DRUGS. 



Theophrastus and the Greeks are referred to the M. pterygosperma. 

 I would take the liberty to suggest, however, that the seeds of M. aptera 

 are truly meant by Pliny and other classical writers. Pliny mentions 

 " Balanus " wood as inferior to that of the Persea, but " very durable." 

 The wood of the Saiyut is worthless. DeCandolle doubts the distinctness 

 of the two species of Moringa under comment ; and it may be that the 

 Indian Marine/a, although it has not the hard wood and oil-seed of the Ara- 

 bian, African, and West Indian plants, is yet specifically identical with 

 them. M. aptera is the Yessur of the Arabs, the long pod of which they 

 call Hab-ghalee. The seeds of neither plant have any connection with 

 modern My robalans, which see below N. O. 81. See also "Fruits and 

 Vegetables," and " Gums and Rebins." 



N. O. 76. ROSACES. ROSEWORTS. 



Amygdalus communis. Linn. var. amara. DeC. Bitter 



Almond. 



Linn. Syst. Icosandria Monogynia. 



The kernel, Bitter Almonds. 



Vernacular. .Kurwa badam, Hind. Badam tulk, Pers. Lowz-ul- 

 murr y Arab. 



Habitat. Barbary, Syria. Cultivated in Southern Europe. 



Remarks. Almonds are mentioned in the Bible, and by the earliest 

 Greek and Roman writers on medicine. See also " Fruits and Vegetables," 

 and " Oils and Oil-seeds." 



Cydonia vulgaris. Pers. Common Quince. 



Linn. Syst. Icosandria Pentagynia. 



The seed, Quince seed. 



Vernacular. Behee-ke-beej, Hind. Beheedana ) Bedana t Pers., Dec., 

 Tarn. Hubusufirjul, Arab. 



Habitat. South Europe, Asia Minor, Bokhara, Cabul. 



Remarks. The wdavea of Dioscorides, K v$<aviov and vrpovOiov of Theo- 

 phrastus, and the " cotonea " or malum cotoneum of the Romans. Quinces 

 are called " melicotones " in old English books. The Latin and English 

 terms are but corruptions of the Greek, which name was derived from 

 Cydonia, a city of Crete, whence the Quince was first introduced. It was 

 held sacred to Venus ; and the " apples " of the " Song of Songs " refer to 

 the fruit of this tree. The derivation by Skinner of the word cotton from 

 cotonea, is preposterous. 



PruilUS Cerasus. W. Common Cherry. 



Linn. Syst. Icosandria Monogyuia. 



The seed and the kernel, Cherry stones and pips. 

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