PLANTS. 279 



The whole plant, but especially the root, contains a 

 penetrative, subtile juice or gum. which smells like 

 garlic, and is used, with us, as medicine, but in the 

 East for various purposes. To collect the roots being 

 considered an object of some importance, those whose 

 business it is proceed as follows. A party, provided 

 with hooks, go forth and remove the earth from the 

 roots, leaving them bare, break off the stem, and lay 

 it with the leaves, over the roots, and press all down 

 with a stone. In a fortnight they return, in order to 

 collect the sap, which, the roots having now no leaves 

 to nourish, exudes from the upper end where it was 

 broken. The upper part of the root is now cut off, the 

 rich, white, cream-like sap flowing freely, is carefully 

 gathered in an earthen vessel : when it ceases to flow 

 any longer, the remaining portion of the root is covered 

 as before, until a further quantity of sap shall arise. 

 The odor of the fresh juice is so powerful that one 

 drachm of it is stronger than a hundred weight of the 

 dry gum. As the sap dries away, it thickens, and be- 

 comes of a reddish-yellow color ; is considered a valuable 

 drug, and much used in medicine, especially in such 

 cases where garlic would be employed. The ancient 

 Eomans were well acquainted with it by the name of 

 Sylphium ; used it for seasoning various cookeries, in 

 preference to garlic. Known also in the early days as 

 medicine, and in the present considered a specific in 

 nervous diseases. 



The Spotted Cowbane or Water Hemlock (Conium 

 maculatum), belongs in this place, but is described else- 

 where. See Poisonous Plants (Cryptogamiae), Class 

 24, L. 



Parsley (Apium petroselium) has a smooth, angular, 



