300 A Treatise on 
the Breath of Perfons who have eat it is infupport- 
able to them ; and its Tafte confequently in the 
higheft Degree naufeous. Others, notwithftanding, 
think it has an excellent Savour, and are always 
cramming it into their Viduals as a Seafoning : So 
certain it is that there is no difputing about Taftes. 
The prefent Age hath likewife feen the fame Incon- 
ftancy with Regard to Smells. The Compofitions 
fcented with Mufk, which were fo agreeable fifty 
Years ago, are now fo much negleded, that Per- 
haps Pofterity will be at a Lofs concerning the Na- 
ture of that Perfume *, fince they will probably find 
it difficult to reconcile its offenfive Smell with the 
Sweetnefs formerly afcribed to it. 
We are not to judge otherwife of the excellent 
Cyrenaick Silphium *, to which fome, without Doubt, 
have comparatively attributed a pleafant Tafte and 
Smell. Diofcorides fays the Cyrenaick Juice is lefs 
foetid than the Perfian ; but he does not abfolutely 
deny that it is foetid. He tells us that it only differs 
from the Perfian Juice in the Gentlenefs of its Smell, 
not infeding the Breath fo much, nor continuing fo 
long in the Mouth. 
Forafmuch therefore as it is now almoft univer- 
fally agreed, that Perfia is the native Soil of Lafer , 
and of AJfa Fcetida ; that the Ufe of this at prefent 
among the Indians is the fame with the Ufe of Lafer 
among the Ancients ; that their Efteem for it is the 
fame j that AJfa is at this Time prepared in Perfia 
entirely in the fame Manner, as the Juice of Sil- 
fbium was formerly *, and laftly, that the Juice of 
the Cyrenaick Silphium only differs from the Perfian 
in Mildnefs of Smell : We may certainly conclude 
that the Silphium , Lafer , and Succus Cyrenaicus of 
the Ancients, and the Affa Fcetida of our Shops, are 
not Juices of diftind; Kinds, but the fame, differing 
very little from each other. 
The 
I 
