On storax / by Daniel Hanbury.

  • Hanbury, Daniel, 1825-1875.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On storax / by Daniel Hanbury. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    literal translation, subjoining in a note the Latin text of Sprengel,* the latest commentator upon that author. Storax is the exudation of a certain tree resembling a quince-tree. It is preferred yellow and shining, resinous, having wliitish lumps, retaining for a long period a very grateful odour; wlien softened, it emits a certain honey-like humidity. Such is the Gabalite, the Pisidian and the Cilician [Storax]. That of bad quality is black, friable and branny. There is also found an exudation resembling gum, transparent, myrrh-like; but this is produced rarely. Storax is adulterated witli the powder of the tree itself, made by the erosion of Uttle worms honey and the dregs of irisf and some other things, being added. There are those who pound with storax in very hot weather, either wax or tallow imbued with aromatics, and press it through a strainer having wide openings, into cold water, forming as it were, little worms: they sell this, which they call vermiform Storax. Inexperienced persons admit it as genuine, not regarding its remark- ably powerful odour: for that which is not fraudulent, is somewhat strong. The particulars given by Pliny in his chapter on Storax, are very minute and explicit, although his supposition that the drug packed in reeds was a natural production and his notion of it being attacked by insects, must be regarded as erroneous. The following is Pliny's account X '• That part of Syria joining up to Judaea, and lying above Phoenicia, produces Storax, which is found in the vicinity of Gabala and Marathus, as also of Casius, a mountain of Seleucia. The tree bears the same name and has a strong re- semblance to the quince. The tear has a harsh taste, with a pleasant smell; in the interior it has aU the appearance of a reed, and is filled with a liquid juice. About the rising of the Dog-Star, certain small winged worms hover about this substance and eat it away, for which reason it is often found in a rotten state, with worm-holes full of dust. The Storax next in estimation after that already mentioned, comes from Pisidia, Sidon, Cyprus and Cilicia; that of Crete being considered the very worst of all. That which comes from Mount Amanus, in Syria, is highly esteemed for medicinal purposes, and even more so by the perfumers. From whatever country it comes, that which is of a red colour is preferred, and it should be both unctuous as well as viscous to the touch; the worst kind is that which crumbles like bran, and is covered all over with a whitish mould. This substance is adulterated with the resin of cedar or with gum, and sometimes with honey or bitter almonds; all which sophistications may, however, be detected by the taste. The price of Storax of the best quaUty is seventeen denarii per pound.§ It comes also from Pamphylia, but this last is more arid and not so full of juice. || * Styrax lacrima est arboris caiusdam cydoniae similis. Prsefertur flavus ac pingais, resin- osus, grumos habens albicantes, quam diutissime in odoris gratia permanens, quique dum moUitur, melleam guamdam humiditatem ex se remittit. Talis est gabalites, pisidins ac cilicius. Deterior niger, friabilis ac furfurosus. Invenitur at lacrima gummi similis, transparens, myrrhae semula ; verum haec raro nascitur. Adulterant autem arboris ipsius scobe, vermicn- lorum erosione facta, admisto melle et iridis crassamento aliisque uonnuUis. Non desunt, qui et cerara ant sebum aromatis imbutum ad solera acerrimum cum styrace snbigant et per colum Litis foraminibus pervium in aquam frigidam, quasi vermiculos eflBngentes, exprimant et venumdent, quem styracem ideo vermiculatum appellant. Imperiti eum tanquam sinceram admittunt, non attenti ad odoris insignem vehementiam. Est enim admodum acris, qui fraudis expers est. * * * Pedanii Dioscoridis Anazarbei de Mat. Med. Liori V., ed. Curt. Sprengel. Lips. 1829, 30. T. L p. 82 (lib. 1. cap. LXXIX.). f Possibly some residue obtained in making the preparation called /ri»t spissammium described lib. I. cap. LXVI. t Pliny's Natural History, Bostock and Riley's translation: Book xy. Chap. 55. I According to the table given by Bostock and Riley, which fixes the denarius at 8^d. sterling and the pound at 11| oz. Av.-1-60.45 grains, the rate of 17 denarii per pound is equivalent to lo«. per lb. Avoirdupois. It is proper however, to state, that some MSS. read 8 denarii, others 19. The reading, 17 denarii, is that adopted bv Sillig in the Hamburg and Gotha edition of 1851-5 ; vide Vol. II. p. .363. II More arid and not so full of juice,'' (sed aridior minusque sucooaus\ Sillig reads aritUor, in preference to acrior which is found in some MSS., and Bostock and Riley follow him.