318 \A Treatise oh 
Bdellium, has a more bitter Tafte, and a Jharper 
penetrating Smell. Langins and others, rejecting 
our Myrrh, fubftitute Benzoine for the Myrrh of 
the Ancients *, but in Benzoine, as Langius himfelf 
confefTes, the Bitternefs, which Biofcorides requires 
in Myrrh, is wanting. I therefore think, with J. 
Bauhine and others, that the true Myrrh is ftill 
brought to us, though often mixed with Gum. 
Nor is it any Argument to the contrary that the An- 
cients reckoned Myrrh among the more agreeable 
Aromaticks, or that they ufed it to give a Flavour 
to their molt precious Wines : For, as we have be- 
fore faid, there is no difputing about Taftes and 
Smells ; fmce the Inconftancy of Mankind is in no- 
thing more obfervable than in Refpedt of thefe. 
Two principal Kinds of Myrrh were diflinguifhed 
by the Ancients •, the liquid^ called S tafte y and the 
folid , which was brought to them in Glebes. Of 
the liquid Myrrh they moreover make two Sorts : 
The one was native, which either flowed of its 
own Accord from Trees before they were cut, to 
which, fays Pliny , none is preferable ; or it was ex- 
preffed from the frefh Glebes before they were dry, 
whilft their interior Subftance was liquid and oily. 
Such Glebes of frefh Myrrh are fometimes to be 
met with in our Shops, full of an oily Juice, to 
which alfo the Druggifts give the Name of S tafte. 
The other Sort was factitious. It was made by 
pounding frefh Myrrh with a fmall Quantity of Wa- 
ter, and then draining. This Preparation is now 
in Difufe, and generally unknown. Some affirm 
that the liquid Storax of the Shops is the Tear of 
the Tree which yields Myrrh, and that it was the 
S tafte of the Ancients. But this Opinion is very 
falfe : For liquid Storax, as we have made appear *, 
is quite different from Myrrh, being a Juice ob- 
tained by Codlion from the Bark of a Tree. 
* Mater, medic. Tom. II. p. 452. 
Of 
