gum attached to it. It flourishes in stony mountainous situations, interspersed with rocks, whose interstices are filled with a black loam o f decomposed vegetable earth. Ammoniacum, called Feshook in Arabick, is produced from a plant similar to the European fennel, but much larger. In most o f the plains o f the interior, and particularly about E l Araiche, and M’sharrah Rummellah, it grows ten feet high. T he Gum Ammoniac is procured b y incisions in the branches, which, when pricked, emit a lacteous, glutinous ju ic e , which being hardened b y the heat q f the sun, falls on the ground, and mixes with the red earth b e lo w : hence the reason that Gum A m moniac o f B arbary does not suit the London market. It might, however, with a little trouble, be procured perfectly pure, b y spreading mats under the shrubs to receive the gum as it falls. The gum in the above mentioned state, is used in all parts o f the country for cataplasms and fumigations. T he sandy light soil which produces the Gum Ammoniac, abounds in the north o f Marocco. It is remarkable, that neither bird nor beast is seen where this plant grows, the vu ltu re only excepted.* It is, however, attacked b y a beetle,"f" having a long horn proceeding from its nose, with which it perforates the plant, and makes the incisions whence the gum oozes out. Gum Arabic.— T h e gum called Marocco or Barbary gum, is produced from a high thorny tree called A ttaleh, having leaves similar to th e A ra r , or Gum Sandrac tree, and the juniper. The best kind o f Barbary gum is procured from the trees o f Marocco, Ras-el-wed, in the province o f Suse and Bled-hutnmer, in the province o f A b d a ; the secondary qualities are the produce o f * See page 118» f See the plate, where it is represented of the natural size.
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