COMMENTARY. Dioscorides gives a fuller exposition of the medicinal properties of this substance (_Anethum Fœniculum_) than any of the other authorities on the Mat. Med., representing it as being possessed of powers to promote the secretion of milk; as being useful in complaints of the kidneys and bladder as a diuretic, and in those of the uterus as an emmenagogue; as being alexipharmic, and as a suitable application to the bites of mad dogs; and an excellent ingredient in collyria, and more especially the gum of it, which is produced on the plant in Spain. (iii, 74.) Galen, in the main, gives it the same characters, holding it to be diuretic, emmenagogue, and a suitable ingredient in collyria. Aëtius and our author follow Galen. It occurs frequently in the Hippocratic treatises. (551, &c. ed. Foës.) Celsus ranks it among his diuretics (ii, 31), and among the articles which at the same time repress and mollify (ii, 33.) The Arabians treat fully of the fennel in nearly the same terms as the Greeks. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 274); Serapion (c. 324); Averrhoes (Collig. v, 42); Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 293.) They all represent it as being diuretic, emmenagogue, alexipharmic, and an excellent application in diseases of the eyes. They quote Democritus (?) as stating that vipers and other venomous creatures rub their eyes upon fennel to improve their sight. This species of fennel, namely, the _Fœniculum vulgare_, is not now employed as a medicine in this country. The other species, _Fœniculum dulce_, or Sweet Fennel, although Matthiolus takes it for the ancient _Marathron_, would seem to have been unknown to the ancients. The former species, however, held a place in our Dispensatory down to a recent period. See Quincy (77.) It still holds a place in the modern Greek Pharmacopœia (68.) Μαστίχη, Mastiche, _Mastich_; the Chian is heating and dessicant in the second degree; but it is possessed of complicated powers, being at the same time astringent and emollient; hence it agrees with inflammations of the œsophagus and stomach, and those of the intestines and liver; but the Egyptian, being darker, is more desiccant and discutient, and less astringent; wherefore it discusses furunculi. * * * * * COMMENTARY. Mastich is correctly described as the resin of the lentiscus by Dioscorides (i, 90), and Pliny (H. N. xxiv, 28.) Both mention that it is used in the formation of agglutinative plasters for the cure of trichiasis. Serapion joins the Greek authorities in recommending it for hæmoptysis. Its use in medicine is as old as the time of Hippocrates. The “resina ex lentisco” is an ingredient in one of the discutient plasters recommended by Celsus for the cure of phymata. (v, 18, 22.) Honain, one of Serapion’s authorities, recommends it in inflammations of the stomach, and in cough. Another of them says of it, that when mixed with aloes it forms a good masticatory. (c. 183.) Μέλαν,