Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 88, 13 April 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

Into the dusty market-place of El Obeid lumber patient camels laden-in due season with the produce from the hashab trees of the famous Kordofan Geneiras. Strange cargoes theirs, for they bear "tears" of gum arabic for the buyer to haggle over. And when the deals are completed the gum is sent to Port Sudan to be shipped to England or other parte of Europe. This is just one scene from the story of Kin pi re drills. There are others just as picturesque throughout our Commonwealth of Nations.

Kordofan gum is the most important variety of gum araliic. There are others from the Siulan with names tj colour/ul as a Persian carpet—gezireh, gedaref, gebelaine, darfur and tendelti. Xhe gum exudes from the trees (several species of acacias) when etrifk; of bark are removed. As soon as the "tears" harden natives "pick" them, there being several '•pickings'' in one season.

Acacia has been used in medicine since the time of the early Greek physicians. It lias 110 very jwtent medicinal properties, but is excellent in making up prescriptions because of its binding, suspendirfg and adhesive qualities. It i* on* of tlio many medicinal