LILIACEJi:. 409 



Greeks there to cultivate the plant more carefully. Schweinfurth 

 has observed an appai*entlj Semitic type amongst the hill tribes 

 of the island, which he thinks may be traced to a Greek source ; 

 characterised by small head, with long nose and thick lips, 

 straiglit hair, and lean limbs. In some hieroglyphics on the 

 Kadhab plain he has also traced combinations of G^reek charac- 

 ters. The Socotrian women are reputed to be sorceresses of the 

 most dangerous kind^ who by the aid of a magic cup steal away 

 the liver and lights of those against whom they bear malice ; 

 a horrid suggestion to account for the excellence of their aloes. 

 This story seems to support the derivation of the names Socotra 

 and Socotrine suggested by Mr. Mowat in ^AlpJdta/ p, 67. He 

 connects them with the Greek (tvkc»t6s =Lat. ficatus = It. fegato. 



This word ' originally seems to have denoted the liver of a 

 goose fattened on figs, ' and the word socotrinum or saccotrinum 

 applied to aloes would therefore be the equivalent of epaticum. 

 (Cf. Trans. IIL Soc. Edinhnrghy xxxi., p. 444.) Burton says: 

 " The aloe^ according to Burckhardt, is planted in grave- 

 yards as a lesson of patience : it is also slung, like the dried 

 crocodile, over house-doors to prevent evil spirits entering : 

 * thus hung without earth and water/ says Lane {Mod. Egypty 

 Chapt. XI,), *it will live for several years and even blossom. 

 Hence (?) it is called 8ah}\ which signifies patience/ But 

 8ibr as well as Sahr (a root) means * long-sufferance / I hold 

 the practice to be one of the many Inner African superstitions. 

 The wild Gallas to the present day plant aloes on graves, and 

 suppose that when the plant sprouts the deceased has been ad- 

 mitted to the gardens of Wak^ the Creator.'' {Arab. Nights^ i-, 

 138.) Mahometan physicians describe aloes as aperient, de- 

 obstruent, depurative, anthelmintic and tonic ; as a collyrium 

 they consider that it strengthens the sight and removes styes 

 of the lids ; it is often applied for the dispersion of swellings 

 and the promotion of graniiations. They direct it to be puri- 

 fied in the following manner :— Take Socotrine Aloes 1 lb., 

 powder and sift, then take wormwood, Jatamdsi, Chiretta, 

 Cinnamon, Cassia, wood of the Balsam tree, Herba Schocnanthi, 

 Asarum, Mastich^ of each 3 dirhems, boil in 2 lbs. of water 



