332 ^ Treatise on 
At prefent Aloes is mod commonly diftinguifiied 
in the Shops, from the Difference of its Subftance, 
into the Soccotrina , hepatica , and caballina , the Scc- 
cotrine , hepatick , and caballine or Horfe- Aloes : But 
this Diftindtion was unknown to the Ancients, who 
feem to have included the two former under one 
Name. For the hepatick Aloes named by the an- 
cient Greeks 'Httoct); and ’H7rali£*<ra, by the Barba- 
rians was termed Sycotina , from o-uxwto\, a Word 
ufed by the modern Greeks to fignify the Liver . But 
when the beft hepatick Aloes was brought from the 
I(land of Soceotora , it was then, inftead of Sycotina , 
called Sycotrina , and Soccotrina * •, by which we no 
longer underftand, as formerly, the hepatick , but 
only the pureft Aloes, of a reddifh brown, or yel- 
lowish Colour, clear, and pellucid •, whence it is 
alfo called Aloe lucida. It has a bitter, aftringent 
Tafte, fomewhat aromatick, and a Strong Smell, 
but not unpleafant. 
That which is now called hepatick Aloes is denfe, 
dry, opake, approaching to the Colour of the 
Liver, of a more bitter and aftringent Tafte, and 
ftronger Smell. 
Laftly, the caballine , which is the worft Sort, is 
heavy, denfe, black, full of Earth and Gravel, ex- 
tremely bitter and naufeous, and offenfive to the 
Smell. 
But we Shall here, with the more accurate Writers 
on Botany, after Commelinus , diftinguifh Aloes into 
the Soccotrine or finer, the common or inferior, and 
the feetid or caballine. Again, the common , and alfo 
th t foetid^ when pure, are called hepatick , and both 
likewife, when impure, are called caballine. 
The Soccotrine Aloes is very pure, bright, film- 
ing, fat, friable in the Winter, foftifh in the Sum- 
* Likewife Succotrina , and in the new Catalogue of the Col- 
lege, Socotorina Qr Socotorine Aloes. 
mer, 
