380 



generally during hot weather there is a strong wind blowing. 

 You will find it therefore mixed with dirt, but that is the state of 

 the gum as a rule when sold." On January 6, 1887, he once 

 more reverts to the subject : " The Fassook in this country com- 

 mences to arrow and push forward leaves in the latter part of 

 November or early in December, and dies apparently in the latter , 

 end of August, leaving the canes of 7-8 feet in height dry with 

 seed on them. In December again the same root pushes out 

 leaves and commences to blossom about April." 



To summarise briefly the information brought together in the 

 preceding paragraphs, it is evident that a Ferula occurs in Western 

 Morocco from the Wad el Kos, the river of El Araiche, to the Wad 

 Ummer Rebia, and possibly still farther south. From this plant, 

 when mature, a gum resin, known as gum ammoniac of Morocco, 

 is obtained, which exudes either from the wounds caused by the 

 boring of certain insects or by the tapping of the collectors. The 

 resin is used in Morocco both medicinally and for fumigations, 

 and is also exported to Egypt and Arabia, mainly from Mazagan. 

 The vernacular names are given as Fashook (also spelt Feshook, 

 lasshook, Fasook), El clagh, Keith, and Kilch. 



Early History of the Gum Ammoniac of Morocco. 



The vernacular names quoted in the preceding paragraph may be 

 reduced to two, namely :-Fashook and K'lakh. The other ways 

 ot spelling are either due to dialectal variations or to different and 



S? wl- + ."\ S ° me , Cases fault > T transliteration. From a note on 

 Mr. White s letter of June 3, 1885, we learn that Fashook is really 

 the name of the gum, while the plant itself is called K'lakh. 

 Now, m the work of Ebn Baitar*, a Spanish Moor who wrote 

 lw £X * % ^ n t Ury ' the Allowing information is given 

 FMrhJSft' " K&lh ' F r ula ™>nmums. This plant is called 

 «lr"pti?^ 7- ? Ve ^ leB of An dalusia, which name 1 have 



v^fl - I * 6 * Under the letter Kaf - With the Egyptians this 

 word designates gum ammoniac, with which I have dealt under 



Kana V™ d * r i th £u W ° rd ° schak '" E1 Ki »nat is evidently the 

 Th?, \uL i h l Baitar sa ^ st: "Kana-iWa communis. 



and thi Pr? l U0W u b Ar he natne E1 Kalch iu Western Afrika, 

 "OscnakrZ S - C i l11 * KardeX '" 0f 0shak > however, he says} : 

 and wLhTf 1 ^ m r moi V acum - Th is gum is also called Oschadsch 

 do5b7?W $ E? i L u Za ^ el d8alab > Chrysocolla." There is no 

 dav h fnt l G i K lf Jl (C > gh ' Kilch > Kelth ) of the Moors of to- 



modern F,shniv V * he KMl (Kalch > of Ebn Baitar * J ust as the 

 Thus ?t T; m corresponds to his Woshack (Washack, Oschak). 



and L l," e r I ldent that the ^m ammoniac plant of Morocco 



years T,T ZV* kn ° Wn in Morocco at least six hundred 

 name Kana t * he ^ meS which the y » m bear - The 

 3 the Li™ preser r d in the S P anisb - Canaheijo (giant 

 Sr do PS nT° n m ° de 1 rn name ^v Ferula communis. Ubn 

 f!!!!Lz!L^j^^ Egyptians of his day 



t ^^^- G ^^ fa ^^! I,,g ^ Hdl " Und NahrunR8mitteL 



1 ? B b " ll B * it 5*'' "J U pi' 4 3 8 26 ' 



§ Id the index Waschak stands for Woschak. 



