100 SYLVA FLORIFERA. 



manna was in the most repute, but now it 

 gives way to the Calabrian. 



Fuchsius observes, that the peasants of 

 Mount Libanus eat manna ordinarily, as others 

 do honey, whilst at Mexico they are said to 

 have a manna, which they eat as we do cheese ; 

 thus we observe it differs in its qualities ac- 

 cording to the climate and the vegetables 

 from which it is distilled, and what in one 

 country would afford a nutritive substance to 

 its inhabitants, would prove a medicine when 

 obtained from other plants in a different cli- 

 mate, and taken by a people of different 

 habits. 



Physicians are better agreed as to the vir- 

 tues of this drug, which they originally learnt 

 from the Arabians, than etymologists are to 

 the origin of its name, as some state that it is 

 either from the Hebrew word manah, a gift, 

 to intimate its being a gift from heaven ; or 

 from minnah, which signifies to prepare, be- 

 cause the mannah came to them ready for 

 eating, and needed no preparation but gather- 

 ing ; or as some suppose from the Egyptian 

 word man, (what is it ?) which seems the more 

 probable, in regard the Scripture takes 

 notice of the surprise they were under when 

 they first saw this new food descend. 



