328 



MEDICAL BOTANY. 



N. assafoetida. 



1—4. Mericarps of natural size, a Dorsum, b. Commissure. 5. 

 Mericarps in Kgernpfer's herbarium, dorsal aspect. 6. Transverse 

 section of enlarged mericarp. 7. Seed, natural size. 8. Petals of 

 barren flowers, enlarged. 



fertile ones ; this Dr. Fal- 

 coner accounts for by the 

 admission of Ksempfer, 

 that he never saw the 

 plant in flower ; and if 

 the description was made 

 from the ripe state of it, 

 it is perfectly applicable, 

 as the partial umbels at 

 times, sometimes have 

 only seven fruit-bearing 

 stalks. Another discre- 

 pancy is, that Kaempfer 

 states that the leaves ap- 

 pear in the autumn, and 

 vegetate during the win- 

 ter, whilst Dr. Falconer 

 says that in his Astore 

 plant, they make their 

 appearance in the spring. 

 The differences presented 

 by the mericarps are 

 dwelt on at some length 

 by Dr. Falconer (Royle, 409), but he admits that the only two of Ksempfer's 

 species preserved in the herbarium, are so damaged, that their vittoe cannot 

 be distinctly made out, and do not agree with the description of them, which 

 is " quadratenus pilosum sive asperum," whereas they are perfectly smooth. 

 It may therefore be fairly assumed that these plants are identical, the differ- 

 ences between them being such only as might arise from locality, age of spe- 

 cimens, &c. 



The concurrent evidence of Ksempfer, Sir Alex. Burnes, M. Bellange, Dr. 

 Falconer, and others, prove that this is the plant which furnishes much of the 

 Assafoetida of commerce, all of which is originally derived from the countries 

 of which it is a native. At the same time it is not certain that it is the sole 

 origin of that drug. As heretofore stated, seeds of Ferula persica were sent 

 to Europe by Michaux, as those of the plant from which it was obtained. 

 Dr. Falconer also states that he examined the fruit of another umbelliferous 

 plant in the collection of Dr. Royle, labelled as the seed of the wild assa- 

 foetida plant, sent by Sir J. Macneil, from Persia, and found that it differed 

 widely both from that of Narthex and Ferula, and belonged to another tribe 

 of the order. 



Assafoetida was early known and used in the East, but it is very uncertain 

 when it became known to the Greeks and Romans. Sprengel says that the 

 first notice of it was by Aristoeus, about 617, B. C. It appears that a fetid 

 gum was known and esteemed by these nations, which was called by the first 

 ottos' xupyjvctfxos, or Cyrenaic juice, and by the Romans Laser. This was sup- 

 posed to be the product of a plant called Silpliion^ which grew about Cyrene, 

 and which is represented on many of their coins, mirrors, &c. (See Thap- 

 sia.) In consequence of this gum becoming scarce, others of a similar 

 character were substituted for it, and both Pliny and Dioscorides mention a 

 kind of Laser that came from Persia and other Eastern countries. This, 

 which was probably assafoetida, was not as much esteemed as the Cyrenian 

 gum, but was in general use as a substitute for it. At a later period, Avi- 

 cenna describes it under the name of Hulteet, and says there are two kinds, 



