148 



BURSERACE^. 



the loth century. Thus in a list of drugs sold at Frankfort about 1450, 

 we find Gommi Elempnij} Saladinus,^ who lived about this period, 

 enumerates Gumi Elemi among the drugs kept by the Italian apothe- 

 caries, but we have not met with the name in any other writer of the 

 school of Salerno, The Arholayve^ a herbal supposed to have been 

 printed about 1485, gives some account of Gomme Mempni, stating 

 that it is the gum of the lemon tree and not of fennel as some think, 

 that it resembles Male Incense, — and makes an excellent ointment tor 

 wounds. 



The name EnJuEmon * of Pliny, also written Enhccmi, is probably 

 the original form of the word Anivii, another designation for the same 



drug, though also applied as at the present day to a sort of copal. 

 It is even possible that the word Elemi has the same origin." 



This primitive Elemi is in our opinion identical with a peculiar soix 

 of olibanum known as lAihan Meyeti, afforded by Boswellia Frereana, 

 Birdwood (p. 135), It has a remarkable resemblance both in external 

 appearance and in odour to the substance in after-times imported from 

 America, and which were likened to the elemi and animi of the OM 

 World. The description of "gummi elemnia" given by Valerius Cordus, 

 the most careful observer of his period, could in our opinion well appi} 

 to Luhan Meyeti (See p, 153 further on.) 



The first reference to Elemi as a production of America comes from 

 the pen of Monardes^ who has a chapter on Animi and Copal o^ 

 describes animi as of a more oily nature than copal, of a very agreeab e 

 odour, and in grains resemblino; olibanum but of larger size, and adds 



World 



'o 



clear. 



At a somewhat later period this resin and some similar substances 

 began to be substituted for Elemi which had become scarce,' Pomet, 

 who as a dealer in drugs was a man of practical knowledge, lament^ 

 that this American drug was being sold by some as Elemi, and oj 

 others as Animi or as Tacamaca. It was however introduced in gr^'i 

 plenty, and at length took the place of the original elemi which became 

 completely forgotten. 



American Elemi was in 'turn discarded in favour of another sor 

 imported from the Philippines. The first mention of this substance i 

 to be found among the descriptions accompanied by drawings sent v)^ 

 Father Camellus to Petiver of London, of the shrubs and trees of |"^°.°' 

 m the year 1701. Camellus states that the tree, which from his drawi^n 



preserved in the British Museu 



appears 



to us to be a species 



i^Fltickiger, Die Franlcfurter Lisle, Halle, 

 18i3. ^ 7. 16.— '' Gumi elemi " is also found 

 in a sinular list of the year 1480, compiled 

 in the town of Nordlingen, Eavaria. See 

 Arrhiv (lev Phar/iK 211 (1877) 103. 



hdF^"'^'^'**^'^'""^ -^^'omatariorum, Bonon. 



14Ho. 



3 This very rare volume is one of the 

 F^^r^ *^^ National Library of 



''Brassavola observes- "quandoque in- 

 Chiunvimns nt ^m^nii olese .Ethiopic«5 esset 



gummi e?miidicti,quasi enh(vmi. 

 simpUciiim, Lngd. 1537. 386. 

 ''Hisi. Stlrp. librl "'•, e^l^ti"'^ 



"— ilrflW*" 



£JliL I ii Hi J J-Jtl^i-i.- -^ 



Hist, Stlrp, Vihrl , 

 Argentorati, 15C1. 209. 



7 TMiva lie laa, cosas 



edition of Gesner, 



Argentorati, 15G1. 20\), ^j^n^enu^-^' 



hibro de las cosas que seiraenj^^^ 



"Thus risoin 1658 describes tht rt_ ^^^ 

 an Idea as exactly resembling ^ ^^^ ^t 

 quite as good for wounds.— ^'"•^'• 



med. Ind. Occ. 122. „p. 



3 Ilistoire des Brogues, lij.-^f' -" " 

 Eay, m.f. Plant. Hi (1704). Jl 

 67. No. 13. - Compare r.h" 



p. 67.' No. 



No, 10. 



,penflix. 



I. III. \^,—>' ■ (50, 

 Compare r.hi> !'• 



