414 OLEACEiE. 



drug, but differs in its more uniform colour, and in being uncontaminated 

 with the slight impuj-ities, from which natural manna is never wholly 

 free. It differs also in that when broken, no crystals of mannite are to 

 be seen in the interstices of the pieces, and it wants the peculiar odour 

 and slightly bitter flavour of natural manna. If one part of it is boiled 

 with four of alcohol (OSSS), a viscid honey-like residue will be obtained, 

 whereas natural manna leaves undissolved a hard substance. Histed ^ 

 found it to afford about 40 per cent, of mannite, while fine manna 

 similarly treated yielded 70 per cent. 



Uses — A gentle laxative, much less frequently employed in this 

 country than formerly, but still largely consumed in South America. 

 Mannite, which possesses similar properties, is often prescribed in Italy. 



Other sorts of Manna. 



Various plants besides Fraxinus afford, under certain conditions, 

 saccharine exudations, some of which constituted the Oriental Manna 

 used in Europe in early times. So far as is known, they differ from 

 officinal manna in containing no mannite. 



Alhagi Manna ; Turanjahin (Arabic) ; is afforded by Alhagi 

 Canielorum Fisch, (Hedysarum Alhagi Pallas, non L.), a small spiny 

 plant of the order Legu7)iino8(B found in Persia, Afghanistan and 

 Beluchistan. It had already been noticed by Isztachri.^ Excellent 

 specimens of the manna, kindly obtained for us in the north-west of 

 India by Dr. E. Burton Brown and Mr. T. W. H. Tolbort, show it as a 

 substance in little roundish, hard, dry tears, varying from the size of a 

 mustard seed to that of a hemp-seed, of a light brown colour, agreeable 

 saccharine taste, and senna-like smell. The leaflets, spines and pods of 

 the plant, mixed with the grains of this manna, are characteristic and 

 easily recognizable. 



Villiers (1877) showed this manna to contain cane-sugar, a dextro- 

 gyrate glucose, and nielezitose (see further on: Brian^on manna, page 41G). 

 Ludwig^ had also found some dextrin and mucilage. 



Alhagi Manna is collected near Kandahar and Herat, where it is 

 found on the plants at the time of flowering. It is imported into India 

 from Kabul and Kandahar to the extent of about 25 niannds (2000 lb.) 

 annually ; its value is reckoned at 30 rupees per seci\ = 30s. per lb.* 



Gaz-anjahin (Arabic) ; Tamarisk Manna (in part) — In the 

 months of June and July, the shrubs of tamarisk {Ta.marix gullica 

 var. mannifera Ehrenb.) growing in the valleys of the peninsula of 

 Sinai, especially in the Wady es Sheikh, exude from their slender 

 branches, in consequence of the puncture of an insect (Coccus manni- 

 'parus Ehrenb.) little honey-like drops, which in the coolness of early 

 morning are found in a solid state. This substance is Tamarisk 

 Manna : it is collected by the Arabs, and by them sold to the monks 

 of St. Katharine, who dispose of it to the pilgrims visiting the convent. 



^ On artificial Flake Manna, in Pharm. * Stewart, Punjab Plants, Lahore (1869) 



Journ. xi. (1870) 629. p. 57 ; Davie.s, Report on the trade and 



^ Tchihatcheff, VAsie mineure, ii. (1856) resoitrces of the countries on the N. W. 



355. boundary of British India, Lahore, 1862. 



3 Archiv der Pharmacie, 19.3 (1870) 

 32-n52. 



