CISTACEX. 337 
Very few species supply useful productions. The most celebrated 
are those which secrete /adanum 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-catarrhal, 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' (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.’ 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.® 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,‘ 
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. /adaniferus. Vt is blackish like 
pitch or storax.’ The Helianthemums, especially 77. vulgare,’ are con- 
sidered astringent and vulnerary. 

5 L., Spec., 737.—DC., Prodr., i. 266, n. 
27.—Nets, loc. cit., t. 425.—Ladanium offi- 
cinarum Spacu, loc. cit., 367 —Ledon CLüs., 
Hist., i. 78, ie (ex DC.). 
6 Guts., loc. cit. These are cited as pro- 
ducing ladanum; in Spain, © cyprius Law, 
1 L., Spec., 737.—JACQ., Ic. Rar., i. t. 95.— 
DC., Prodr., i. 264, n. 6.—Nxes, Pl. Med., ii. 
t. 426.—Mér. & Dex, Dict. Mat. Med., ii. 
iv. 17.—A. Ricu., Ælém., éd. 4, ii. 377, t. 
79.—Guis., Drog. Simpl., éd. 6, iii. 666. — 
Linpt., F0, Med., 131; Veg. Kingd., 350.—R£V., 

in Fl. Méd. du xix Siècle, i, 349, t. 33.— 
PEREIRA, Elem. Mat. Med., ed. 4, ii. p. ii. 
575.—ENDL., Enchirid., 467.—-ROSENTH., Syn. 
Pl. Diaph., 655.—C. vulgaris SPACH, in Ann. 
Se. Nat., sér. 2, vi. 368. 
? Une. & Korscx., 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, Bibl., 35). 
3 T., Voy. au Levant, i, 84. 
4 This must have been the case with that 
analysed by Perxerier (in Bull. Pharm., iv. 
503). 
VOL. IV. 
laurifolius L., and Ledon Lamx.; in Grerce, 
C. monspeliensis Li. (fig. 345). Spiral ladanum, 
or im tortis of the pharm., is generally all 
adulterated. CC. villosus L., which is used in 
Greece in preparing infusions similar to tea, and 
also as a drug, is the C/stus mas of the ancients. 
(Their C. femina was C. saivifolius L.). 
7 Gertn., Fruct., i. 371, t. 76.—Dun., in 
DC., Prodr., i. 250, n. 86.—Rosenru., op. cit., 
657 (Herba Helianthemi s, Chamecysti vulgaris 
Off.) —H. variabile Spacu, loc. cit, 362 — 
H. canadense Micux., is employed as a depu- 
rative and as anti-sciofulous, 
Z 
