Foreign Vegetables. 297 
Nonnullor. Lafer et Laferpitium , Plin. et Latinor. Al - 
tbit, Avicen. Lxo^oAaVc^oi/, Quorumd. recentior . Grx- 
cor . Hing , Perfar. et Indor . Stercus Diabolic Non - 
ntdlor. It is a Gum-Refin of a compad: Subftance, 
when frefh foft and dudile like Wax, in large 
Glebes compofed of various fhining Grumes, partly 
whitifh or yellowilh, and partly reddifh, of a flefhy 
Colour, or tending to that of a Violet *, of a foe- 
tid Smell, like Garlick, but ftronger *, and a bitter, 
acrid, biting Tafte. In the Shops we meet with 
two Sorts : One impure and foul *, another pure, 
of a clear reddifh Colour, and variegated with a 
great Number of elegant white Tears. It comes 
to us from Perfia and the Eaft Indies. It ought to 
be chofen of a ftrong foetid Smell, not too fat, and 
full of Tears. When it is old, unduous, black, 
opake, or mixed with Sand, Pieces of Bark, &V, 
it muft be rejedied. 
This Juice was very famous amongft the An- 
cients, not only for itsUfe in Medicine, but alfo in 
Sauces. They diftinguifhed two Sorts of it with 
Refped to the Places where it was produced : The 
| one was called the Cyrenaick Juice, being collected 
in Cyrenaica , a Province of Africa ; and this was 
the more valuable : The other was called the Median 
or Perfian Juice, becaufe it was brought to them 
from Media and Perfia 5 but this Sort was more 
common, and cheaper. The Cyrenaick , according 
to Diofcorid^s , had a ftrong Smell of Myrrh ; and 
the Perfian Was more foetid, fomething like a Leek 
or Onion ; whence it was named S cor dolaf arum. Its 
Smell was not much unlike that of Sagapenum ; for 
JDi of cor ides fays, that the Smell of Sagapenum is be- 
tween the Smell of Silphium and Galbanum , and that 
Silphium is often adulterated with Sagapenum . There- 
fore, the principal Difference between the Cyrenaick 
Juice and the Perfian confifted in the Smell, which 
was more agreeable in the former. 
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