AFRICAN AMMONIAGUM. 377 



The drug may be described as in large, compact, dark, heavy 1873. 

 masses, formed of agglutinated tears of a gum-resin of hard, Description 



waxy consistence. The tears are opaque, white, and milk-like, of African 



Ammoniacum. 

 or of a pale greenish yellow, or of a fawn colour, mixed with 



others of a dark blackish brown, which with earthy and 

 vegetable impurities constitute a large proportion of the mass. 

 The drug has a very weak odour not suggestive of ammoniacum, 

 and a slightly acrid but very persistent taste. 



Having recently had to investigate anew the history of 

 ammoniacum, I was led to look into the various memoiis on the 

 subject, and also to search for some information respecting the 

 Morocco drug described by Jackson. In the latter inquiry I was 

 fortunate enough to have the aid of Mr. Moryoseph, a drug Mr. Mory- 

 merchant of London having connections with Mogador, who not osel) ' 

 only at once supplied me with a sample of the African drug 

 according exactly with that I had noticed in the brokers' sale- 

 rooms, but also kindly wrote to Morocco for some of better 

 quality, which proved to be less impure and to contain milky 

 tears exactly like Persian ammoniacum. 



I also enlisted the services of my friend Dr. Leared, who Dr. Leared's 

 during a short visit to Morocco in the past autumn ascertained a accoullt - 

 few interesting particulars, which are to this effect : 



The plant is called kelth, and grows up rapidly after the first 

 rains. Its gum is not much shipped to Europe, but a great deal 

 of it is taken by pilgrims to Egypt and Mecca, where it is used 

 as incense. Its chief shipping-port is Mazagan; a little is sent 

 from Mogador, but none from other ports. The Greatham 

 Hall, the vessel in which Dr. Leared embarked, took on board 

 25 serons of the gum at Mazagan for Gibraltar, where they were 

 to be reshipped for Alexandria. The shippers call it Fasoy. 



The facts I have narrated show that African ammoniacum is 

 still an object of commerce, and that it is consumed not only in 

 Morocco, but that it finds its way even to Egypt and Arabia. 

 It can hardly be doubted that this traffic is very ancient. Nor 

 is there, as it seems to me, any improbability in assuming that 

 the ammoniacum which the ancients describe as brought from 

 Libya (under which name the whole of Northern Africa west- 



