Foreign Vegetables. 319 
Of folid Myrrh in Glebes the Ancients reckon up 
many Sorts. Among thefe the Troglodytica , fo 
called from the Country of the Troglodyte whence 
it was brought, is by Galen accounted the beft. 
The next was the Minncea , which was named from 
a Village belonging to the Minnei. This Sort 
however Diofcorides feems to difapprove •, unlefs, as 
fome Authors will have it, the Myrrha Aminea of 
Diofcorides be different from the Myrrha Minnea of 
Galen *, which is a Point not eafy to decide. 
We muff not omit what Galen relates concerning 
the Opocalpajum or Opocarpafum , which in his Time 
was often found mixed with Myrrh, and refembled 
the beft Sort fo nearly, that it could not be eafily 
diftinguifhed. It was a poifonous Juice, occafion- 
ing Sleep and fudden Suffocation. Galen tells us 
that he has feen many Perfons die, from unknow- 
ingly taking Myrrh in which there was a Mixture of 
Opocarpafum. Of what Plerb, Plant, or Tree, this 
Opocarpafum was the Juice, none of the Ancients 
have informed us, nor have any of the Moderns yet 
difcovered. 
Diofcorides fpeaks of a Sort of Myrrh termed 
Myrrha Bceotica , which was the Root of a certain 
Tree growing in Bceotia cut into Pieces. This is 
now an entire Stranger to us. 
But to return to the Myrrh of the Shops. Myrrha , 
Off. Diofc. M Hippoc. Ler , Mur, feu 
Mor , Arab. It is a gummo-refinous Juice, con- 
creted into brittle Glebes of different Magnitude, 
fometimes as large as a Filberd, fometimes larger ; 
of a yellow, reddifh, or ferruginous Colour, fome- 
what pellucid and fhining, and difcovering, when 
broken, white femi-circular Veins, or Spots, like 
thofe on the Nails of the Hand. It has a bitter, 
fubacrid Tafte, and aromatick, though naufeous ; 
a ftrong Smell, ftriking the Nofe when it is bruifed, 
and 
