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



Persia vid the Gulf to Arabia and India" (" Some Plants 

 of Afghanistan and their Medicinal Products," Fluirmaceutical 

 Journal and Transactions, December 11, 1886, p. 466). 



The gum-resin Galbanum that I purchased at Meshad, 

 exactly corresponded to that which I myself collected off 

 the plants in the Badghis. It was there said to have been 

 imported from Yezd, in Fars, Persia. It was all in solid 

 lumps of a yellow-orange colour, turning much browner upon 

 exposure to light. For the chemical analysis of a sample of 

 this Galbanum I was indebted to Mr E. G. Baker, who read a 

 paper on the subject at the Pharmaceutical Society of London, 

 see Journal and Transactions, December 11, 1886, page 468. 

 This gum-resin burns with a peculiar odour, and hence it is 

 as much exported to India on this account as it is for its 

 uses in medicine. The fruiting stem is hung as a charm 

 about a house when parturition is about to take place in 

 order to keep off devils and all evil spirits, and the gum- 

 resin is administered to the patient, mixed with milk. The 

 resin is also applied to sores and wounds. 



Ferula oopoda, Boiss. Umbellifbe^. 



Ejih-okharasi, kilki, kalkili. This Ferula is remarkable 

 for having the stipules of the leaves developed into great 

 cups or bowls surrounding the main stem. 



Ferula ovina, Boiss. IJMBELLiFERiE. 



The sheep, or mountain Ferula, kcma-kohi, stourga. In 

 certain localities in the Badghis, this covered the sides of the 

 hills, and made grand pasturage for goats and sheep. 



Ferula suaveolens, Aitcli. et Hemsley. Umbelliper^. 



Sanibal, sanhal, sumhal, somhala. The large root of this 

 plant whilst fresh was strongly scented, but it lost all its 

 odour on drying. The roots were said to be exported on 

 account of their scent, and this may prove to be one of those 

 roots with which the true Sumbul, Ferula Sumbul, Hk. fil, is 

 adulterated, the latter is a Central Asian plant. 



Fibres — 



The only plant cultivated to yield fibre in these districts 

 is GossYPiUM iiERBACEUM. The indigenous plants yielding 



