ApPENDrr. 123 



PORTULACEiB. 

 Chetnioal Composition of Portulaca oleraoea. 



Water 



Nitrogenous substances 

 Fat ... 



Non-iiit2-ogenous extractive 



CeHulose 



Ash 



-' «# • » * 



■•• ••* «•• *«« » » « 



« • V # # 



• ■ ■«« «•* »«« 



/« 6?ry suhsfance 



Nitroereu 



Carbohydrates 



9i-61 

 2-24 



0-40 

 2-16 

 103 



1-56 



4-85 

 29-23 



{Kdnig, Nahrungs Mitiel, p, 147.) 



TAMARISOINEiE. 



Remarks on the substance called Gez or Manna 



found in Persia and Armenia. 



At eatertainments in Persia a sweetmeat called Gesingaheen is 

 usually met with, the pleasant taste and other singular properties of 

 which, as well as the mystery that involved its origin, excited my 

 curiosity to know if it were an animal or a vegetable production. 



The principal ingredient in its composition is a white gummy 

 substance called Gez^ which, when mixed up with rose-water, flour 

 ^ud pistachio nuts inio flat round cakes that are generally made 

 three inches in diameter and a quarter of an inch thick, has much 

 •'he appearance and feel ot CQmjnon dough, though a little more hard. 

 It is at the same time both adhesive and hrxiiXe^ for any attempt to 

 cut it shows the former quality, as it sticks to the knife; and if 

 pulled, it admits of being drawn out to some length like birdlime. 

 The mode, however, generally practised of breaking it for use is hy 

 placing one cake on the palm of the hand somewhat hollowed and 

 striking it with the other, when the blow occasions it to fly into 

 several pieces, whose edges, rather unexpectedly, appear smooth and 

 polished like broken glass. 



Collection.— Before daylight we marched from Khonsar, and, on 

 clearing the boundaries of the town, deviated from the main road as 

 we had been directed, and began rambling amongst the bushes on the 

 face of the mountain on our right, diligently looking for theffez. The 

 directions we had received were to examine the bushes closely, as the 



