396 Account of the Acacia Arabica. [May, 



of the congelation is effected under the sun it is the best. The best method of 

 washing it is thus : Rub it well in water, and take that which gathers on the 

 surface and make lozenges of it. 



It is worthy of knowing that Aqaqia is a compound of two essences, Luteef 

 t- o ahI and Kuseef t__A£.uO the finer and the grosser particles ; the former 

 is burning, sharp, acrid, and penetrating (./AiVS c I tVl J ^s»- A^ , and the latter 



earthy, costive, and obstructive d^-.n^^aJ's^^^c^ . When Aqaqia is washed, the 



finer particles evaporate, and the grosser or earthy particles remain ; consequent- 

 ly on some occasions, such as inflammations, the unwashed is used, and on other 

 occasions, such as the diseases of the eye, the washed is used. 



Remarks. Egyptian thorn, Acacia, Mimosa Nilotica, exudes white Gum Ara- 

 bic. Juice of its pods is made into Acacia vera. 



Acacia. The juice expressed from the pods of Mimosa Nilotica, inspissated 

 to dryne-s. — Gray's Supplement to the Pharmacopeia, 



^^^••^ Sum ugh or Sumgh, Arabic; Fooqeemunoon, Greek; Qamooz, 

 Syriac ; Deenoon, Roomee ; Ard, Persian ; Uzdo, Sheerazee ; Gond, 

 Hindi ; Gum, English. 



A fluid matter which exudes from the body of certain trees, and concretes and 

 dries up. The gum of each plant is described under that plant. By the word 



*■*•-* Gum without any epithet is meant Gum Arabic, which is obtained from the 

 Oommegheelan (Moogheelan) plant. The best is of a light yellow color, clear, 

 transparent and bright Q T.' L *i tt -^ L * , an ^ w hen put in water and allowed 

 to rest in it for some time, it will not swell but completely dissolve, leaving no 

 residuum whatever ; a piece held in the mouth produces the same effect as the 

 above. 



Character. Hot in a temperate degree, and dry in the 2nd degree. Jaleenooi 

 (Galen) says, hot in the 2nd degree. 



Medical properties. It is viscous and demulcent JudL* i. e. soothing the 



chest, and is binding ^_^ajU>, It (gives tone) strengthens the stomach and the in- 

 testines and preserves the bones ; prevents defluxion on the chest, cough, &■>.**> 

 and excoriation of the lungs, or peripnuemony ^._.-J and harshness or sore- 

 ness of the throat •ii^C^t*""^* aud the windpipe &Xw.AA% Ax^i f 

 it clears the voice, and prevents the determination of morbid humours to the 

 chest *JLx*»<»Jj£l.Jt^)yci— ->v.A«ail. If a piece of it be held in the mouth and 

 suffered to dissolve gradually, or if it be taken in pills, or some proper medicines 

 it assists expectoration ^£^xJ. From 2 to 3 misqals, it is efficacious in diarrhoea 

 and abrasion of the intestines. Fried in oil of roses, it is good for sanguinary 

 discharges from all parts of the body, excepting from the womb, and in piles 

 j.X*wL->, It stops diarrhoea. If 1 misqal of the gum, well ground and mixed in 1 



ougeah of fresh cow's butter, be taken daily for three or seven days it will effectually 

 stop flow of blood from the mouth, the chest, the lungs tl) > and from all other 



