326 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
the Sewage Question: from Mr. E.C.C. Stanford,—The Supply of Animal Food to Bri¬ 
tain : from Mr. W. L. Scott,—Specimens of the Barks of Holarrhena antidycenterica and 
Alstonia scholaris: presented by Dr. Forbes Watson,—Specimens of the Bark of the 
MessanaTree ( Albizzia anthelmintica, Brong.), an Abyssinian taenifuge ; also a specimen 
of Square Chinese Isinglass: Presented by Dr. Aquilla Smith,—Specimens of Rhizome 
and Leaves of Sarracenia purpurea: presented by Mr. F. H. Peck,—Specimens of Ca¬ 
liche, or Chili Nitre (Crude Nitrate of Sodium) : presented by Professor Attfield,—Two 
Seeds of Lucuma mcimmosa : presented by Mr. Morson,—A very fine living specimen of 
Ricinus communis, grown at Shepherd’s Bush : presented by Mr. A. Bird,—A very large 
specimen of English-grown Rhubarb : presented by Mr. P. Squire,—Stems and Roots of 
Cissampelos Pareira , collected in Jamaica: presented by Messrs. Allen and Hanbury,— 
Gum of Sterculia Tragacantha, from West Coast of Africa. Described in the ‘ Phar¬ 
maceutical Journal’ by Dr. Fliickiger: presented by Mr. D. Hanbury. 
The following papers were read :— 
HISTORICAL NOTES ON MANNA. 
By Daniel Hanbury, F.R.S. 
Whatever was the true nature of the substance provided for the suste¬ 
nance of the ancient Israelites and termed by them Manna, that name has in 
subsequent ages been used to designate certain saccharine exudations produced 
in hot countries upon the stems, branches or leaves of trees, shrubs, or her¬ 
baceous plants, belonging to various families. Thus in the peninsula of Sinai, 
a sweet substance called manna is exuded by a species of tamarisk ; in Persia, a 
manna is produced by a small, thorny, leguminous plant, known to botanists as 
Alhagi Maurorum ; and in Kurdistan, an evergreen-oak affords an analogous 
product. These substances have from a remote period been employed as food 
or medicine, and they are still found, though in small quantities in the bazaars 
of the East. The Cedar of Lebanon, the Larch, a Cistus , and certain Australian 
species of Eucalyptus likewise yield at certain seasons, saccharine exudations in 
more or less abundance ; and those derived from the cedar and larch have occa¬ 
sionally been collected for use. 
The manna of modern times is well known to have a very different origin, 
being a product obtained in considerable abundance from the stems and branches 
of a species of ash, cultivated in Calabria and Sicily. With this manna, Europe 
is w r holly supplied, and it likewise finds its way into the markets of the East. 
During some conversation last summer with my friend Dr. Fliickiger of 
Bern, he drew my attention to this curious fact,—that in the early history of 
Sicily, no mention is made of manna as a production of the island. This in¬ 
duced me to look around for further information, the result of which has been 
the collection of a few notes on the history of this drug, which seem of sufficient 
interest to be presented to the Pharmaceutical Society. 
In the first place, I must thank Colonel Yule, to whom I wrote thinking that 
his familiarity with historical research, and actual residence at Palermo, might 
enable him to impart some hints for my guidance. But he has been good 
enough to render me still greater service in furnishing extracts from several 
authors whose works I might otherwise have overlooked. 
With regard to manna which has fallen from the atmosphere, or as it is termed 
Meteoric Manna, the grand example is that described in the book of Exodus. 
Of this it may be safely affirmed, that accepting the Mosaic account as the sim¬ 
ple narrative of a real event, no phenomenon is known which is at all adequate 
to explain it. 
But there are other examples of meteoric manna which come fairly within 
the range of natural phenomena, and which it would be interesting to consider, 
did space permit. I may observe that the notion that manna is not the juice 
