AsepH;r873RM*}  Date  Tree  and  its  Products.  407 
that  the  date  tree  is  valued ;  all  its  parts  are  utilised  and  of  great 
service.  Thus  the  trunk,  in  Arabic  Guishe,  is  the  wood,  which,  after 
having  been  split  in  two  parts,  is  employed  for  the  different  wants  of 
agriculture,  and  is  used  for  beams  in  the  construction  of  houses.  The 
branches  (Dierid),  or  rather  the  leaf  stalks,  are  also  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  houses,  by  placing  them  above  the  beams  as  joists.  A 
large  quantity  of  useful  and  cheap  articles  are  also  made  of  them, 
such  as  cages  for  poultry,  beds,  chairs,  supports  for  divans,  seats, 
bars,  baskets,  provision  chests,  etc.  The  large  extremity  of  the  pe- 
tioles (Taraf-el-Orsoum)  is  fibrous,  and  is  used,  after  beating  out  the 
fibres,  for  brooms,  etc.  The  leaflets  or  folioles  (Khou)  are  used  for 
making  mats  and  baskets  for  domestic  use  ;  fly  flappers  are  also  made 
from  it,  which,  in  Europe,  are  articles  of  great  curiosity.  The  mem- 
braneous sheaths  of  the  base  of  the  leaves,  formed  by  a  network  of 
several  layers  of  crossed  fibres  (lijf),  are  sufficiently  strong  to  make 
ropes  of,  which  are  used  for  agricultural  and  traction  purposes.  The 
fibrous  stalks  or  peduncles  are  also  used  for  rope-making.  The  fruit 
(balah  or  tamr)  is  not  only  used  for  food  ;  by  compression  a  syrup  or 
molasses  is  extracted,  which  is  largely  consumed.  In  the  dry  state 
dates,  by  reason  of  their  mucilage,  are  mixed  with  other  fruits,  such 
as  jujubes,  figs,  raisins,  known  in  pharmacy  under  the  name  of  bechic 
or  pectoral  fruits,  and  from  these  several  very  useful  drinks  are  made 
for  affections  of  the  chest.  The  chemical  composition  of  dates  is  the 
same  in  all  varieties,  but  the  proportions  vary  greatly.  The  compo- 
nent parts  are  as  follows  : — Water,  mucilage,  gum,  vegetable  albu- 
men, crystallizable  sugar,  uncrystallizable  sugar,  parenchyma,  cel- 
lulose, and  mineral  salts.  Coumarin  (C18  H6  04)  is  also  found  in 
them ;  it  is  a  neutral  crystalline  principle  of  an  agreeable  aromatic 
odor,  which  is  also  found  in  the  Melilot  and  principally  in  the  Ton- 
quin  bean,  or  seed  of  the  Coumarouna  odorata,  which  is  found  in 
Guiana.  In  Egypt  dry  dates  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  alcohol. 
Those  called  "  Ibrim"  of  Lower  Nubia  are  preferred.  After  having 
removed  the  stones,  the  fruit  is  mashed  and  steeped  in  twice  its  weight 
of  water  at  a  temperature  of  25°  to  30°  Centig.,  until  fermentation 
has  well  set  in.  The  fermented  liquid  is  then  distilled,  and  yields 
weak  alcohol  of  an  empyreumatic  odor,  caused  by  an  oily  principle 
found  on  the  surface  of  the  residue  of  distillation.  By  purification 
of  the  distilled  product,  an  alcohol  is  obtained  of  from  46°  to  50° 
Oentig.,  of  which  large  quantities  are  consumed,  after  some  gum 
