Foreign Vegetables. 327 
In a chymical Amlyjis , two Pounds of the pureft 
Sagapenum yielded fix Ounces, three Drachms, and 
eighteen Grains of reddifh, acid Phlegm, of a por- 
raceous Smell, and a refinous Tade fomething like 
the Juniper *, three Ounces, two Drachms, and thirty 
fix Grains of acid Liquor, of a Saffron Colour, or 
brownifh ; one Ounce and one Drachm of alkaline 
urinous Liquor •, one Ounce, fix Drachms, and 
forty two Grains of Oil, which was tranfparent,* 
fluid, and green*, three Ounces, two Drachms, and 
forty two Grains of Oil, of an azure Colour ; three 
Ounces three Drachms of thicker Oil, of a brown 
Colour tending to Red. The black Mafs remaining 
in the Retort weighed eight Ounces and fixty fix 
Grains : Which being calcined for twenty Hours in 
a Crucible, left one Ounce, three Drachms, and 
thirty fix Grains of red Afhes. From thefe were 
got one Drachm and nine Grains of fixt neutral 
Salt. In Didillation the Lofs of Parts was eight 
Ounces, fix Drachms, and forty two Grains ; in 
Calcination fix Ounces, five Drachms, and thirty 
Grains. 
Sagapenum therefore confiflis of Sulphur, an acid 
and volatile urinous Salt, with a fmall Quantity of 
Earth. Thefe Principles conftitute a refinous and 
ammoniacal faline Compound. 
The Arabian Authors rank Sagapenum among 
Purgatives, though the Greeks have paffed this Qua- 
lity over in Silence. It has indeed a Virtue of mov- 
ing the Belly, but fo weak and inert, that it re- 
quires the Aflidance of fome other Cathartick. It 
mod powerfully opens, difeuffes, and attenuates, 
and is greatly deterfive. Hence it is commended 
in Affeflions of the Bread proceeding from thick 
Phlegm, in hard and callous Tumours, efpecially 
of nervous Parts, and in old Diforders of the Head ; 
in fhort, whenever thick and coagulated Humours 
Y 4 are 
