1192

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

Balm of Gilead (Balsamum gileadense; B. de Mecca; Opobalsamum ; Baton

of the

n ii.ii it ijj \j ^ u u toil ilium y Hcuutr/fu c j 11 • uc iritCvU ^ v^/oc/uiuU//*w/rt j ^ * fi'fflO*

Old Testament; BaAo-ct/iov of Theophrastus and Dioscorides ) is procured from

Fig. 224.

* ( A

dendron gileadense , a middling-sized tree growing m * (r( , e

Mr. Bruce says it is obtained by cutting the bark of the ^with an axe, and receiving the juice in a small earthen jThe quantity obtained in this way, is, however, very small» a _none of it, it is said, reaches this country, that whichsionally comes here being obtained by boiling the branch 9leaves in water. It is a whitish, turbid, thick, very 0 ‘. ljaliquid, which resiuifies, and becomes yellow by , P ”<jTrommsdorf (Thomson, Org. Chem. 523) analyzed it, andit to consist of volatile oil 30 0, soft resin insoluble in f

4 - 0, hard resin soluble in alcohol 64 0; extractive ■ j

loss 1‘6. Bonastre ( Journ. de Pharm. xviii. 95) also aU .M sa tiiit. Its physiological effects are believed to be similar to \ f a (of copaiva and the liquid turpentines. The most wot erproperties were formerly ascribed to it. It is rarely ° r t j,eemployed by Europeans, but is adapted to the same cases ^ j tsterebinthinates (see p. 708). The Asiatics use it for its odoriferous, as wellmedicinal, qualities. .

The term Bdellium is applied to two gummy-resinous substances. One °* ; IlC dis Indian Bdellium, or false Myrrh (the Bdellium of Scripture), which is ^ 40 )

from Amyris (Balsamodendron P) Commiphora. Dr. Roxburgh (FI. Ind■ "• j,i

says, that the trunk of this tree is covered with a light-coloured pellicle, )t |i

Balsamodendron

gileadense.

the common birch, which peels off from time to time, exposing to view

dif-

nce

green coat, which in succession supplies other similar exfoliations. This trefuses a grateful fragrance, like that of the finest myrrh, to a considerable tn . 1 - |lin ;around. Dr. Royle ( Illustr . p. 176) was informed that this species yielded hue ^ e j.and in confirmation of his statement I may add, that many of the pieces of l ' J i» 0 .lium in my museum have a yellow pellicle adhering to them, precisely like * a ^Jjescured from the common birch, and some of the pieces are perforated by spiny 5 *j a ]]iot°—another character serving to recognize the origin of this bdellium. Indian 0 ^ oa( ?)has considerable resemblance to myrrh. Many of the pieces have hairs (of the r, o j,.adhering to them. The other kind of bdellium is called African Bdellium, uo ^ j s atained from Heudolotia africana (Richard and Guillemin, FI. de Senegambie)■ . e9 ,

native of Senegal , and is called by the natives, who make toothpicks of i* s J 0 f aNiottout. It consists of rounded or oval tears, from one to two inches in p,, ’by »dull and waxy fracture. By age they become opaque, and covered, externalwhite or yellowish dust. It has a feeble but peculiar odour, and a bitter taste.tier (Ann. de Chim. t. lxxx. p. 39) found it to consist of resin 59 0, soluble gubassorin 30 6 , volatile oil and loss 1'2.

Order 60. Rhamna'cea:, Lindley. —The Buckthorn Tri 1515,

Rhamni, Jussieu. —Khamm'.i:, Decandolle. . ^

Essential Character. —Tube of the calyx adherent to the ovary, lobes va ^f al idaestivation, definite in number, four or five. Petals as many as (rarely noD ■jinib-alternate with, the lobes of the calyx; often squamiform with a concavStamens as many as the petals, and opposite to them; anthers two-celled- (w0 .either adnate to the whole of the calyx, or adherent at the lower part or mi pf -^arpor four-celled ; cells with one ovule each. Style one; stigmas two to four.usually indehiscent, baccate, drupaceous, or samaroideous, rarely capsu If a yiserect, destitute of aril; albumen none, or usually fleshy; embryo straight <> r

of the seed, with an inferior radicle and somewhat foliaceous cotyledons-' pi 01l ;er ssmall trees. Leuves simple, alternate, rarely opposite, often with stipules,small, often greenish (D. C.) , urt r 3 ti fe

Properties. —Require farther examination. The fruit of Rhamnus contains p ,” r y.and colouring matters: that of Zizyphus is acidulous, saccharine, and aim*