318 BURSERACEZL. 
resin, 4 per cent. of soft resin, and 0:4. per cent. of bitter prin- 
ciples. The volatile oil was mobile, colourless, fragrant and 
had a rough taste ; it dissolved in alcchol and ether, and with 
a deep red colour in sulphuric acid, whence it was precipitated 
by water as a resin. It was also resinised by nitric acid. The 
hard resin was honey yellow, transparent, brittle, of specific 
gravity 1:333, softened at 44° C., and melted completely 
at 90° C. It dissolved with difficulty in alcohol and ether 
at ordinary temperatures, easily with aid of heat; it was like- — 
wise soluble in oils, both fixed and volatile. - It was altered by 
hot nitric and sulphuric acids, and appeared to combine with — 
_ alkalies, forming compounds insoluble in free alkali. The soft 
resin was brown and very glutinous, inodorous and tasteless ; 
_ melted when dry at 112°C. Tt was insoluble in alcohol and 
ether, but soluble in oils, both fixed and volatile. It was not 
attacked by alkalies or by strong sulphuric acid ; with nitric 
_ acid, it swelled up and became friable, ’ 
Hab-el-Balasin.—The fruit is imported from Arabia and is 
kept by all the native druggists who deal in what are called 
in India “ Mughlai” or “ Yunani” medicines ; it has a pleasant 
terebinthinate odour, and exactly obersapands with the figures 
and vit Rees of the.fruits of B. Opobalsamum in Bentley 
and Trimen’s. * Medicinal Plants.” If soaked in water they 
soften and can bd easily dissected, and the remarkable form of 
the pulpy layer within the epicarp be seen. Sections of the 
epicarp show very large ramifying balsam cells, which appear 
to communicate one with another. The fruit is considered to 
be a powerful carminative and digestive; it is also praised as 
_ a stimulant expectorant, and is usually administered in com- © 
bination with tragacanth. 
Commerce.—Balm of Mecca, Rs. 8 per lb.; the fruit, Re. $ 
per lb. 
GARUGA PINNATA, foxwt. 
og -—Foxb., ~~ Pi. tit., t. 208; — Hort. Mal. w., 
Hab. “India. The fruit and j juice. 
