Kuinari, and Ib?i Sina in the 10th century has 

 the following account of it : — " The best is called Mandali from 

 the more central parts of India ; next is the Indian [or Hill 

 aloe wood, which has the advantage over Mandali of preserving 

 clothes from lice. Some say that Mandali and Indian aloe 

 wood are the same. One of the best kinds is Sarnandun 

 from Sofala in India; again there is the Kamari and the 

 8amfl from the same parts, and there is KakuU, and Kism'iri 

 which is moist and sweet ; and the worst kinds are Hfdin, 

 JTamtdi, Mabatui, Luimthi, or Rabat uthi. Mandali is the 

 best ; then Samanddri, of a grey colour, fat and oily, heavy, 

 without any white streaks, and which burns slowly. Some 

 consider black aloe wood better than grey, and the best black is 

 the Kamiiri, without white streaks, fat and oily, which burns 

 slowly. In short, the best aloe wood is black, hard, and heavy, 

 sinks in water, is not fibrous when powdered ; that which docs 

 not sink is bad. The tree is said to be buried to promote the 

 formation of al oewood ^^' The Arabi antravellers give muchjhe 



Uesin of Boswellia serrata. 

 t Rc«'.n of Shorea robusta. 

 X Acoru« Calamus. 



