Chronological history of plants : man's record of his own existence illustrated through their names, uses, and companionship / by Charles Pickering.
- Charles Pickering
- Date:
- 1879
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Chronological history of plants : man's record of his own existence illustrated through their names, uses, and companionship / by Charles Pickering. Source: Wellcome Collection.
68/1252 page 44
![elsewhere on the monuments, white garments are exclusively worn by the Egyptians, and distinguish them from foreigners. The Gliddon mummy-case is composed of layers of linen ; the whole process of spinning and weaving is figured under the Twelfth dynasty at Benihassan f and mummies (with the possible exception of some of the most recent) are found inwrapped in white linen. “ Atwn ” or fine linen, is mentioned in Proverbs vii. 16; has been identified with the “ othone ” of Homer il. iii. 141, Aristophanes acharn. 1176, Luke xxiv. 12, and Acts x. 11 ; and already in the days of Pliny, the linen manufacture had extended down the Rhine to the Batavi or Hollanders. Eastward in Hindustan, where flax is cultivated for its capsules and seeds only, linen cloth is nevertheless mentioned in the Institutes of Menu (Deslongchamps translation) : and farther East in Burmah, where the plant is unknown, “ linen garments” are enumerated as “ among those which priests are permitted to wear” (Mason v. p. 517). Linum usitatissimum of the Uralian plains. Called in France “lin” and the prepared fibre “ filasse ” (Nugent), in Holland “ vlas,” in Britain flax or line or linseed (Prior), in Germany “ flachs ” or “lein” (Grieb), in Slavonian “flachs” (A. Dec.), in Bohemian “ len ” (Bauhin), in Celtic “llin” signifying a thread (Thei's), in Italy “lino” (Lenz), in Greece “linari” (Sibth.), in Egypt “kittan,” but the oil from its seeds “ zeyt har” (Del.): cultivated in Egypt at the time of the invention of writing,-—and fragments found by Unger in a brick of the pyramid at Dashur belonging to the Twelfth dynasty (acad. Vienn., and journ. sc. Lond.): the “ hwr ” is mentioned in Isaiah xix. 9, and Esther i. 6 and viii. 15 ; and L. usitatissimum was observed by Forskal, Defile, Clot-Bey, and myself, extensively cultivated for cloth-making in Egypt. Farther North, the “linon” is mentioned by Homer il. ii. 529 and xviii. 570, Aeschylus suppl. 127, Herodotus, Theophrastus, and Dioscorides ; the “ linum ” by Plautus, Cicero, Virgil, Columella, and Pliny : L. usitatissimum is termed “ 1. sativum ” by Tournefort inst. 339; was observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, under cultivation from the Sperchius throughout Greece; by Lenz, in Italy ; is known to be cultivated throughout middle Europe as far as Britain (Curt. lond. v. pi. 22) ; and according to Ledebour, grows as if wild on the plains North of the Black Sea and Caspian. Southward and Eastward from Egypt, is called in Abys- sinia “ telba ” or “ entatieh,” and is cultivated exclusively for the seeds which are roasted and eaten (A. Rich. fl. abyss, i. p. 52): is called in Sanscrit “ouma” or “matousi” or “'atasi” (Pidd.), in Bengalee “shan” or “ koshta,” in Hindustanee “ san ” or “atasi” or “ tisi ” (D’roz.), in the environs of Bombay “ ulsee ” or “ jowas-ulsee,” the “ unripe capsules ” used as food by the natives (Grah., and Gibs.), was observed by myself under cultivation on the Deccan, but in general throughout Hindustan is cultivated solely for the oil yielded by the seeds (Roxb., and Royle ill. p. 82). By European colonists, was carried to Northeast America, where it continues under culti- vation and is sometimes found springing up spontaneously; was also carried to the Mauritius Islands (Boj.). Is enumerated by Lindley among medicinal plants, on account of the emollient properties of the infusion, the meal of the seeds used for cataplasms, and the oil with lime-water applied to burns. rosary; “kunari” necklace; “ vnbni ” or “ k£vn6ni ” gem. — The character occurs under the Third dynasty (Leps. d. ii. pi. 4, and k. pi. 6). A second form ^ occurs under the Fourth dynasty (Leps. d. ii. pi. 96, and Champ, diet. 235). Strings of beads, P°ssibly for rosa- ries, are brought by foreign delegates in the Tribute-procession to Tetmes III. The rosary or string of prayer-beads as early perhaps as the invention of writing, — and I have seen rosaries worn not by Catholics only, but by Muslims and Oriental Jews. (stork signifying father-loving, the bird never separating from its fathers unto extreme old age, Horap. ii. 55); “ nouri ” stork; “nsa” after, “ nsbou ” henceforth; “SnhSt” or “ nhot ” or “ nhotS ” or “ nhootS ” faithful; “ nounS ” or “ nouni ” root, to take root. — The character occurs as. early as the Fourth dynasty (Leps. d. ii. pi. 19). The stork, Ciconia, inhabits Egypt at least during the winter season ; — when the bird was seen there by myself. Among the Greeks, the “pSlargos” is mentioned by Plato ale. i. 135, and others. Pliny x. 31 states, that the “ ciconiae ” leave Italy annually, but whither they go or whence they come is unknown; that they return to the same nests and cherish the old age of their parents, “nidos eosdem repetunt genetricum senectam invicem educant.” [W] (cicada signifying initiated and devoted to sacred things, for it yields music from its back, '-V Horap. ii. 52) ; “ nahvi ” or “ nahv ” or “ nShvS ” yoke, neck ; “ nahv ” part of the back ; “ notSm ” sweet sounding; “ notm ” conversion ; “notm” musician attracting others to the dance; “s£ns£n” to sound, resound; — in Greek “ nbtos ” back; in English “note” (in music). The character occurs from the Fourth n_n_n dynasty to the Seventeenth (Leps. d. ii. pi. 34 to iii. pi. 12). A second form occurs under the V_y Eighteenth dynasty (Leps. d. iii. pi. 38). (heart pendent from the fauces “pharuggos,” signifying mouth of a good man, Horap. ii. 4); ; anai ” beauty ; “ nSsS ” or “ Snasb ” or “ £n£sS ” or “ £n£sh6 ” beautiful, pleasing; “ nanS ” or ‘ nanou ” or “ 6nan5u ” good ; “nof”joy, “ noufi ” good, useful ; “ noeros ” prudent, wise ; “naSiat”](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24887122_0072.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
