MYRRH.
Marv, • • • . . ARAB. Bol, Hirabol, . . HIND. Madu, . . BALI, JAV. Mirra, . IT., PORT,, Sr. . BERM. Mur, . . MALAY, PERS. Mu-yob, . . . CHIN. Manisan lebah, „ Yang-mu-yob, . . , Valati-polam, . . TAM.
Mirrhe, . . DUT., Palendra-ho-lum, „ Myrrhen, . . . GER. Villey-bolum, . . , Emurna, Murra, . GR. Bolintra-bolum, .
The myrrh of commerce is believed to be one produced from the Balsamodendron myrrha, Nees ab Esev., a tree of Abyssinia, and it is said also of Arabia. Myrrh is mentioned in Genesis xxxvii. 25, and in Exodus xxx. 23, by the name of Mor or Mur. In the Periplus of the Red Sea, Arrian mentions myrrh with olibanum as ex ported from the coast of Barbaria, that is, the modern Berbera. Bruce learned that it as well as frankincense was produced in the country behind Azab, or in that of the Dankali. The embassy to Abyssinia under Major IIarris met with it on the hills, in the`comparatively flat country which extends from Abyssinia to the Red Sea, near the straits of Bab -ul -Mandab, or from the Doomi valley to the banks of the Hanwash. Mr. Johnston
(Tray. i, p. 249) met with it in nearly the same locality. Both authors describe the myrrh as exuding from wounds made iu the bark, and say that it is collected in January and March, but chiefly in July and August, and in small quantities at other times of the year,and exchanged for tobacco with the merchants who proceed to Berbera, etc., whence it is exported to the eoast of Arabia.
Myrrh reaches Europe chiefly from Bombay, having been imported there from the Arabian and Persian Gulfs. It used formerly to be obtained also from Turkey. Ehrenberg and Emrich found a small tree in Arabia near Gison, on the borders of Arabia Felix, from off which they collected some very fine myrrh. The resin of Balsamodendron mukul, Hooker, of India, is the bdellium of commerce ; B. pubesccns, Stocks, yields the googul resin; B. Gileadense, Kunth, furnishes the balm of Gilead ; and Boswellia papyrifera, the frankincense and olibanum.