316 A COMPENDIUM OF 
Java. ‘There are many varieties of the species 
yielding this gum or pitch. It is rarely found 
in the stores as a remedy. 
Copaifera Multijuga C. Laugsdorfii, C. 
Officinalis, etc., Copaiba Trees.—Natural order 
Leguminose Cesalpinee. A native of Central 
America, Brazil, Venezuela and other South 
American countries. The trees that furnish the 
Balsam Copaiva of commerce are all lofty wood- 
land giants, adorned with alternate and pinnatifid 
leaves, the leaflets of which are leathery (coria- 
ceous) in texture and ovate in shape, whilst the 
flowers are in compound axillary and terminal 
spikes; fruit, a legume, leathery, two-valved 
and oneseeded. Copaibais an oleo-resin, which 
is obtained from incisions made in the trunk of 
the above trees, the viscid liquid being caught 
in various kinds of receptacles. The balsam 
from the port of Rio Janerio is almost like olive 
oil in appearance; the Para is also limpid and 
pale, whilst the Maracaibo is thick, of a dark 
brown color and often turbid. The best quali- 
ties of Copaiba contain betwen 50 and 80 per 
cent. of volatile oil. The adulterants are 
turpentine and Gurjun balsam. Copaiba con- 
tains volatile oil, resin, a bitter principle, and 
three acids, Copaivic, oxycopaivic metacopaivic, 
the last two acids are capable of crystallization. 
Copaiva is a stimulant, diuretic, expectorant, 
laxative and nauseant, and is given in doses 
from 8 drops to 60 (0.5 to 4.0 grams), either 
alone or in form of an emulsion. 
Ecballium Officinarum, Ecballium, Elateri- 
um, (Momordica), Squirting Cucumber.—Nat- 
ural order Cucurbitacee. Native of western 
