i 



LIGNUM QUASSIA. . ]31 



chiefly mucilage, and (probably) pectin which separates if the liquid is 

 concentrated by evaporation. The mucilage may be precipitated by 

 neutral acetate of lead or bj alcohol, but is not coloured by iodine. It 

 may be separated by a filter into a portion truly soluble (as proved by 

 the adchtion of alcohol or acetate of lead), and another, comprehending 

 the larger bulk, which is only swollen like tragacanth, but is far more 

 glutinous and completely transparent. 



Neither a per- nor a proto-salt of iron shows the infusion to contain 

 any appreciable quantity of tannin,^ nor is the drug in any sense pos- 

 sessed of astringent properties. 



Uses — Bael is held in high repute in India as a remedy for 

 dysentery and diarrhoea ; at the same time it is said to act as a laxative 



nstipat 

 Adulteration 



Elei^h 



called by Europeans Wood 

 hael. It 



^gle Men 



oaeJ. It may be easily distinguished: it is one-celled with 

 wbed cavity (instead of 10 to 15 cells) filled with nun.., 

 Ihe tree has pinnate leaves with 2 or 8 pairs of leaflets. We 

 J omegranafe Peel offered as Indian Bael.^ 



a large five- 



numerous seeds. 



SIMARUBEJE. 



LIGNUM QUASSI.E. 



Quassia, Quassia Wood, Bitter Wood; F. Bois de Quassia de la 



Jamaique, Bois amer; Jamaica QuassiaJiolz. 



Botanical Origin — Picrcena excelsa Lindl. {Quassia excelsa Swartz, 



inT-h ^"^^^^^"^ ^^■' ^^'^^'«sma excelsa Planchon), a tree 50 to GO feet 

 ^ eight, somewhat resembling an ash and having inconspicuous greenish 

 ^ owers^ and black shining drupes the size of a pea. It is common on 

 e plains and lower mountains of Jamaica, and is also found in the 

 ^lancls of Antigua and St. Vincent. It is called in the West Indies 



^ttte,' Wood or nm^v A ^7, 



Hi 



1 



story— Q 



^'^f Of the last century. 

 •^Jirub or oT>.oii I -,1*^1 



Q 



Europe about the 



handsome 



It A ^"^' "'itive oi ranama, Venezuela, uuiana, ana i>iurtiieiii xjitiv.n. 

 SwaT ^^^^^^uently found that the Bitter Wood of Jamaica which 

 pron r^^*^^ other botanists referred to the same genus, possessed similar 

 end ^ f Tt! ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^'^® obtainable of much larger size, it has since the 

 Q a7« ^^^^ century been generally preferred. The wood of 



. ^cira, called Surinam Qimssia, is however still used in France 



ermany.3 



MV 



** PondicW ^^^^ ^^ variance with CoUas « 40 bags in a drug sale, Sit May, 1873. 



fruit 5 yj^^' ^^'ho attributes to the ripe ^ The Fharmacopcea Germanka of 1872 



^^ Mou f'v' ^-^ ^^^^^^'^^^^—HisL nat. etc. expressly forbids the use of the wood of 



U&56)220-2'^« "^ -ffm/? Coloniale, xvi. /^/crcpna in place of ^ynf.'Js/a, 



