Foreign Vegetable si 271 
A r t 1 c. II. Of Gum Tragacanth. 
T ragacantha , T ragacanthum et Dragacanthum , Off. 
TgayMxwQa, Diofc. Chitica , Itica , Chaietk , Aleut ed, 
Alcbatad, Arab. This is a gummous Juice in 
long Threads, or Fillets, refembling fmall Worms 
varioufly contorted, or in femi-tranfparent white 
Grumes, though fometimes yellowilh, reddifh, or 
inclining to black. It is dry, yet fomewhat ad- 
hefive to the Touch, and without Tafte or Smell. 
It is brought from Candy , Greece , and Afta. It 
ought to be chofen in vermicular Pieces, white, 
like Iflng-Glafs, and free from any Mixture of 
Filth. When it has a Caft of red or black in its 
Colour, it is not fit for Ufe, except in forne 
Trades. 
It flows either fpontaneoufly or by Incifion from 
the Trunk and Branches of a low thorny Shrub, 
which is called ‘Tragacantha Cretica incana , fore 
parvo , lineis pur pur els ftriato^ Cor. I. R. H. 29. It 
grows in Candy , and many Parts of Afia . Tourne - 
fort found it growing very common about Mount 
Ida , where in the Month of not only the Vef- 
fels of the Bark, but the Pores of the Wood alfo, 
when the Branches are cut off, appear quite turgid 
with gummous Juice. When the woody Fibres 
are dried and contra&ed by the intenfe Heat of the 
Sun, they prefs with fo much Force upon the 
Juice, that it burfts the VefTels which contain it, and 
iffuing forth concretes into long vermicular Pieces, 
larger or fmaller, in Proportion to its Quantity and 
the Bignefs of the Wound. If the Bark of the 
Branches, which are often fpread abroad upon the 
Ground, be trod upon and bruifed, or torn by 
Beafts which feed on the Shrub, the Juice always 
flows more abundantly from thefe Parts. 
In 
