MISCELLANEOUS. 



and used instead a number of substances from the mineral, vegetable, and 

 even animal kingdom. The best of these substitutes among minerals 

 were Nitron or Litron, and Konia ; the former probably carbonate of 

 soda, and the latter a lye of potash; and amongst vegetables the plant 

 called o-TpovOibv by tbe Greeks, and Rndicula, and Ilerba lanaria, by the 

 Romans, and identified by some with the Gypsophila Struthium of 

 botanists, and by others with their Saponaria offidnalis, both Clove - 

 worts. Less legitimate, but probably more used ; substitutes were 

 ointments and other preparations of all kinds of odoriferous gums and 

 resins, roots, woods, and herbs. These were frequently carried about the 

 person in little caskets called alabastra from their being often made of 

 alabaster. In the passages of the Bible : " The Lord will take away the 

 tablets, and it shall come to pass that instead of a sweet smell there shall 

 be a stink :" and, " All thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia, 

 out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad :" the words 

 " tablets" and "ivory palaces" refer to perfume cases. 



N. O. 70. RHAMNACE^E. RHAMNADS. 

 Zizyphus xylopyra. W. 



Linn. Syst. Pentandria Monogynia. 



Vernacular. Sootee, By. 

 Habitat. India. 



Remarks. The wood is used for torches, as is also that of Ixora 

 parviflora, Vahl. N. O. 115. Cinchonacese. The fruit is also used for 

 blackening leather. 



N. O. 74. LEGUMINOS.E. LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 



Acacia concinna. De C. See " N. O. 48." 

 Abrus precatorius. Linn. See " Drugs." 

 Adenanthera pavonina. W. See " Dyes." 



Remarks. The seeds of both these plants, and particularly those of the 

 first are used as jewellers' weights. The seeds of the first (Gunja, Sans. 

 Goonch, By.) weigh on an average gr. l-f^, apothecary's weight. In 

 Hindoo medical books the seeds are called rattica, and ten rattica are 

 said to equal one mashaca, and eight mdshaca to one tola. See Erythrina 

 indica, under "Woods." 



Bauhmia parviflora. Vahl. Small-flowered Mountain Ebony. 



Linn. Syst. Decandria Monogynia. 



Vernacular. Tana-raja, Sans. Apta, Wuna-raja, By. Areha* 



marum, Tarn. Arr<v t Tel. 

 Habitat. India. 

 342 



