GALBANUM RHUBARB CATECHU GRASS OILS. 177 



Compared with assafcetida and galbanum, sagapenum is a rare 1059. 

 and costly drug. 



GALBANUM. The remarks we have made upon sagapenum 

 apply to a great extent to the gum-resin known as Galbanum. 

 Galbanum is, however, a far more abundant substance than 

 sagapenum. It occurs in trade in two varieties, which are so 

 distinct as to lead to the inference that they are yielded by 

 distinct plants. Galbanum is said to be imported into Eussia 

 in large quantities by way of Astrachan, but that which reaches 

 England comes principally from Bombay. 



OPOPANAX, another foetid gum-resin, the produce, according 

 to most authorities, of Opopanax Chironium, Koch, a large 

 umbelliferous plant, native of the south of Europe, and of Asia 

 Minor. There is no modern account of the collection of this 

 drug, nor is its place of production ascertained. 



EHUBAKB. Determine the true source of the various sorts of 

 medicinal rhubarb, especially of the Chinese rhubarb sold at 

 Kiachta to the Eussians, and of that exported from Canton. 

 Strange to say, we are still in the dark respecting the real origin 

 of this most valuable drug ! In this and all such cases the drug 

 should be procured by one who is an eye-witness to it being 

 gathered, and specimens of the foliage, flowers, and fruit, care- 

 fully dried for the herbarium on the spot, should accompany it. 



INDIA, SIAM, INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, CHINA, &c. 



CATECHU. Observe the processes by which the various kinds 

 of Catechu, Cutcli, Terra Japonica, and Gambir are obtained ; 

 and if from trees, whether from others besides Acacia Catechu, 

 Areca Catechu, and Uncaria Gambir. We wish to identify the 

 trees with the respective extracts. 



GRASS OILS. The grasses used in India for affording the 

 fragrant essential oils known as Lemon-grass Oil or Essence of 

 Verbena, Ginger-grass Oil, Citronelle, &c., require investigation. 

 What, for instance, is the source of the essential oil imported 

 from Ceylon as Oil of Lemon-grass ? It is considered quite 

 distinct from Citronelle, which is also a production of the island. 



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