RESINA GUAIACI. 



103 



the northern coast of the island. 



Haj 



ports (of the western part of the same island) is much less esteemed in 

 the London mai'ket. 



Some small wood of good quality comes from the Bahamas, and an 

 ordinary quality, also small, from Jamaica. From the latter island, the 

 quantity exported in 1871 was only 14 tons;^ from the Bahamas in the 

 .same year 199 tons.^ Lignum Vit^B was shipped from Santa Marta in 

 1872 to the extent of 115 tons.^ ' 



Hamburg is also an important place for the wood under notice; in 

 1877 there were imported 22,404 centners from S. Domingo and 8551 

 centners from Venezuela. 



Uses — Guaiacum wood is only retained in the pharmacopoeia as an 

 ingredient of the Compound Decoction of Sarsaparilla. It is probably 

 niert, at least in the manner in which it is noAV administered,** 



it is necessary to 



Adulteration — In purchasing guaiacum 



chips 



observe that the non-resinous sapwood is absent, and still more that 

 there is no admixture of any other wood. A spurious form of the drug 

 seems to be by no means rare in tlie United States.^ 



RESINA GUAIACI. 



Gmlaciim Resin; F, Resine de Gaiae; G. GaaiaHa) 



'Z. 



Botanical Origin 



# 



History — Hutten*^ in 1510 stated that guaiacum ^yood when set on 



nre exudes a blackish resin which quickly hardens, but of which he 



new no use. The resin was in fact introduced into medicine much 



}ater than the wood. The first edition of the London Pharmacopma 



^n ^vluch we find the former named is that of 1G77. 



Production" — In the island of St. Domingo, whence the supplies of 

 guaiacum resin are chieHy derived, the latter is collected from the stems 



le trees, in part as a natural exudation, and in part as the result of 

 ncisions made in the bark. In some districts as in the island of 

 ^onave near Port-au-Prince, another method of obtaining it is adopted. 



^o *^| t^e wood is supported in a horizontal position above the 

 ^ound by two upright bars. Each end of the log is then set on fire, 

 ^^ a a large incision having been previously nir ^ ' '^ * ^ " '"• 

 uieu resm runs out therefrom in considerable al 



ado in the middle, the 



of it have be 



resin 

 «'-^^r plenty than 'cTsan^^. 



abundance. 3G,350 lbs. 



;^ idve been exported in 1875 from Port-au-Prince. 



J-ue resin \^ of<\^r^r.\■r.A ^i.- .a,, i?,...,., n .-.-m ',.... i^ ,x. 



greater 



># 



\ Sl^if- Book 





Bo \ /^^^^^J^^^fJ*™i^^i^ii for 1871. 



i'^'nen'e,!^:; .^''^"''^ for the drug 



"»'nense* r"J"?>'^'"^'^ fo»" the drug such 

 ""'"'^^tration n/ ."' consisted in the ad- 

 ^'"""^ the mt;! ?u '.l»''^"tities of the decoc- 



'°««i and wi. b"iS ?^»* i^P ill <-^ ^varm 



See Hutteii's 



-» ^^ "Szt 



paiuplilet quoted before, aiul its numerous 

 reprints and translations. 

 ^ Schulz, in the (Chicago) Pharmacist^ 



Sept. 1873. 



« Op, cif. at p. 101. 



" We have to thank ^Ir. Eugene ZS^au of 

 Port-au-Prince for the infonnation given 

 under this head, as well as for some interest- 

 ing specimens. 



