SEMEN BONDUCELL^, 211 



« 



F 



it is a resin having a general resemblance to Balsam of Tolu, but of 

 somewhat deeper and redder tint, and greater hardness. Pressed be- 

 tween two slips of warmed glass, it does not exhibit any crystals. 



In a treatise on Brazil written by a Portuguese friar about 1570- 

 1600/ mention is made of the '' Cahiteriba'' (Gabitre-iba), from wdiich a 

 much-esteemed balsam was obtained by making incisions in the stem, 

 and absorbing the exudation with cotton wool, somewhat in the same 

 way as Balsam of Peru is now collected in Salvador, This tree is 



i 



/ 



is closely allied to Myroxylon. 



The genus 



Another fragrant oleo-resin, which has doubtless been confounded 

 with that of a Myroxylon, is obtained in Central America from 

 Liquidamhar styraciflua L., either by incision or by boiling the bark. 



SEMEN BONDUCELL^. 



Semen Guilandiiice ; Bonduc Seeds, Grey Nicker Seeds or Nuts; F. 

 Graines de Bonduc ou du Cniquier, Pois Queniques, Pois Guenic. 



Botanical Origin— Cccsaljnnia Bonducella Roxb. {Giiilandina 

 Bjytiducella L.), a prickly, pubescent, climbing shrub^ of ^yide distribu- 

 tion, occurring in Tropical Asia, Africa and America, especially near the 

 sea. The compressed, ovate, spiny legume is 2 to 8 inches long, and 

 contains one or two, occasionally three or four, hard, grey, globular 

 seeds. 



The plant is often confounded with C. Bonduc Koxb., a nearly 

 allied but much rarer species, distinguished by being nearly glatirous, 

 leaving leaflets very unequal at the base, no stipules, erect bracts, and 

 yellow seeds. 



History— "/>^ii-iiar«'nja," stinking Karanja, in Susruta (1. 223,1) is 

 tbe plant under notice. The word Bunduh, occurring in the wntmgs 

 ft the Arabian and Persian physicians, also in Constantinus Africanus, 

 Jiostly signifies hazel-nut? One of these authors, Ibn Bay tar,* who 

 flourished in the 13th century, further distinguished a drug called 

 funduh Hindi (Indian hazel-nut\ giving a description which indicates 

 It plainly as the seed under notice. Both Bunduh andBundukmndt 

 are enunierated in the list of druss of Noureddeen Mohammed Abdullah 



th 



'^i^y' Pliysician to the Mogul emperor Shah Jehan, A.D. 1628-16C1. 

 iiie pods of (7. Bonducella were figured by Clusius in 160o, under 



"^^ Dame of Lohus echinodes, and the plant both by Rheede« and 

 f "ttiphius. Piso and Marcgraf (1648) noticed it in Brazil and gave 

 some account of it with a bad woodcut, under the designation of 

 ^nimboy (now Inimhoja), or in Portuguese Silva do Praya. 



/n recent times, Bonduc seeds have been employed on account ot 

 ^^€H- tonic and antiperiodic properties by numerous European practi- 



» Fi^^-^^' ^^^-^ -Pi^grimes, iv. (1625) 1308. * Sontheimer's translation, L 177. , 



ll^- >" . Bentley'' and ' Trimen. Med. " lYaz Udwiyeh, translated by Glad^^■ln, 



Tr- part 24 (1877). 1793. No. 543. 551. _ , .« i 



■ro„i,r''^^^^^«^^a"« « IMe ball or a ^ Hort. NaJah. ii. (16,9) tak 22, Bub 



Used bv "a ^™<1"^ Hindi is frequently noni. Curetti. 

 Areca-iint authors to denote also 



