94 ACACIA SENEGAL 



gum is collected in, and none appears to be exported from, 

 Arabia. 



This gum, which is the best of all the kinds and the only one 

 that should be used for medicinal purposes, either occurs in 

 spherical or ovoid tears or masses, which vary in size from that of 

 a pea to a walnut ; or in fragments of tears. When entire the 

 tears are usually rounded on their surface, and more or less 

 opaque in appearance from the presence of numerous cracks 

 extending into their substance ; but when in fragments, the 

 pieces are angular, and have a glistening character. The pre- 

 sence of these cracks makes the gum very brittle, so that it is 

 readily broken into small fragments ; the fractured surfaces pre- 

 senting a vitreous appearance. The finest pieces are colourless 

 or nearly so, and without odour, but with a bland mucilaginous 

 taste. When of inferior quality this gum has a brownish, yellowish- 

 brown, or reddish-brown colour. 



2. Senegal Gum. This kind of gum, like that of Kordofan 

 gum, is the produce of Acacia Senegal. But little of it comes to 

 England, although, as already stated, it is largely imported into 

 France from Senegal. It usually occurs in larger pieces than those 

 of Turkey gum, being sometimes as large as a hen's egg or even a 

 man's fist ; and although we occasionally find pieces of a whitish 

 colour, they are for the most part yellow, reddish-yellow, or 

 brownish-red. The masses are also less brittle than the pieces 

 of Kordofan gum, as the numerous cracks seen in the latter are 

 nearly absent in Senegal gum ; their fracture is also more 

 conchoidal, and we frequently find large air cavities in their 

 centre. 



3. SuaUn Gum, Talca or Talha fern. This gum, according to 

 Fliickiger and Hanbury, is yielded by Acacia stenocarpa, Hochst, 

 and A. Seyal, Delile, var. Fistula. It is a very brittle gum, 

 and hence although entire pieces are sometimes to be met with 

 which are permeated in all directions by minute cracks, it is 

 commonly seen in the market broken np into small fragments of a 

 whitish, brownish, or reddish-brown colour. It is a very inferior 

 variety of gum. 



