What are the Lungs?

The organs of respiration in man and many other animals.  There are two of these organs, one on each side of the chest.

     Respiration, breathing; the act of inhaling air into the lungs,
     and again expelling it, by which animal life is supported.

What is Manna?

A sweet, white juice, oozing from the branches and leaves of a kind of ash tree, growing chiefly in the southern parts of Italy, during the heats of summer.  When dry, it is very light, easily crumbled, and of a whitish, or pale yellow color, not unlike hardened honey.

Is Manna peculiar to the Ash Tree of Southern Italy?

No.  Manna is nothing more than the nutritious juices of the tree, which exude during the summer heats; and what confirms this is, that the very hot summers are always those which are most productive of manna.  Several different species of trees produce a kind of manna; the best and most used is, however, that of Calabria, in Italy.

What are its uses?

It was much esteemed formerly in medicine, but it has now gone nearly into disuse.  The peasants of Mount Libanus eat it as others do honey.  The Bedouin Arabs consume great quantities, considering it the greatest dainty their country affords.  In Mexico, they are said to have a manna which they eat as we do cheese.  At Briancon, in France, they collect it from all sorts of trees that grow there, and the inhabitants observe, that such summers as produce the greatest quantities of manna are very fatal to the trees, many of them perishing in the winter.

Is there not another tree which produces Manna?

Yes:  the Tamarisk, a tree peculiar to Palestine and parts of Arabia.  This remarkable substance is produced by several trees, and in various countries of the East.  On Mount Sinai there is a different species of Tamarisk that yields it.  It is found on the branches of the tree, and falls on the ground during the heat of the day.

Where is Mount Libanus?

Mount Libanus, or Lebanon, is situated in Asiatic Turkey; it was anciently famous for its large and beautiful cedar trees.  The “Cedars of Lebanon” are frequently mentioned in Holy Writ.  There are now scarcely any remaining of superior size and antiquity, but they vary from the largest size down to mere saplings; and their numbers seem to increase rather than diminish, there being many young trees springing up.

How is Manna gathered?

From August to September, the Italians collect it in the following manner, viz.:  by making an incision at the foot of the tree, each day over that of the preceding, about four inches from one another:  these cuts, or incisions, are nearly two inches long, and half an inch deep.  When the cut is made, the manna directly begins to flow, at first like clear water, but congealing as it flows, it soon becomes firm:  this they collect in baskets.  Manna has been found to consist of two distinct substances one nearly resembling sugar, the other similar to a gum or mucilage.