i 



406 



STYRACE^. 



are capable of yielding the resin. Incisions are then made in tlicir 

 stems, from which there exudes a thick, whitish, resinous juicej which 

 soon hardens by exposure to the air, and is carefully scraped off 

 with a knife. 



The trees continue to yield at the rate of about three pounds per 

 annum for 10 or 12 years, after which period they are cut down. The 

 resin which exudes during the first three years is said to be fuller of 

 white tears, and therefore of finer quality, than that which issues siil]- 

 scquently, and is termed by the Malays Head Benzoin, That which 

 flows during the next 7 or 8 years, is browner in colour and less 

 valuable, and is known as Belbj Benzoin; while a third sort, called 

 Foot^ is obtained by splitting the tree and scraping the wood ; this last 

 is mixed with much bark and refuse/ 



Benzoin is brought for sale to the ports of Sumatra in large cakes 

 called Tampangs, wrapped in matting. These have to be broken, and 

 softened either by the heat of the sun or by that of boiling water, and 

 then packed into square cases which the resin is made to fill. 



The only account of the collection of Siam Benzoin is that 

 given by Sir R. H, Schomburgk, for some years British Consul at 



He represents that the bark is gashed all over, and that 

 resin which exudes, collects and hardens between it and the 



former of which is then stripped off. This account is con- 

 firmed by the aspect of some of the Siam benzoin of commerce as 



is also 



Bangkok.^ 

 the 



wood, the 



whence it is brought down to Bangkok.^ 



well as by that of pieces of bark in our possession ; but it 

 evident that all the Siam drug is not thus obtained. Schomburgk 

 adds, that the resin is much injured and broken during its convey- 

 ance m small baskets on bullocks' backs to the navigable parts ot 

 the Menani, _ ^^^^ „ _ 



_ Whether benzoin owes its original fluidity "to a volatile oil hold- 

 ing the resin in solution, and its solidification to the volatilization 

 ot this oil or whether the resin itself hardens by oxidation,-what 

 occasions the remarkable diversity of aspect between the opaque and 

 milk-like, and the completely transparent resin, are questions to be 

 investigated by some future observer 



Description 



Gum 



sort 



r, . . - . -Benzoin (always termed in English commerce 

 Benjamin) is distinguished as of two kinds, Siam and Sumatra. Each 



occurs in various degrees of purity, and under considerable 

 ditterences of appearance. i. J> 



}' fiam Benzoin—ThQ most esteemed sort is that which consists 

 witirely of flattened tears or drops, an inch or two long, of an opaque, 

 ^ni.fi !i "^ "^^ ''^'^"' ^°^s^^y agglutinated into a mass. More Ire- 

 ST ''f.f '' ^"^^° compact, consisting of a certain proportion ot 

 rll 1 r%''^ ^^'' '^^' °^ ^^ ^l^^-^iid downwards, imbedded in a deeP- 

 rich amber-brown, translucent resin. ' 



preponderates, and the white 

 packages, the tears of white resin are 



tears 





s Borneo Camnhor 1^ i "^ <^^™»ioditiea, 



Cardamoms, Galb 



auuu), &c. 



nesta, 



Occasionally the translucent resi^ 

 are almost wanting. I'^ ^^^J 

 very small, and the whole mass 



2 This account must have 'bc'l" f ?"r'k 

 from others, for Sir R. H. Schombur„_ 

 never visited the region pr"^ 

 benzoin.. , ,,„ 



» PAam. Jouni. iii. (1862) 126. 



lUClDg 



