January i, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



5.59 



longitudinally, and then half through horizontally, and a 

 portion obliquely, showing in one piece what is only 

 observable from three pieces in other exhibits. A very 

 interesting account of the history of the establishment 

 of this department is given by Sir George Birdwood in 

 the first catalogue of the Exhibition. From his report 

 the last sentence may be quoted, since at least this de- 

 partment of the Exhibition should not be alluded to 

 without giving the credit that is due to the two gentle- 

 men therein mentioned. 



'•It is a bappy omen that the first International Exhi- 

 bition of Forestry should have been appointed to be held 

 in the stately capital of Scotland, where scientific forestry 

 throughout the British empire received its earliest impulse, 

 and that the Exhibition should be so much indebted for 

 its prosperous issue to the co-operation of Colonel Michael, 

 the pioneer of practical forestry, and of Dr. Cleghoru, 

 the father of scientific forestry, in India." 



The largest collection oi Indian drugs is that described 

 as the "Index Collection," sent by the Government of 

 India, and includes, besides otbei forest products, gums 

 and resin; dyes, tans and mordants; oil seeds and me- 

 dicinal products, all arranged in groups. Other collections 

 worthy of not ire are those sent by the District Officer 

 of Malabar (2); by the Assistant Conservator of Forests 

 in Kanara, Bombay (32), the specimens being in good 

 condition and accompanied with useful information on the 

 lables; by the District Forest Officer, Coimbatore, MadraB 

 (35); by the Conservator of Forests, North Division, Bom- 

 bay (27); and by the District Forest Officer, Tinrievelly 

 ■ (36), the two lastnamed being evidently carefully selected 

 mid labelled. Allowance, however, must evidently be made 

 for some of the other collectors, with whom there has 

 evidently beer a great difficulty in obtaining bottles and 

 printed labels. 



The drugs in these collections from the different pro- 

 vinces are of course many of them identical, and have 

 most of them been described by Dr. W. Dymock in his 

 valuable ' Materia Medica of Western India,' as well as 

 in papers in this Journal on the same subject. A few 

 of the articles, however, may be noticed here. 



Khasya Turpentine— -This is prepared in Assam from 

 Pimis Khasyana in a very crude fashion, which may be 

 summarized as follows: — 



A hole is cut fl to 12 inches wide, 6 to 9 inches high 

 and 2 to 3 inches deep in the trunk of the tree about 

 a foot above the ground. A strip of the bark and a little 

 of the wood 12 inches wide and 4 feet up the tree is 

 then removed. When the turpentine has well exuded and 

 become solid, which takes place in about twelve m ihths, 

 it is removed, and the wood, cut up iu small pieces, 2 

 to ■ inches long and i to h inch thick, is placed iu earthen 

 pots, which are covered w'ith perforated leaves and then 

 inverted over holes made in a hearth cut out of th:^ hill 

 side This is so arranged that when hot ashes or burning j 

 chare >al are placed around the inverted pots the turpentine 

 runs through holes iu the hearth and is received in pots 

 placed at its outer edge; 6J lb. of wood are found to . 

 yield 1 lb. of turpentine, but this is not the whole that > 

 could be obtaiued, as there is some waste in the process. 

 The wood used for the purpose sells locally at the rate 

 of 80 lb. for a rupee. 



Among other drugs noticed were, Bhtmea laceru. an 

 Indian plant recently described in this Journal by br. 

 Dymock; Amomum subuhdum. the source of Nepal carda- 

 mom, iudentified during the last few years; plantain seeds, 

 to which attention has recently been directed by Mr. W. 

 T. Tbiselton Dyer; and the aloe wood of Scripture, 

 A,i'ilaria Agallocha. In the Malabar (2) collection a sample 

 of the bark of Sysygiumiambolanum, recently recommended 

 for the treatment 'of diabetes, may be seen. Several spec- 

 imens of jequirity seed lAbrus precatorius) of different 

 colours are exhibited from different provinces, those in a 

 very excellent collection of drugs from Ouddapah being of 

 a pure white colour, while a second sample ot a burl", and 

 a third of purplish-black hue, are contributed by the dis- 

 trict officer of Arcot. Specimens of these have, bei n kindly 

 presented to the must urn ol the Society by Colonel Michael, 

 and together with a dark brown specimen from British 

 Guiana were lent for exhibition at the meeting "I the 

 British Medical Association at Belfast, where the subject 

 of Abius precatorius was discussed. Some fine specimens 



of native vegetable fixed oils are exhibited by Mr. J. H. 

 Brougham, of the Anantapur district, and some essenti I 

 oils by Professor Lawson, the recently appointed Director 

 of Gardens and Cinchona plantations on the Neilgherry 

 Hills. Those sent include the oils of Gaulthei ia fragrantissima, 

 Eucalyptus Globulus, B. piperita and Andropoyon citratus, 

 DO, or lemon grass. F'iue specimens of the bael fruit, 

 cassia fistula pods, uux vomica seeds, including the valuable 

 variety grown near Bombay, and many other familiar drugs 

 too numerous to mention, may be seen well represented 

 in this department. 



Before leaving the Indian court the visitor should not 

 neglect to see a very complete set of the vegetable dyes 

 of India shown in silk, etc., by Mr. T."Wardle, of Leek, 

 Staffordshire. 



BUBMAH. 



The Conservator of Forests, Pegu Circle, exhibits, among 

 other articles, three varieties of cutch (Acacia Catechu) wood 

 oil, and an indiarubber obtained from Chavannesia esculenta, 

 which appears to be of excellent quality. A number of 

 tanning materials are also shown here in sufficient quantity 

 to permit of chemical examinati. n, which it may be hoped 

 will be undertaken by chemists interested in these products. 

 From Oudh th re is exhibited a new tanning product in 

 flat cakes like those of Areca Catechu, known as sal extract, 

 and said to be obtained from the bark of Sliorea rolmsta; 

 ami from Assam, some fine specimens of the rubber of 

 that country. 



ANDAMAN AND NICOIiAR ISLANDS (16). 



The objects of pharmaceutical interest here are few in 

 number, although the- magnificent specimens of polished 

 timber vie in beauty and size with any in the Exhibition. 

 Some fine specimens of wood oil or gurjun balsam are 

 here exhibited which present the appearance of an emul- 

 sion, and appear to have been obtained from the tree without 

 beat. By the Burmese this oleoresin is used in leprosv 

 and for gonorrhoea, and also in the arts, for mixing paint 

 and as a varnish, and for rendering torches inflammable. 

 Some fine pieces of a resin named ingdwe, derived from 

 Dipterocarpus Hasseltii, are also shown here. When dis- 

 solved in benzol this resin makes a rapidly drying varnish 

 for photographic plates. It is of pale colour, and appears 

 to be hard. It is used by the Burmese for stiffening 

 varnishes, and for caulking and other purposes. 



CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (33). 



This is only a small exhibit; specimens of dried aloes 

 juice, bush tea (Q clopia Intifotia), and the tanning barks 

 of Acacia decurrens, Podocarpus latifolius and Leucospa mum 

 concarpum, are almost the only drugs exhibited. The 

 wood of Oreodaphne Imllata is remaikable for its disagreeable 

 odour, whence its name of "stink wood." Specimens of the 

 wood from which the natives make their assegais are also 

 shown. 



CTPRUS (34). 



This is a small exhibit. Specimens of the resin of the 

 Cedrus Libani and of Pinuj Zaricio are here exhibited, and 

 sumach leaves (Hints Coriaria), used in tanning. 



MAURITIUS (35). 

 This exhibit consists principally of a fine collection of 

 fibres. There are, however, good specimens of indiarubber, 

 representing the different plants from which it is collected 

 in the island, viz., Vahea madayascariensis, Fiats elastica, 

 Cryptostegia grandijiora and Martihot Glaziovii. The last 

 named is cultivated in the island. 



CEYLON (38). 



Although small in comparison with the Indian collection! 

 the Ceylon exhibit is a well-arranged aud an exceedingly in- 

 teresting one. The exhibitor, Mr. J. Alexander, has an estate 

 iu Ceylon, and has evidently taken great pains to illustrate 

 ajl the productions of that island. 



The first object to attract attentior from a pharmaceutical 

 point of view is a series of cinchona barks, accompanied with 

 drawings of the plants, toge'her with neat specimens of 

 flowering twigs mounted on cards. These arc beautifully 

 prepared, the leaves and flowers having retained their original 

 colours better than any specimens the writer has seen. The 

 species illustrated are C. sneer ubra, <'. robuata, C. officinalis, 

 vars. Condaminea aud crisp^r, C Qalisaya, vars. vera aud 

 Javanica, G.pubescens, C. Ledgerian i aud C. micrantha. Both 



