Dr. RussEll’j Account 
ficians all of whom mention it as an important article in their 
Materia Medica; and, from what 1 could obferve in Syria, it 
ftill continues to be in much more general ufe in Turkey than 
in this part of India. 
To the Arabs and Turks it is known under the name of 
Tabafheer only ; at lead I never heard any other name given 
to it in Syria, nor even at Conftantinople ; under that name 
alfo it is mentioned by the Arabian writers. 
In this country, befides that of Tabafheer, which they had 
from the Perfians, it is known under feveral other names. 
Tn the Gentoo language it is called Vedroo-paloo, am oo- 
milk ; in the Malabar, Mungel Upoo , Salt of Bamboo ; and in 
the Warriar, Vedroo Carpooram, Bamboo Camphoi. 
Don Garzia dall’ Horto has long ago expofed a dangerous 
error, common to the old tranflators of the Arabian writers, 
refpeding this drug. In the Latin verfions of Rhazis and 
Avicenna, Tabafheer is conftantly rendered Spod.um; anc 
this interpretation has been adopted by mofl of the fubfequent 
tranflators of other Arabian medical writers. 
The late Mr. Channing, when engaged in the tranflation 
of Rhazis on the Small-pox, applied to me, then in Syria, 
for fuch information as I might be able to colled on the fub- 
ied of Tabafheer at Aleppo. I accordingly transmitted to him 
various fpecimens of the drug, together with feveral extrads 
relative to it, from books found in the Aleppo libraries. Some 
of thofe fpecimens differed confiderably from thofe now laid 
before the Society $ and, from what I have had occafion to ob- 
ferve during my refidence here, I am convinced, much of the 
drug commonly vended in Turkey is fiditious or adulterated. 
Having none of the Arabian medical writers at han , can 
not pretend to Arid accuracy ; but, to the belt of 
7 
