268 royle's manual of materia medica, etc. 
Arabs. The root of Silphion is described by Arrian as afford- 
ing food to herds of cattle on Paropamisus. 
Assafoetida is produced in the dry southern provinces of 
Persia, as in the mountains of Fars and of Beloochistan, but 
chiefly in Khorassan and Afghanistan ; likewise to the north 
of the Hindoo Khoosh range of mountains, where it was found 
by Burnes and also by Wood's expedition to the Oxus. Dr. 
Falconer found it in Astoie, introduced the plant into the 
Saharunpore Botanic Garden, as mentioned in the author's 
" Product. Resources of India," and has obtained from it a 
small quantity of Assafoetida. He also sent home numerous 
seeds, which were distributed from the India House to several 
gardens ; but the author has not heard whether any plants 
liave been produced from them. But he has no doubt that 
some of those which the author is informed by his friend Dr. 
Christison are still in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, were 
produced from these seeds, and not from those sent by Sir 
John M'Neill. The Assafoetida is conveyed on camels into 
India across both the Punjab and Bhawulpore, and is sold in 
large quantities at the Hurdwar Fair. It is also conveyed 
down the Indus and by the Persian Gulf to Bombay. 
Two or three kinds of Fruit called Seeds are met with, 
which are said to be those of the Assafoetida plant ; but there 
is no proof that more than one plant yields Assafoetida. Dr. 
Falconer, an excellent botanist, after examining the original 
specimens, considers the plant he saw in Astore to be the 
same as that figured by Kaempfer ; and Dr. G. Grant, who 
saw the plant at Syghan, says, as stated by Dr. Christison, 
that its roots, leaves, and flowering stem correspond on the 
whole with KaBmpfer's description, except that the root is 
deeply divided, like the outspread hand. The E. P. assign 
Ferula persica as probably yielding some Assafoetida. There 
is no doubt that its seed has been sent from the northwest of 
Persia as those of the Assafoetida plant : but there is no proof, 
nor indeed is it probable, that it yields any of the Assafoetida 
of commerce. The gum-resins of these Umbelliferas are too 
similar to each other, for any but experienced pharmacologists 
to determine between inferior Assafoetida and varieties of 
Sagapenum or other Gum-resins. 
As Dr. Falconer, the author's friend and successor 
as Superintendent of the East India Company's Bo- 
tanic Garden at Saharunpore, has had excellent oppor- 
tunities for examining the Assafoetida plant, both in its 
