ASAFCETIDA  IN  AFFGHANIST  AN.  367 
tida  plant  in  external  appearance,  and  which  also,  like  it,  when 
wounded,  exude  a  milky  viscid  sap,  but  I  never  heard  that  the 
sap  of  these  plants  (also  gum  resins)  was  ever  collected  by  the 
natives,  thc*ugh  the  plants  were  very  abundant,  especially  on  the 
western  slopes  and  ranges  of  the  Sufaid  Koh. 
The  frail  vaginated  stem,  or  the  lower  cluster  of  sheathing 
leaves  (of  the  asafoetida  plant) — the  former  belonging  to  old 
plants,  and  the  latter  to  young  ones, — is  removed  at  its  junction 
with  the  root,  round  which  is  dug  a  small  trench  about  six  inches 
wide  and  as  many  deep.  Three  or  four  incisions  are  then  made 
around  the  head  of  the  root,  and  fresh  ones  are  repeated  at  inter- 
vals of  three  or  four  days ;  the  sap  continuing  to  exude  for  a 
week  or  fortnight,  according  to  the  calibre  of  the  root.  In  all 
cases  as  soon  as  the  incisions  are  made,  the  root  head  is  covered 
over  with  a  thick  bundle  of  dried  herbs  or  loose  stones,  as  a  pro- 
tection against  the  sun  ;  where  this  is  not  done  the  root  withers 
in  the  first  day,  and  little  or  no  juice  exudes.  The  quantity  of 
asafoetida  obtained  from  each  root  varies  from  a  few  ounces  to  a 
couple  of  pounds  weight,  according  to  the  size  of  the  roots,  some 
being  no  bigger  than  a  carrot,  whilst  others  attain  the  thickness 
of  a  man's  leg.  The  quality  of  the  gum  differs  much,  and  it  is 
always  adulterated  on  the  spot  by  the  collectors  before  it  enters 
the  market.  The  extent  of  adulteration  varies  from  one-fifth  to 
one-third,  wheat  or  barley-flour  or  powdered  gypsum  are  the 
usual  adulterants.  The  best  sort,  however,  which  is  obtained 
solely  from  the  leaf-bud  in  the  centre  of  the  root-head  of  the 
newly  sprouting  plant,  is  never  adulterated,  and  sells  at  a  much 
higher  price  than  the  other  kinds.  The  price  of  the  pure  drug 
at  Kandahar  varies  from  four  to  seven  Indian  rupees  per  "  man- 
i-tabriz  "  (about  3  lb.),  and  of  the  inferior  kinds  from  one  and  a 
half  to  three  and  a  half  rupees  per  "man."  The  asafoetida  is 
commonly  used  by  the  Mahometan  population  of  India  as  a  con- 
diment in  several  of  their  dishes,  and  especially  mixed  with 
"  dal."  It  is  not  an  article  of  general  consumption  in  Affghanis- 
tan,  though  often  prescribed  as  a  warm  remedy  for  cold  diseases 
by  the  native  physicians,  who  also  use  it  as  a  vermifuge.  The 
fresh  leaves  of  the  plant,  which  have  the  same  peculiar  odor  as 
its  secretion,  when  cooked,  are  commonly  used  as  an  article  of 
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