72 Brigade-Surgeon J. E. T. Aitchison's Notes on Products 



from a few ounces to a couple of pounds weight, according 

 to the size of the root, some being no bigger than a carrot, 

 whilst others attain the thickness of a man's leg. The 

 quality of the gum differs niucli, and it is always adulterated 

 on the spot by collectors before it reaches the market. The 

 extent of adulteration varies from one-fifth to one-third, 

 and wheat or barley Hour or powdered gypsum are the usual 

 adulterants. The best sort, however, which is obtained solely 

 from the node or leaf bud in the centre of the root head of 

 the newly sprouting plant, is never adulterated, and sells at 

 a much higher price than the other kinds. The price of the 

 pure drug at Kandahar varies from four to seven Indian 

 rupees per man-i-tahriz (about 3 lbs.), and of the inferior 

 kinds from one and a half to three and a half Indian rupees 

 per man. The Asafoctida is commonly used by the Mahom- 

 medan population of India as a condiment in several of their 

 dishes, and especially mixed with dal. It is not an article 

 of general consumption in Afghanistan, though often prescribed 

 as a warm remedy for cold diseases by the native physicians, 

 who also use it as a vermifuge. The fresh leaves of the 

 plant, which have the same peculair stench as its secretion, 

 when cooked are commonly used as an article of diet by those 

 near whose abode it grows. And the white inner part of 

 the stem of the full-grown plant, which reaches the stature 

 of man, is considered a delicacy when roasted and flavoured 

 with salt and butter." 



Dr Bellew's and my own report combined give a very fair 

 general idea of how the drug is collected, and to what other 

 uses the plant is put ; but it would be most interesting to 

 see the whole stages gone through, and this could only be 

 done by residing the entire season at one of these Asafoetida 

 producing districts, along with some of the great nomad 

 tribes, who make the collection of this drug one of their 

 sources of livelihood. 



I would bring to your notice a paper in the Journal of the 

 Pharmaceutical Society of London for July 14, 1888, on " The 

 Asafoetida Plants," by E. M. Holmes, F.L.S. ; from this I learn 

 that in collecting these Ferulas one ought to be very careful 

 in noting, at the time of collecting, any differences that may 

 exist between the flowers that are relatively male and those 

 that are female. In my specimens of Ferula fcetida the 



