Camphor, a highly flammable crystalline substance, has been used in India since early Vedic times (c. 1750 BC). It was used to start the yajna fire lit to perform Vedic rituals and continues to be used for Hindu rituals to this day. Ancient Aryans are believed to have...
Costus comes from the root of plants in the Saussurea genus that grow in the higher Himalayas in Asia, Tibet, and China. The name costus means “coming from the East” in Greek. The rhizome is cut, dried, and exported. Costus is rich in resinoids, inulin, alkaloids,...
Labdanum, which the Arabs call ladanum, is procured in a stranger fashion. Found in the most odorous place, it is the sweetest-scented of all substances. It is gathered from the beards of he-goats, which are found sticking like gum, having come from the bushes on...
