The suggestion in the text is, however, for an aromatic rather than cordage or fuel so that Andropogon schoenanthus is the more probable identification.
McCrindle's suggestion of turmeric (Curcuma longa, Linn., order Zingiberaceae) and galangal (Alpinia officinarum, Hance, order Zingiberaceae) are not borne out by Pliny’s descriptions; and these are both products of the Far East, while the text indicates an Egyptian or Mediterranean product.
24. Fragrant ointments.—Pliny (XIII, 1) says that “ luxury thought fit to mingle all known fragrant odors, and to make one single odor of the whole; hence the invention of ointments. The Persians use them extensively, and they quite soak themselves in it, and so, by an adventitious recommendation, counteract the bad odors which are produced by dirt.”
His account of the manufacture of ointments (XIII, 2) throws light on numerous articles of trade in his time. There were two principal components. They consisted of oils or juices, and solids: the former known as stymmata, the later as hedysmata. A third element was the coloring matter, usually cinnabar or alkanet. Resin and gum were added to fix the odor. Among the stymmata were oil of roses, sweet-rush, sweet calamus, xylo-balsamum, myrtle, cypress, mastich, pomegranate-rind, saffron oil, lilies, fenugreek, myrrh, cassia, nard, and cinnamon. The hedysmata included amomum, nard, myrrh, balsam, costus, and marjoram.
Myrrh used by itself, without oil, formed an ointment, but it was stacte only that must be used, for otherwise it would be too bitter.
The formula of the “ royal ointment,” made for the Parthian Kings, included myrobalanus, costus, amomum, cinnamon, comacum, cardamom, spikenard, marum, myrrh, cassia, storax, ladanum, opobalsamum, Syrian calamus and Syrian sweet-rush, oenanthe, malabathrum, serichatum, cypress, aspralathus, panax, saffron, cypirus, sweet marjoram, lotus, honey and wine.
The Mendesian ointment included resin and myrrh, oil of balanus, metopion (Egyptian oil of bitter almonds), omphacium, cardamom, sweet-rush, honey, wine, myrrh, seed of balsamum, galbanum, and resin of terebinth.
Another included oils (the common kinds), sampsuchum, lilies, fenugreek, myrrh, cassia, nard, sweet-rush, and cinnamon.
24. Myrrh,—a gum exuded from the bark of a small tree, native to South Arabia, and to some extent in Oman, and the Somali coast of Africa; classified as Balsamodendron Myrrha (Nees), or Commiphora Abyssinica (Engl.), order Burseraceae. It forms the underwood of
