A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Tragacantha,-ae (s.f.I), also tragacanthum,-i (s.n.II), abl.sg. tragacantho; also tracanta,-um = Gk. tragakantha; > Gk. tragos, ‘he-goat,’ + akantha, ‘thorn;’

“a gum that is obtained as a dried exudate from various Asiatic or East European plants of the genus Astragalus (esp. A. gummifer), that … swells in water to a gel …and also as a demulcent and excipient for pills” (WIII); “the name of certain shrubs of the genus Astragalus; the gum exuded from them; tragacanth” (Glare);

- (pharm.) pulvis Tragacanthae Compositus, compound of powder of Tragacanth.

- (pharm.) recipe Gummi Tragacanthae quantum sufficiat ut fiant pilulae numero sexaginta, take a quantity of Gum Tragacanth that it may be sufficient to make 60 pills.

- (pharm.) recipe Glycerini Tragacanthae quantum sufficit, take Of Glycerin of Tragacanth a sufficient quantity (Bennitt).

- (pharm.) recipe mucilaginis Tragacanthae quantum sufficiat, take Of Mucilage of Tragacanth as much as may be sufficient (Bennitt).

- (pharm.) recipe Pulveris Tragacanthae Compositi quantum sufficiat; take of Compound Powder of Tragacanth a quantity that would suffice [i.e. a sufficient quantity (Bennitt).

- (pharm.) recipe Glycerini Tragacanthse quantum sufficit, take of glycerine of Tragacanth a quantity that suffices.

- Tragacantha est lachryma herbae lignosae et spinosae, cuius radix incisa hanc ipsam lachrymam copiose emittit. Quae aliquatenus siccata, prius tamen quam indurescat, cultello in tenues laminas secatur. Est ergo optima tragacantha illa mundissima et candidissima, tenuis et lucens, recens et subdulcis. Vires autem habet quales sarcocolla et aliquatenus efficatiores magis enim stringit plus et lachrymam reprimit (Galen in Everett); Tragacanth is the exudate [i.e. tear, gum, resin] of woody and spinose herbs [i.e. shrubs], the root of which when cut copiously emits this very gum. Which, after being dried out to some degree, yet before it might harden completely, is cut with a knife into thin sheets. The best tragacanth is that which is [purest] and very bright white, thin and shining, fresh and somewhat sweet. And also it has the powers [i.e. properties] much as sarcocolla has and to some extent it has a rather more efficacious astringent power, and it staunches weeping more.