BURSERACER, © 317 
: by boiling the leaves and wood in water. P. Bellonius (Obs. Lib. 
_ IL, cap. 39 and 40) describes a visit to the Matriya gardens for 
_ the purpose of seeing the Balsam trees in A.D. 1547, 
_ Description.—Balsam of Mecca, when freshly imported 
into Bombay, is a greenish turbid fluid of syrupy consistence 
’ having a‘very grateful odour, sométhing like oil of rosemary, _ 
when dropped into a vessel containing water it.rises and forms 
_ a thin film upon the surface of the liquid, which after about a 
quarter of an hour can be raised entire by touching it with a 
-*pencil. When rubbed upon the palm of the hand for a few 
minutes, it loses its essential oil and, becomes very sticky ; 
dissolved in six parts of alcohol 60 O. P. it forms a turbid 
greenish solution with many opaque flakes floating in it; these 
are soon deposited and adhere to the bottom of the bottle. 
The alcohol solution dropped on paper and placed in the sun < 
Tapidly evaporates, leaving a slightly sticky varnish upon the 
surface of the paper. The Balsam itself dropped upon com- 
Mon scribbling paper spreads a little and soon becomes very 
_ thick; the paper beneath the drop becomes translucent only; — 
after 12 hours it becomes so hard that when touched it no 
longer adheres to the finger. 
_. Treated with six parts strong sulphuric acid, the Balsam 
forms a rich red brown translucent solution of the colour and 
- Consistence of Stockholm tar, which upon being poured into © 
_ Water throws down a dull brown resinous deposit. Balsam of — 
2 Mecca, which has been kept some time in the shops, becomes 
_ yellowish and more viscid ; the essential oil would appear. to 
aa 
_ render. paper translucent, and has a simply terebinthinate 
_ odour. The taste is aromatic, bitter, and somewhat acrid. It 
Would thus appear that the balsam imported into India is very _ 
nearly of the same charactor as that described by Guibourt 
_ 4nd supplied to him by M. Delessert, only that being fresher 
1b differs in colour and contains more essential oi]. _ or - 
Chemival compositton.—Trommsdorft found in eee” 
" this Balsam 30 per cent. of volatile oil, 64 per 
_ be very volatile, as after a short exposure the Balsam does nob 
