LILIACEJE. 505 



Among the Arabs it bears many names, such as Dam-ol- 



aklia-vvain, Shayyan, Aida vulg. Eda, Dani-ol-tmniu, and Daiu- 

 el-tliuaban ''dragon's blood/^ Eland am, Katir-ed-dara, andlatcr 

 El-katir-el-niakki vulg. Katr-makkoh. Johanna-bin- Masa- 

 wiyeh, physician to the Caliph Haroun-el-Rashid, specially 

 recommends it for strenorthcninjj the stomach and liver, and as 

 an astringent ingredient in coUyriums. On account of its use 

 as a coUyrium, the Arabs sometimes call it Dam-kuhl or simply 

 Kuhl " colly rium." 



Among the Persians it is known as Khdn-i-siydwash, and 

 they have a myth that when Afrasiab killed Siyawash, this 

 plant sprung up upon the place where his blood was shed. The 

 author of the Burhun, who relates this story, also remarks that 

 the gum is said to come from Africa. IlajiZein (13G8) notices 

 three qualities of dragon's blood, viz., Chakideh ' drop,* Turabi 

 ' earthy," and Khashabi ' mixed with wood.' He says it is not 

 the gum of the haJcam {Cwsalpinia Scqjpan) as supposed by 

 some, but of a tree growing in xifrica. The author of the 

 '^■fif'/at-cl-nmminin states that the plant which produces it is 

 iiot known ; he notices its use for painting glass. The author 



Mak/i 



said. 



Ainslio {Mat. Ind, I, 113) remarks that it is often con- 

 founded with Kino by the native doctors of Lower India. 

 The Tamool doctors recommend a solution of it in arrack as 

 an external application to the head and temples in cases of 

 syncope. 



Although the early European travellers in the East 

 nientioa Socotra dragon's blood, Guibourt and Percira do 

 ^ot notice it, and nothing exact regarding its source was 

 known untilWellstead {Journ. Eoy. Geog. Soc, v. (1835), 198) 

 described the tree, but wrongly supposed it to be Ptcrocarpns 



Professor Bayley Balfour, who visited Socotra a few years 

 ^go to examine the fauna and flora of the island, wad the iirst 



IiI.^Gi 



