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Powdered exudate from Astragalus gummifer and related plants. It forms gelatinous mass in water. Tragacanth is used as suspending agent, excipient or emulsifier in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It has also been used as a bulk-forming laxative.

A gum exuding from a plant; it is used in various medicinal preparations.

A gum from species of Astragalus: much used in pharmacy.

The concrete exuded juice of various species of Astragalus. It contains two principal constituents, bassorin or tragacanthin and a substance resembling arabin and soluble in water. T. is demulcent, but is chiefly used or imparting firmness to troches, etc., and for suspending heavy powders in mixtures. [Gr.]

n. [Greek] Goat’s horn ; a leguminous plant of the genus Astragallus, yielding a gummy juice; gum-dragon;- the concrete juice or gum of several species of shrubby or herbaceous plants found in Persia, Arabia, and Siberia.