GISTAGEJS. 



337 



Very few species supply useful productions. The most celebrated 

 are those which secrete ladanum or labdanum, a resinous balsamic 

 substance, with strong odour, more or less like that of ambergris, 

 with a flavour slightly aromatic and bitter, much esteemed formerly 

 as stimulating, resolvent, anti-ulcerous, anti-catarrh al, and emmena- 

 gogue. It came originally from Candia or Crete, where it was 

 collected at first by combing the beard of the goats which browsed 

 on the leaves of the Cistuses, especially C. creticus 1 (fig. 344) ; it is 

 secreted by the hairs formed of numerous superposed cells, on the 

 surface of which it may be seen borne in the state of small fluid 

 drops. 2 It is now collected by passing over the Cistuses a kind of 

 instrument formed of leather thongs placed on the top of a common 

 handle, like the teeth of a rake or comb. 3 These thongs are after- 

 wards scraped with a knife, and the resin is enclosed in bladders, 

 where it increases in consistence. It often becomes pitchy, of a 

 dark brown ; gradually it loses its water, and becomes lighter, more 

 brittle, and greyish. It is rarely pure in commerce, but generally 

 adulterated with ordinary resin, or mixed with sand and earth, 4 

 which causes it to be only partly, instead of entirely, soluble in 

 alcohol. It is also almost disregarded now by doctors, although 

 formerly considered a powerful remedy, and is scarcely used except 

 by perfumers in the preparation of cosmetics. There is another 

 ladanum, which comes from Spain. It is said to be obtained by 

 boiling the principal parts of C. ladaniferusj' It is blackish like 

 pitch or storax. 6 The Heliantliemums, especially H. vulgare? are con- 

 sidered astringent and vulnerary. 



1 L., Spec, 737.— Jacq., Ic Ear., i. t, 95.— 

 DC, Prodr., i. 264, n. 6.— Nees, PI. Med., ii. 

 t. 426. — Mfiu. & Del., Diet. Mat. Med., ii. 

 299 ; iv. 17.— A. Rich., Mem., ed. 4, ii. 377, t. 

 79. — Guib., Drog. Sinvpl., ed. 6, iii. 6G6. — ■ 

 Lixol., Ft. Med., 131; Teg. Kingd., 350.— Rtiv., 

 in Fl. Med. du xix e Steele, i. 349, t. 33.— 

 Peeeira, Mem. Mat. Med., ed. 4, ii. p. i ; . 

 575.— Endl., Enchirid., 467. — ROSENTH., Syn. 

 PL Diaph., 655. — C. vulgaris Spach, in Ann. 

 Se. Nat., ser. 2, vi. 3fi8. 



. 2 Ung. & Kotsch., Die ins. Cypern, cap. vi. 

 Authors go so far as to think that it is the 

 Cistus which gave its name to the island of Cyprus 

 (ex anal., in Bull. Soc. Bot. de Fr., xii. Bib]., 35). 



:i T., Yoy. au Levant, i. 84. 



4 This must have been the case with that 

 analysed by Peeletier (in Bull. Pharm., iv. 

 503). 



VOL. IV. 



5 L., Spec, 737.— DC, Prodr., i. 266, n. 

 27. — Nees, loc. cit., t. 425. — Ladanium offi- 

 cinarum Spach, loc. cit., 367. — Ledon Clus., 

 Hist., i. 78, ic (ex DC). 



6 Guib., loc. cit. These are cited as pro- 

 ducing ladanum ; in Spain, C. cyprius Lajik., 

 laurifolius Ij., and Ledon Lamk. ; in Greece, 

 C. monspeliensis L. (fig. 345). Spiral ladanum, 

 or in tortis of the pharm., is generally all 

 adulterated. C. villosus L., which is used in 

 Greece in preparing infusions similar to tea, and 

 also as a drug, is the Cistus mas of the ancients. 

 (Their C.fcemina was C.saloifolius L.). 



1 Gj^rtn., Fruct., i. 371, t. 76. — Dvs., \ n 

 DC, Prodr., i. 280, n. 86.— Rosenth., op. cit., 

 657 (llerha HeUanlhcmi s. Chamaicysti vulgaris 

 Off.). — II. variabile Spach, loc cit., 362. — 

 IT. canadense Micnx., is employed as a depu- 

 rative and as anti-scrofulous. 



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