DRUGS. 



Storax does not now exist in commerce, but, perhaps, this is too 

 hasty a conclusion, for although no balsam is now obtained from , 

 officinale, it does not follow that the o-rvpa of the Greeks, and Sty rax 

 of the Romans, was obtained exclusively from that tree ; and, indeed, the 

 probability is that they also obtained it from L. orientate, considering 

 the coincidence of its geographical distribution and properties ; and it is 

 not impossible that they were also acquainted with the identical product 

 of Java. Liquidambar is more exquisite and powerful in odour than even 

 Benzoin, of which also the ancients are said to have been ignorant. This 

 may be as regards the latter substance, but as respects Liquidambar, at 

 least that of Cyprus and Anatolia, it may be seriously doubted, and it 

 must be on better evidence than any' yet afforded that the Storax of mo- 

 dern Europe and the Rose Malloes of the Bombay Tariff is deprived of 

 the additional aroma of classical association. The Greeks to this day call 

 the balsam of the Cyprus plant o-rvpo vypa. Its bark is the Xylon Ef- 

 fendi of the Cypriots and Cortex Thymiamatis vel Thuris of European 

 druggists. In Bombay Sillarus and Salajet are the common names of 

 Rose Malloes, with Usturuk as a synonyme. It comes from Java,* the 

 tariff term being a trade corruption of the Malaya name Rasamalla. 

 Such "fantastic tricks" are common in commerce, but this is one of the 

 most instructive, excepting only the conversion by our merchants of 

 Shakasi or Tree (that is recent, as opposed to semi-fossilized), into Jackass 

 Copal. Usturuk is also the name of a wood used in Bombay by Parsees as 

 incense, and this I have, under N. O. 126, referred to S. officinale. The 

 Solid Storax of commerce is probabjy the resinous portion of Liquid 

 Storax mixed with saw-dust or bran. The vdo-KcxfrOov or vdpKcxfrdov of 

 Dioscorides, probably the same as the \a.<a(j)dov of Paulus ^Egineta, is by 

 some considered the bark of S. officinale. Hanbury says it is not that of 

 L. orient ale, but from the description of Dioscorides it would appear 

 more likely to be the fruit of some Liquid ami ar. Dioscorides says it came 

 from India. I know nothing like it in Bombay except Maida-luckrie. 

 It is remarkable that Sprengel in 1307 writing of the Miah of Avicenna 

 states " hsec est arbor Rasamala quae storacem licfuidum largitur e rimis 

 corticis emanantem." See "Gums and Resins." 



N. 0. 212. CUPULIFER^. MASTWORTS. 

 Quercus Ballota. W. Barbary Oak. 



Linn. Syst. Monoecia Polyandria. 



The acorn. 



Vernacular. Shah-bulloot, Buloot-ul-mulk t Pers. 



Habitat. Spain, Morocco, Greece. 



Remarks. Sprengel is not sure whether this or the Dyer's Oak is the 

 dpvs rjfjifpls of Theophrastus. Dioscorides mentions an oak, and Pliny 

 thirteen kinds of acorns. 



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