OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 



535 



tants of Britain as painting their bodies, and possessing a peculiar breed of dogs "agasseos." He 

 had also seen a living giraffe, as appears from the details of his description. 



"212, February" (Dio, and Clint), Geta put to death by his brother Caracalla. Also many 

 others, including the jurist Papinianus who had been prefect of Britain, and Serenus Sammonicus 

 (Sm. biog. diet). 



"The same year" = "40th after the rise of the Montanists" (Euseb., and Clint.), Apollonius 

 writing against Montanus and his Sect. 



"214 A. D." (Spartian., and Clint.), from Gaul, invasion of the Alamanni by Caracalla; who next 

 proceeded to Dacia, and Thrace, and wintered in Nicomedia. 



" The same year " (Euseb., and Clint.) Narcissus succeeded by the bishop of Cappadocia Alex- 

 ander, now thirty-first bishop of Jerusalem. 



Jasminum officinale of the mountains of Yemen. Called in Britain jasmine (Cowper) or jessamine 

 or jessamy or jesse, in Spain and France " jasmin," in Italy "gesmino," in Armenia "jasamun," in 

 Persia "jasemin" (Prior), in Yemen " sass " or "kcejan," in Egypt " kajan " or "jasmin" (Forsk.), in 

 which we recognize the Egyptian or Coptic A CM I — (referred here by Kircher p. 179), and the 

 "iasme " of the Persians, according to Aetius i. a fragrant ointment made of flowers : the "yasmin " 

 is mentioned by Ishak ben Amran, I. ben Masah, Rhazes, Mosih ben Elhakam, S. E. Hasan, and Ebn 

 Baitar : J. officinale was observed by Forskal, and Delile, in the gardens of Egypt ; and by Forskal, 

 wild among the mountains of Yemen. Farther North, was observed by Forskal much cultivated at 

 Constantinople for its flowers and the ointment prepared from them ; is described by Blackwell pi. 13 ; 

 is well known in the gardens of Western Europe as far as Britain, and escaping from cultivation has 

 been sometimes found growing spontaneously (Pers., and A. Dec). Eastward from Arabia, is called 

 in Hindustanee "yasmin," in Bengalee "mallika" or " beli pushpa"(D'roz ) ; and was observed by 

 Graham "in gardens" at'Bombay. 



Jasminum grandifloritm, regarded by Graham as perhaps not distinct, and in the environs of 

 Bombay called " chumbelly " and " jatee jai : " the fragrant " djatika " or " djatya " is mentioned in the 

 Saddharma pundarika (Burn. ii. 218 to 415), and the "jati " or "sumana" or "sukumara" of Susrutas 

 i. 25 to iv. 20, is referred here by Hessler : J. grandiflorum was observed in Hindustan by Rheede vi. 

 pi. 52, and Roxburgh ; by Graham, "in gardens everywhere," its flowers "peculiarly sweet-scented," 

 and distinguished by residents as the Catalouian or Spanish jasmine. Farther East, is enumerated 

 by Mason as "exotic " in Burmah and called "myat-las." Westward, was observed by Delile in the 

 gardens of Egypt; is described by Miller diet. 4, and Aiton kew. i. p. 10. By European colonists, was 

 carried to Tropical America, where it was observed in Surinam by Merian pi. 46 (Pers.). 



"215 A. D." (coins,*Dio, and Clint.), leaving Nicomedia, Caracalla proceeded to Antioch, and 

 for the second time to Alexandria in Egypt. At Rome, building of the "baths of Caracalla." 



As early possibly as this date, cutting through the air-tube of the throat, tracheotomy, in extreme 

 cases of difficult respiration practised by Asclepiades : — directions for even a timid operator, are 

 given by Antyllus (Paul. Aegin. vi. 33, and Cockayne). 



"217, April 8th" (Dio, and Clint.), Caracalla slain near Edessa. And "on the fourth day" after- 

 wards, accession of Macrinus, twenty-second Roman emperor. The name of Macrinus occurs on 

 coins issued in Egypt. 



" The same year" (Dio, and Clint.), invasion of Mesopotamia by the Parthians under Artabanus, 

 and peace purchased by Macrinus. Who concealed some of the facts from the Senate. 



" In the third century and under the Han" (Humb. cosm. ii), the Chinese writer Hiu-chin com- 

 posing his dictionary. 



"218, June 8th" (Dio, and Clint.), Macrinus succeeded by Elagabalus, twenty-third Roman 

 emperor. The name of Elagabalus occurs on coins issued in Egypt. 



Ranunculus muricatus of the Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece " sphourthSkokula " 

 (Sibth.) or " sphourthakla " (Fraas) ; and the A I MN H C T HN or AlMNHCION enumerated by 

 Anthyllus among acrid plants mixed in acrid liniments — (Oribas. vi. 6 and x. 13) may be compared.: 

 R. muricatus is described by Alpinus exot. pi. 262 ; was observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, 

 frequent about gardens and in moist and watery places from the Peloponnesus throughout Greece. 

 Westward, is termed " r. palustris echinatus " by Tournefort inst. 286 ; was observed by Desfontaines 

 in Barbary ; and is known to grow in various parts of Southern Europe (Pers.). By European col- 

 onists, was carried to Madeira (herb. A. N. S.) ; to Northeast America, where it continues in culti- 

 vated ground from Virginia to Charleston (Mx., Pursh, and Ell.) and New Orleans (H. Little, and 

 Drumm.) ; also to Buenos Ayres, Tucuman, and Valparaiso (Dec, and Hook.). 



"219 A. D." (Lamprid., and Clint.), arrival of Elagabalus from Nicomedia; and a temple with 

 an imao-e erected by him in Rome, where he wished to be worshipped as the principal deity. 



" 220 A. D. = epoch of the San-koue," or of the Three kingdoms, Han of Chou, Wei, and Ou, 

 having its seat of government at Khian-khang : — the city afterwards called Nan-king (Pauth ). 



