ON  TRAGACANTH  AND  ITS  ADULTERATION. 
425 
A  third  sifting  takes  place  with  a  still  finer  sieve.  The  gum 
which  passes  through  is  termed  Sesame  Seed,  and  the  coarser 
which  remains  upon  the  sieve,  Vermicelli.  Both  qualities  are 
carefully  picked  by  women.  When  cleaned,  the  Sesame  Seed  is 
again  sifted  with  an  extremely  fine  sieve  ;  and  the  dust  and 
minute  particles  sifted  out,  are  added  to  the  sorts  or  common 
gum.  The  Vermicelli  and  Sesame  Seed  are  then  mixed  together. 
This  mixture  forms  the  Vermicelli  TragacantTi  of  commerce.* 
When  the  gums  are  intended  for  the  French  market,  the  fine 
white  leaf  only  is  shipped  ;  the  vermicelli  is  sold  for  Trieste,  and 
the  discolored  leaf  and  sorts  for  England. 
If,  however,  the  whole  parcel  be  worked  for  England  and  be 
required  good,  then  the  French  and  English  qualities  are  mixed, 
and  the  brown  leaf  which  had  been  left  in  the  sorts  is  also  picked 
out  and  added.  By  so  doing  the  value  of  the  common  or  sorts  is 
reduced. 
I  believe  it  is  supposed  that  more  than  one  plant  produces  the 
gum  Tragacanth  of  commerce.  For  this  there  is  some  founda- 
tion. In  fact,  very  little  gum  Tragacanth  is  shipped  to  England 
in  the  state  above  described.  In  order  to  explain  this,  I  must 
begin  by  stating  that  besides  the  real  gum  tragacanth  of  Anatolia, 
there  are  two  other  kinds  of  gum  collected  in  Armenia  and 
Caramania  from  various  trees,  principally  (as  I  am  informed) 
*  The  various  sittings  and  pickings  to  which  gum  Tragacanth 
thus  explained : — 
'  Bold  white  leaf 
gum,  called 
French  Quality, 
is  picked  out 
subjected  at  Smyrna,  may  be 
Rough  Gum 
Tragacanth, 
as  pur-  -{ 
chased  of 
the  peasants 
Residue  is  sifted 
through  a 
I    coarse  seive 
Common  or 
Sorts  and 
discolored 
leaf  remains 
upon  the 
sieve   
Slightly  disco- 
lored leaf, 
called  English 
Quality 
Common  or  sorts 
Refuse. 
Small  white  to 
be  mixed  with 
French  Quality. 
Dust  added  to  sorts. 
")  Vermicelli 
Residue  is     Small  brown  to 
(  sifted  <j  be  mixed  with 
English  Quality.  (  Sesame 
I  (is  sifted) 
Common  or  sorts  ^  i   „nm  nf 
Vermicelli  f  &um  ot 
Residue  is  sifted  {    (remains  J  commerce, 
on  sieve 
Refuse. 
