MYERH-GUM TRAGACANTH-STORAX. 175 



to gather some information upon this subject, as well as upon IBS 9. 

 the next. 



MYEKH. This celebrated drug is collected in great quantities 

 by the Somali tribes on the African coast, near the southern 

 extremity of the Eed Sea, whence it is brought to Aden for 

 shipment to Bombay. A variety of myrrh, which is probably 

 yielded by another species, is also produced (according to 

 Vaughan) in a district lying forty miles to the east of Aden, to 

 which place it is brought for sale. A third variety, distinguished 

 by the Arabs as Bissa Bol, is also collected by the Somali tribes, 

 and sent by way of Aden to India. It is a point of much 

 interest to determine with accuracy the plants which afford these 

 several sorts of myrrh, and for this end it is earnestly requested 

 that those who have any opportunity for investigating the subject 

 will not neglect to do so. 



ASIA MINOR, PERSIA, CENTRAL ASIA. 



GUM TRAGACANTH is produced in Asia Minor by several 

 species of Astragalus, which it is desirable further to identify. 

 Travellers and others who have the opportunity should preserve 

 specimens of any species seen to yield the gum, as well as 

 specimens of the gum itself ; noting at the same time whether 

 the latter was obtained from incision in the stern, or whether 

 exuded spontaneously. Fine gum tragacanth is produced at 

 Caissar (or Kaisarieh) and Yalavatz, in Asia Minor, at which 

 places the practice of making longitudinal incisions in the stem 

 of the shrub is adopted ; the gum is also collected at Isbarta, 

 Bourda, Angora, &c. 



Gum tragacanth is frequently adulterated with another gum, 

 which has been called False Tragacanth, Hog Gum, Bassbra Gum, 

 or Gum Kutera. At Smyrna it appears to be known as Cara- 

 man Gum. What is its origin ? One of its properties is to 

 swell up into an opaque mass upon being placed in water, in 

 which, however, it does not dissolve. 



STORAX, None of the Storax found in commerce in modern 

 times is derived from Styrax officinale, L. ; yet it is certain that 



