^ntapliroclisiac. The tubers w^ere also used as a remedy lot 

 ulcerations of tte moutk and pituitous discliarges from the 

 chest, and were taken in wine as an astringent. 



Mahometan physicians describe Orchis tubers under the name 

 of Khusyu-uth-thalab (or salab), '^foxes' testicles/* and state that 

 the odour of them, when fresh, resembles that of semen hominisy 

 nnd that they have an aphrodisiac efPect if clasped in the hand. 

 The dried tubers have a great reputation in the East as a nervine 

 tonic and restorative, and are much prescribed in paralytic 

 affections. It Was formerly supposed that Oriental Salep was 

 obtained from certain species of Euloj^hia, but the tubers of 

 these plants have no resemblance to the commercial article, and 

 Aitchison has now established the fact that the two plants 

 placed at the head of this article yield the bulk of the Persian 

 salep. Eulophia campestris^ "VValL, is, however, used locally in 

 Northern India as a substitute for salep. 



In Soutliei^n India the tubers of several species of Habenaria 

 and Orchis are collected by people in the hilly districts and 

 sold locally as salep, but they are usually small and variable 

 in appearance. 



Salep is now regarded in Europe as vei'y nutritious ; it tends 

 to confine the bowels, and is, therefore, a useful article of diet 

 lor those who suffer from diarrhoea. 



The mucilage is prepared by first macerating powdered salep 

 in cold water, and gradually adding boiling water, with stirring, 

 in the proportion of 5 grains of salep to the ounce. Instead 

 of "vfater, milk or some animal broth may be used, Salep 

 jelly may be made as follows : Rub 60 grains of powdered 

 salep with water in a mortar until it has swollen to four times 

 its original bulk ; then add gradually, and with constant 



n 



oimces 



Ainslie states that salep has the property of depriving salt* 

 water of its salt taste. 



Description. — Oriental salep is of two kinds, palmate 

 4nd ovoid ; the former, which was once known in Europe as 

 Madh pahnee ChrUti^ is very highly esteemed by the Persians, 



III.— 4fl 



