a kind of brown match, tinder, or touchwood, which comes from Germany. It is made of a sort of large mushroom, Boletus ignarius, which commonly grows on old trees, especially the oak, ash, and fir. This substance, after being boiled in common water, is dried and well beaten, is then put into a strong ley prepared with saltpetre, after which it is again put to dry in an oven. The druggists sell this match wholesale in France, and it is also retailed by hawkers. Some give to the amadou the name of pyrotechnical sponge, because of its aptness to take fire. It is used in surgery to stop haemorrhage.