184 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
in small rounded lumps or tears. It is used as a stimulant expectorant. 
The ammoniacum of the ancients—a gum resin, like asafcetida—is sup- 
posed to be yielded by Ferula tingitana; and sagapenum, a similar drug, 
is supposed likewise to be the product of this genus. 
Gambier, or Terra Japonica, is obtained from Nauclea gambier, (Cinchon- 
acee,) a shrubby, climbing, Asiatic plant. Gambier is prepared by boiling 
the leaves and young shoots of the plant in water until the decoction 
thickens to the consistency of molasses. It is then run into narrow, 
oblong molds, where it remains to thicken; after which it is cut into 
small cubes or slices, and these are thoroughly hardened and dried in 
the san. It is used by the Malays for mixing with the preparation of 
areca-nut and betel-leaf, which they are in the habit of chewing; and 
it is also used for tanning leather, and by dyers and curriers. There are 
several qualities of the gambier extract; the best is white, brittle, and 
has an earthy appearance when rubbed between the fingers. This 
earthy appearance gave it the name of terra japonica, which was then 
upposed to come from Japan. Gambier is one of the most powerful of 
the pure astringents. 
Manna is a concrete saccharine substance, procured from Ornus Huro- 
pea and Ornus rotundifolia, (Fraxinece,) natives of the south of Europe. 
They form trees about 20 feet in height, and are cultivated in planta- 
tions in Sicily for the manna they produce. The manna is obtained by 
making incisions in the stem and branches. The best article is collected 
from the young branches or upper part of the stem; it hardens on the 
stem, but is further dried after removal from the tree. Manna is used 
in medicine as a gentle tonic. It is white, inodorous, erystallizable in 
semi-transparent needles, and of a sweetish taste. Manna sugar, or 
mannite, differs from other sugars in not being fermentescible. In 
Styria the larch (Larix Europea) exudes from its leaves and branches 
a honeyed juice, which, on becoming hard, is called manna or briancon. 
The cedar of Lebanon, Abies cedrus, (Conifere,) produces small quanti- 
ties of transparent resinous drops, called manna by the monks, who 
collect it and prepare from it various ointments, which have consider- 
abie reputation in Syria as a remedy for phthisis. , 
The manna by which the Israelites were miracuously fed is supposed 
to be identical with an exudation found on the stems of Alhagi mauro- 
rum, (Leguminose,) a shrubby plant which covers immense plains in 
Arabia and Palestine. The juice hardens on the branches, and is most 
abundant during hot weather, and is collected by the Arabs who cross 
the deserts, they using it as nutriment for themselves and camels, the 
latter being very partial to it. 
Tamarisk manna, or manna of Mount Sinai, is produced through the 
puncture of Coccus manniparus, an insect inhabiting the tamarisk trees, 
which grow abundantly in that vicinity. This saccharine secretion 
exudes as a thick, transparent sirup, and drops from the branches upon 
the ground, and, being collected and cleaned, is eaten with bread, and 
is considered a delicacy; it is also reputed as efficacious in diseases of 
the chest. Australian mannais produced by the Lucalyptus mannifera, 
(iyrtacee.) This manna contains a saccharine matter different from 
mannite, and nearly similar to glucose. It is much used as a pleasant 
purgative. 
Red gun.—This is yielded by the Lucalyptus rostrata, a common tree 
in many parts of Australia. The gum exudes in a fluid state from the 
bark, and, by evaporation of the water by which it is held in soiution, 
concretes into a beautiful ruby-colored gum. As a medicine it is a pow- 
