380 
VARIETIES. 
of which he immediately recognized galbanum, and his guides assured him, 
moreover, that galbanum is gathered from this plant. The author has not 
yet distinctly determined the plant. It appears to differ from Ferula eru- 
bescens (An/ialcs des Sciences, iii., Ser. 1844, p. 316) only by the absence of 
commissural vitas : but as neither Aucher-Eloy nor Kotschey, "who have 
both collected the Ferula erubescens, make any mention of its yielding 
galbanum, the author is in doubt whether his plant be the same, or a variety 
of it. Don's genus Galbanum (Trib. Sibrinae) and Lindley's Opaidia (Trib. 
Smyrnese) do not agree with the plant seen by Buhse, unless thatboth of these 
authors have made their descriptions from imperfect fruits, or that there ex- 
ist other plants which yield galbanum. The plant which Buhse describes 
is called, in some parts of Persia, KJiassuch (not Kasneh, which means 
Cichor. intybus, nor Gashnis, which is Coriand. sativum), and appears to 
be confined to certain districts of Persia. In the whole large district of the 
Elburs-chain, from the south-east angle to the south-west angle of the Cas- 
pian Sea, it is only found in the neighborhood of the Demawend ; but here 
at an elevation of from 4000 to 8000 feet, and even on the declivity of the 
top of the Demawend. It exists neither on the mountains of Talysch, nor 
in the districts of Caradagh and Tabris. It is said to re-appear on the 
Mount Alwend, near Hamadan, and in the neighborhood of the great salt- 
desert. Xear Hamadan Aucher-Eloy has gathered his Ferula erubescens, 
and this supports the supposition that the author's plant is the same. In 
the salt-desert itself Buhse did not meet with it again. The inhabitants 
of the Demawend collect the gum-resin, which issues spontaneously from 
the lower part of the stalk ; they do not make incisions in the plant ; but 
it is not at this place that- the galbanum is collected for commercial pur- 
poses. "When fresh, the gum-resin is white like milk, liquid, and somewhat 
glutinous. In the air it soon becomes yellow, elastic, and finally solid. 
The odor is rather strong, unpleasant, and similar to that of our commer- 
cial galbanum. — London Pharm. Journ., from Central Blait, iiir 1852, Xo. 
xiii. 
Improvement in the Quick Process for Manufacturing Vinegar. By Axtox 
Wimmer. — Instead of wood shavings, Wimmer employs in the manufacture 
of vinegar, pieces of charcoal of the size of a walnut, and which have been 
deprived of their saline matter by diluted muriatic acid, and afterwards 
washed with water. The charcoal effects the oxida'.ion of spirit of wine in 
a much shorter time than the wood, and is not so soon spoiled by the forma- 
tion of mother of vinegar. With charcoal, the operation can be performed, 
even on a very small scale, and vinegar may thus be prepared in glass 
bottles. — London Pharm. Journ., from Pharm. Central Blatt. 1852, Xo. xiv. 
