6 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES AGALLOCHA 



mode of application being very singular. The body of the 

 patient is first rubbed with green leaves ; he is then placed in a 

 small room and bound hand and foot, when a small fire is made 

 of pieces of the wood of this tree, from which rises a thick 

 smoke ; the patient is suspended over this fire, and remains for 

 some hours in the midst of the poisonous smoke and under 

 the most agonising torture, often fainting. When thorouglily 

 smoked, he is removed, and the slime is scraped from his body ; 

 he is then scarified and left to await the result. In some cases 

 he is cured, but frequently the patient dies under the ordeal. 



Agallocha is also a name in India for Eagle-wood (which see). 



Agar-agar. {See Ceylon Moss.) 



Agaricus, the name of an extensive genus of the Fungi 

 family, of which the common mushroom is the type (which see). 



Agave, the name of an extensive genus of the Narcissus 

 family (Amaryllidaceae), represented by the well-known plant 

 called American Aloe (which see). 



Agave, Soap {A. sapo7ia7'ia), native of Mexico. Its roots are 

 saponaceous and used by the Mexicans as a substitute for soap. 



Agrimony {Agrimonia Eupatorid), a strong-growing peren- 

 nial of the Eose family (Eosaceai), native of this country, 

 generally growing in meadows and on the margins of fields. It 

 is a powerful astringent, and was formerly used by herb doctors, 

 and even at the present day is prescribed by some practitioners. 



Ailanto, the Chinese name of Ailantlius glandulosa, trans- 

 lated " Tree of Heaven," a tree of the Quassia family (Sima- 

 rubacese), native of China, introduced to Kew about 1751. At 

 the time the original Botanic Garden at Kew was broken up, 

 two trees, about a hundred years old, had attained the height of 

 60 or 70 feet. It is a large, spreading-headed, branching tree, 

 and when in leaf in summer is highly ornamental, and in France 

 and Italy it is much planted as a shade for public walks. It 

 has lately come into special notice on account of a species of 

 silkworm feeding on its leaves, and experiments have shown 

 that it might be turned to profitable advantage in this country. 

 Its wood has a beautiful yellow grain, and is used by cabinet- 



