tfcvtrv HORTUS JAMAICENSI3. US 



is also in ^jr^nt Jemand for various articles of titmerv ware. But however valuable the 

 biiiDer lit tins tree, it is much iiiure csteeiiieJ o;i account of the medicinal virtues of its 

 gu;ii, buik, H jn'crs aiul uaves. Tae woi)J lias little or no smell, ex^i-pt when heated, 

 tir iv nil i; rasping, an i their a slight arouatic o;ie is perceived. \Viicn clieived, it im- 

 presses a iinki acrimony, biting the palate aiul fauces. All parts of the tree liave an 

 acriii dis;igreeai>le taste, and are more or less purgative. Irs pungency resides in its 

 resiuijus matter, which it gives out in s i:tk; degree to water by b;)iling, but spirit ex- 

 tracts it wholly. Ill the choii-e of this wood those pieces should he jireierreJ which are. 

 freshest, largest, most ponderous, and of the darkest colon v; and the best method is 

 to rasp them ;ts wanted, for the finer parts are a)t to exhale uheir the raspings or chips 

 are kept a wiiile. Tiie fresh bark opens th<; body, and is deemed a swe. t ner of th 

 blo'id. The ])ulp of the berries purges and vomits v.^ry violently, three or four of 

 them are a (lose. Tlie Mowers are also ina le int) a laxative syrup, resembling syrup of 

 violets. Tiie foaage of the tree is of a very detersive nature, and frequently used to 

 scoiir an 1 wtiiten fioors, which it perl'orm.s much better than soaji ; the infusion of them 

 is also used to wash painted linens and other stained garments, which it is said to do 

 very efl'ectualiy, without dimiiii9hii>g tlie lustre of the dyes. 



The gum is obtained by jagging the bodv of the tree. It eiriides copiously from the 

 "ouu-ls, thougii gradually, ami, when a quantity is found accumulated on the wounded 

 trees, hardeued by exposure to the weather, it is gathered and packed in small k&gs 

 or exportation. Tnc gum may also Ix; obtained in the following manner : The trunk 

 I nd larger limbs being sawn intobillets of about three feel long, an augre hole is bored 

 jngthways in eacli, and one end of the billet so placed on a fire, that a vessel may re- 

 *eive tiie melted resin which runs through the hole as the wood burns; the gum may 

 also be obtained in small quantities, bv boiling chips or sawings of the wood in water 

 and common salt, wnen tlie resin .swims at the to])j and may be skimmed off. Thi:? 

 resin is of a friable texture, ol a deep greenish colour, and souietimes has a reddish 

 hue; it has a pungent acrid taste, but littleor n-o sn>ell, unless heated. The gum fre- 

 quently exudes sjj.jutaueously fn>m the bark, which is called the native gum, and of a 

 bri"^lit semi-pellucid appearance, and much pttrer thai>tdie other. The guaiacum gum 

 has been suspecte i sometimes to be sophisticated with the manchroBeal-tree gum, to 

 which it bears some simihtn le ; but it is easily distinguished' by dissolving a little in 

 spirit?, to which li^e true gum imparts a whitish tinge, but the manchtoneal gives it a 

 trreenish cast : and liiis is strll fartner distinguished bv pouring a little of the same tinc- 

 ture into Welter, whuii takes, from the guaiacum, almost immediiitcly the complectioii 

 cf milk. In choosing the resin, those pieces which hav'e chips of the bark adhering to^ 

 them should be preterred, and that easily seperate by a quick blow. 



Guaiacum was first introduced into Europe for the venereal diseaw ; and appears to 

 have been used in Spain so early as 1 50*. The great success attending its administra- 

 tion, before the projier use of mercury was known, brought it into such repute, that 

 it is said to have been sold for seven old crowns a pound. It di 1 not, however, conti- 

 nue to maintain its reputation ; but was found generally to fail when the disease was 

 dee]j-rooted, and was at length sup-reeded by mercury, to which it now only serves 

 occasionally as an adjuvant hv the rft'cOf/wOT /rofnOr'^OT, of which guaiacum is the chief 

 ingredient. 



Tiic general virtues of guaiacum are those of a warm stimulating medicine ; strength- 

 n\i>g the stomach and other viscera, and remarkably promoting the urinary and cuti- 

 cuigir discliurges J Lcnce, in cutaneous defedations, and other disorders proceeding- 



fioia 



