69 
by historians to have encouraged learning, and to have 
introduced Grecian philosophy at his court. The trans- 
lations were made by the Physician Barzouyeh who had 
brought the original from India with other books, and 
who by more than one previous journey to that country, 
had acquired a knowledge of Sanscrit. He is stated parti- 
cularly, to have made two journeys, one for the purpose of 
procuring medicaments and herbs, and the other for 
obtaining specimens of the literature of the Hindoos. 
That commercial intercourse subsisted between India 
and the Babylonians and Assyrians, is generally admitted ; 
that in this the Persians subsequently participated, is 
well known, as well as that they invaded India, and held 
sovereignty over some of the north-western provinces. But 
that the Persians obtained any knowledge of the medicine 
of the Hindoos, when they first became acquainted with 
their literature, we are not informed. From a physician, 
however, visiting Hindoosthan to procure medicaments and 
books, we are assured that the former were then in high 
repute, and that their virtues had been described by the 
authors, or at least ascertained by the practitioners of 
medicine in India. Some therefore may have formed a 
portion of the trade which always subsisted between 
these countries, and of which Assafcetida, and perhaps 
some of the other foetid gum-resins, formed a part of the 
return which Persia made for the spices and aromatics of 
the East. 
That some of these did form articles of commerce in 
very ancient times, we know from the accounts of Greek 
and Roman writers ; that they were employed not only 
as condiments, but also as medicines, we likewise know 
from their being included in the most ancient lists of 
Materia Medica, with some, as Lycium indicum, which 
could only have been employed as medicines. These might 
