352 THE WOKLD OF LIFE 



of our ever-growing civilisation, whicli have little or no re- 

 lation to the animal world Avhich grew up in dependence on 

 it. Leaving out of consideration the vast number of fruits, 

 and cereals, and vegetables which supply him with varieties 

 of food, which may be of more importance to man in the 

 future than thev are now, let us take first the innumerable 

 drugs which enable him to avoid some of the evils brought 

 upon himself by his ignorance, his dissipations, or his wilful 

 neglect. The pharmacopeias of every country and every age 

 are crowded with the names of herbs and simples used with 

 more or less success as remedies for the various diseases man 

 was supposed to be heir to, and if many of these were alto- 

 gether imaginary, very large numbers still hold their place as 

 of real and often of inestimable value. To name onlv a few 

 of the best known, we could hardly dispense with such 

 common drugs as aloes, arnica, belladonna, calendula, cascara, 

 gentian, jalap, ipecacuanha, nux vomica, opium, podopholin, 

 quinine, rhubarb, sarsaparilla, and a host of others. 



To these we mav add the various '' balsams " so much used 

 in ancient surgery — balm of Gilead, friar's balsam, balsam 

 of Peru, benzoin, camphor, etc. 



Then there are the ordinary resins and gums so useful in 

 the arts — copal, dammar, mastic, kauri, gum-arabic, traga- 

 canth, asafoedita, gamboge, etc. 



Among the numerous dyes are amatto. Brazil-wood, log- 

 wood, camwood, fustic, indigo, madder, turmeric, and woad. 



Vegetable oils, used for cooking, lighting, perfumes, 

 medicines, etc., are very numerous. Such are candle-nut, 

 castor oil, coco-nut oil, colza oil, olive oil, cotton seed, 

 linseed, and rape-seed oils, cajeput oil, and innumerable others 

 in every part of the world, known or yet to be discovered. 



Perfumes and spices are also extremely abundant, such as 

 caraways, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmegs, patchouli, pepper- 

 mint, orris-root, sandal wood, sassafras, tonquinbeans, vanilla, 

 and the many essential oils from highly perfumed fruits and 

 flowers. 



