'..'1 



ASAFCETIDA. 



602 



It is possible, however, that this which we have engraved may not 

 be a genuine Roman Quincunx ; other cities in Italy and Magna 



The Uncia, twelfth of the As, or piece of one ounce, is marked by a 

 single globule. The type we have selected 



[Weight 1571 grains.! 



Grsecia had their own Ases, and their divisions, marked in the same 

 manner as those of Borne herself. (Compare Eckhel, ul iupr. p. 11 

 13.) These are usually called, in contradistinction, Italian Ases. 

 Such were those of Yelitnc, Tudertia, Luceria, Populonia, Panormus, 



PiCStUlIl, &C. 



The Triem was the third of the As, or piece of four uncuc. The 

 type here engraved bears a dolphin on one side with the strigil above : 

 011 the other is a thunderbolt. 



Four globules, or pellets, to indicate its value, occur on both sides. 

 Other types will be found enumerated in Mionnet (ut upr. pp. 7, 8) ; 

 and Akermau (pp. 10, 11). Eckhel says, the head of Pallas was very 

 frequent upon the Trientes (' Doctr. Vet. Num.' torn. v. p. 15). Pliny 

 says (xxxiii. 3) that both the Triens and the Quadrans bore the type of 

 a ship. 



The Quadrant was the fourth of the As, or piece of three uucuo. 

 The types of this were various also (Rache, ' Lex. Bei Num.' v. 

 Quadrans) ; but the value of the coin was uniformly denoted by three 

 globules. On the Quadrans here represented, an open hand and 

 l occur on both sides. 



[Weight 11 OS grain*.] 



Others have a dolphin, grains of corn, a star, heads of Hercules, 

 Ceres, 4tc., on the obverse. 



The Sextant was the sixth of the An, or piece of two ounces. The 

 coin here engraved 



[Weight 779 grln.] 



bean on one side a caduceus and strigil, on the other a cockle shell. 

 The value is denoted on each side by two globules. On some Sex- 

 tajitea the value ix designated on one vide only. 



[Weight 186 grains.] 



bears on one side an ear of barley, and on the other a frog^ For the 

 varieties of type, compare Mionnet (p. 13); Akerman (p. 17). Eckhel 

 describes one with the head of Pallas on one side, and on the other 

 the prow of a ship : a globule by the side of each. 



As the As fell in weight larger denominations of coin were struck, 

 bearing names relative to the As. The As was latterly marked I. 

 The Dupondius, or double As, was marked II. The Trexs'u III. The 

 Qtuulriuali IV. There were even Decuxxs, or pieces of ten Ases, in 

 copper, marked X. Olivieri mentions one in his own cabinet weighing 

 upwards of twenty-five Roman ounces, which must have been cast 

 when the As was about three ounces ; for, as has been mentioned , 

 they are far from being correctly sized. In the Museum Etruscum is a 

 Decussis of forty Roman ounces, cast when the As was four ounces. 

 The Denarius, Quinarius, and Sestertius were silver coins. According 

 to Pliny, when the As was reduced to one vncia in the second Punic 

 war, the Denarius, which was originally equivalent to 10, the Quinarius 

 to 5, and the Sestertius to 24 Ases, were respectively made equivalent 

 to 16, 8, and 4 Ases. On this subject see SESTERTIUS. 



Notwithstanding that the As fell, it still continued to be called libra; 

 and in fines of estates, and in other old customs, was, nevertheless, 

 held to be a pound weight of copper. See Cornutus on Persius ; that 

 annotator lived in the reign of Domitian. The word As was also 

 used in accounts for the whole of any heritage, &c., to late times. 

 Harei ex one was the phrase used by the jurisconsults for an 

 heir to a whole estate. (Pitisci, ' Lex.' v. As.) It is thus used by 

 Martial (vii. 65), and elsewhere. The word As, indeed, with its 

 subdivisions and multiples, was used generally as the representative 

 of number, both in denning measures of length, the proportions of an 

 inheritance, &c. 



The Ases drawn for this article, from specimens in the British 

 Museum, have been carefully weighed. A comparison of the weights 

 will show that the parts do not correspond accurately with one another, 

 or with the integer As. Our specimens may probably not all belong to 

 one epoch, nor all to the city of Rome. 



ASAFCETIDA. A gum-resin obtained from incisions made in the 

 upper part of the root of the Fervia, atafastida, which grows in Persia. 

 Asafcctida as met with in commerce consists of agglutinated masses of 

 a brownish colour, possessing an excessively disagreeable odour and 

 taste. Its specific gravity is 1-327. It is very imperfectly soluble in 

 water, but may be dissolved in alcohol rendered either acid r alkaline. 

 According to Braude it consists of 



Kc.in 

 Volatile oil 

 Gum 

 Bassorin 

 Acetate of potash 

 Malate of potash 

 Extractive matter 

 Malate of limp 

 Sulphate of lime 

 Sulphate of potash 



4-60 



l'<0 



trace 

 Carbonate of lime ....... 3-iO 



Alun.ina and oxide of iron ...... '40 



Sand and vegetable fibre ..... 4'CO 



Water ......... G ' 



101-76 



The resin is soluble in alcohol, and yielded analytical results leading 

 to the formula C )0 H M O 10 , but it is probably a mixture of several sub- 

 stances. The volatile oil, to which the characteristic odour of asafcotida 

 is due, i obtained by distillation with water. It is colourless and 

 transparent, very volatile, and possesses a bitter and acrid taste. It is 

 soluble in alcohol and ether, but nearly insoluble in water. Sulphur 

 is one of its constituents. 



Asafcctida is used in medicine, and is employed as a condiment 

 amongst some Oriental nations. The green leaves of the plant, and the 

 roasted roots, are also eaten. 



ASAFCETIDA is a gum-resin, obtained from the roots of Narthex, or 

 Ferula asafcetida, a perennial plant, growing in Persia, in Khonoan, 

 and in the province of Laar. In its recent and purest state it is 

 white and transparent, but by exposure to the air it becomes of a clear 

 brown colour, sometimes verging to red or violet, and of a waxy 

 appearance. At the ordinary temperature of the air it is of the con- 

 sistence of wax, slightly viscid or glutinous, and becoming soft with 



