188 
Drugs  of  the  Cairo  Bazaan 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I      April,  1889. 
These  were  not  incised,  but  had  been  freed  from  seeds,  which  are  used 
separately  as  food. 
Soap  root  is  much  used  for  cleaning  silks  and  other  fabrics.  It  is 
not  collected  in  Egypt,  but  is  principally  imported  from  Syria,  where, 
I  was  informed  by  Said  Gawadd,  a  Syrian  pharmacist,  it  grows 
abundantly.  There  appears  to  be  more  than  one  kind  of  it  in  use. 
One  is  said  to  be  obtained  from  Gypsophila  Struthium,  and  to  contain 
saponin,  but  Mr.  Holmes  thinks,  from  the  appearance  of  the  starch, 
that  the  sample  of  root  which  I  exhibit,  is  obtained  from  some  leg- 
uminous plant.  It  is  very  mucilaginous,  but  appears  to  contain 
little  saponin. 
I  noticed  in  one  part  of  the  bazaar,  a  row  of  deep  narrow  granite 
mortars  fixed  in  front  of  the  shop,  and  on  one  occasion  two  Arabs 
were  powdering  some  soap  root,  with  iron  pestles  a  little  more  pointed 
than  those  in  use  with  us,  pounding  alternately  in  the  same  mortar, 
like  a  couple  of  blacksmiths.  An  array  of  primitive  sieves  was  seen 
in  the  interior. 
I  exhibit  some  roots,  one  end  of  which  is  made  fibrous,  to  serve  the 
purpose  of  a  toothbrush.  These  are  the  roots  of  Capparis  Sodada. 
They  are  used  like  the  Jamaica  chewsticks.  They  have  a  slightly 
salt  and  agreeable  flavor. 
I  noticed  that  styrax  bark,  from  Liquidambar  orientale,  was  fre- 
quently exposed  for  sale;  it  is  in  small  agglomerated  pieces  of  a  red- 
dish-brown color,  and  is  mentioned  by  Hanbury  under  the  name  of 
Cortex  Thymiamatis.  It  has  an  agreeable  odor,  and  is  used  for  burn- 
ing as  a  perfume.  It  is  from  this  bark  that  the  liquid  styrax  has  been 
pressed. 
From  a  dealer  in  perfumes  I  bought  some  incense  sticks,  which  are 
about  4  to  6  inches  in  length  and  three-eights  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
The  burning  material  is  rolled  around  a  fine  wooden  spill,  like  the 
wick  of  a  candle.  Their  composition  is  similar  to  that  of  our  fumi- 
gating pastilles,  and  apparently  includes  styrax  and  cascarilla  barks. 
I  also  obtained  from  him  some  perfume  tablets  for  burning,  which  he 
much  prized.  They  are  gilded,  and  contain  much  resin,  probably 
mastiche,  frankincense  and  styrax.  He  also  supplied  me  with  a  little 
mastiche  for  burning,  some  cascarilla  bark,  and  a  resinous  substance 
which  he  valued  highly,  it  having  been  brought  from  Mecca.  This, 
on  comparison  with  a  specimen  in  the  Museum,  proves  to  be  Palem- 
bang  benzoin . 
