140 
A Treatise on 
Artic. II. 0/ Indian Leaf. 
Malabathrum et Folium Indum , Off. MaAa£a- 
G^ou (puAAov. MaAa£aQca, Diofc. et Gal. M &Ac&- 
^aG^ov ’Tehxoi/, ejufdem Gal. (puAAov TAxoV, Affluar* 
Malabathrum , Plin. Sadegi , Avicen. Famalapatra , 
Gtfrz. This Leaf is like that of the Cinnamon- 
Tree, from which it only differs in Tafte and 
Smell, being oblong, pointed, denfe and fmooth, 
with three Nerves running its whole Length from 
the Pedicle to the Point, and of a pleafant aroma- 
tick Smell, fomething like Cloves. 
It ought to be cholen frefh, of a thick firm 
Texture, large and entire, and not eafy to be 
broken into Bits. 
Concerning the Malabathrum of the Ancients Au- 
thors are of different Opinions, nor can we .be ab- 
solutely certain that our Indian Leaf is the fame. 
Diofcorides tells us Malabathrum floats upon Waters 
like the Lens paluftris , without Root *, but he has 
either tranfmitted Fables to us from Hearfay, or 
we are now entirely unacquainted with the Plant 
he fpeaks of. Pliny affeits that it is the Leaf of 
Nard,. which Notion Diofcorides had already reject- 
ed. Garcias , among the various Sentiments upon 
this Head, infers from the Similitude of Names, 
that the Indian Leaf of the Moderns and Malaba- 
thrum of the Ancients are one and the fame Thing : 
For by the Indians it is called Famalapatra *, whence 
he fuppofes MaA agaGgov is derived. And we are 
of his Opinion. 
The Tree which bears it is the Canella Sylveftris 
Malabariea , Raii lift. 1562. Katou-Karua , Hort. 
Malab. P. 5. 105. Canella arbor Sylvefiris , Mun- 
tingii : Tamalapatrum five Folium , C. B. P. 409. It 
grows in the mountainous Parts of Malabar . 
The 
