THE MHORR GAZELLE 79 



odour like the ambergris found in the intestines 

 of the cachalot whale, a substance to which, 

 by the way, they are strictly comparable. They 

 contain a large amount of organic acids (ellagic 

 acid in some bezoars, lithofellic in others), but 

 although nine varieties are known, not one 

 appears to have any claim whatever to the 

 medicinal qualities once assigned to them. 



Formerly used to combat vertigo, palpitation of 

 the heart, colic and jaundice, they were probably 

 utterly useless in any of these capacities : if they 

 possessed any properties at all they were at most 

 mechanically absorbent, and of no more efficacy 

 than so much chalk. Some authorities derive 

 the name bezoar from the Persian pad-zahr or 

 expeller of poison : it has, however, been suggested 

 by Mr. Drummond-Hay that since the Moors call 

 the bezoars obtained from the mhorr gazelle Baid 

 al Mhorr or "eggs of the Mhorr," the word may 

 have been derived from the Moorish rather than 

 from the Persian language. 



The Mhorr Gazelle (Gazella mhorr) as one of 

 the chief sources of the famous bezoar stones, 

 deserves the attention not only of every naturalist, 

 but of every chemist, of every physician, and of 

 every antiquarian. Standing about thirty-five 

 inches high at the withers, this splendid gazelle is 

 of a rich rufous fawn colour on the body, paling in 

 intensity towards the hind quarters : the abdomen 



