in a solution of gamboge and dragon’s blood, 
being afterwards treated with paraffin or stearie 
acid. All cheaper grades of meerschaum pipes, 
holders, etc., are made of this or similar com- 
pounds and it is very hard for the average 
smoker to distinguish them as the ordinary 
tests will not suffice. The absorption and color- 
ing qualities are about the same. Such imita- 
tions cost about half as much as the genuine 
article or even sometimes less. 
It should be added that the chips and dust re- 
sulting from the working of the genuine meer- 
schaum are bonded together with a solution and 
moulded and this is also sold as meerschaum. 
The number of genuine meerschaum pipes 
annually manufactured is probably much less 
than one-half a million, while there are probably 
three or four times as many imitations. 
Briar Roor 
As we have seen briar root is found to be the 
most suitable wood for pipe smoking. The 
word briar is not named from wild briar. The 
word is a corruption of the French name La 
Bruyére, meaning the heather shrub of that 
name which grows along the Mediterranean 
coast of France, Spain and neighboring coun- 
tries. It is the root of this shrub which is the 
substance used. The shrub is especially cul- 
158 
