AMYRIS GILEADENSIS. ORD. XXXVII. Dumose., 605 
This Balsam, which has been received in the different Pharma- 
copeeias under the names of Balsamum de Mecea, Opobalsamumi, 
3alsamum verum, and Balsamum Gileadense, issues spontaneously 
from the bark of the tree; but is more commonly obtained by 
incisions: the Xylobalsamum, as the name imports, is prepared 
from the wood, and the Carpobalsamum from the fruit. The 
Balsam now imported into Europe is reperted to be principally 
collected between Mecca and Medina, The Bark, Mr. Bruce says, 
“is cut by an axe,’ when the juice is in its strongest circulation 
* in July, August, and the beginning of September. It is: then 
* received into a small earthen bottle, and every day’s produce 
gathered and poured into a larger, which is kept closely corked. 
The Opobalsamum, or juice flowing from the Balsam-tree, at 
first when it is received into the bottle or vase from the wound 
from whence it issues, is of a light yellow colour, apparently 
turbid, in which there is a whitish cast, which I apprehend are 
the globules of air that pervade the whole of it in its first state 
of fermentation; it then appears.very light upon shaking. As 
it-settles and cools, it turns clear, and loses that sec liitnass which 
‘* it first had when flowing from the tree into the bottle. It thea 
has the colour of honey, and appears more fixed and heavy than 
“ at first. After being kept for years, it grows of a much deeper 
cf yellev and of the colomrof gold. I have some of it which 
‘I got from the Cadi of Medina in 1768; it is now still deeper 
“ in colour, full as much.so as the yellowest honey. It is perfectly 
fluid, and has lost very little either of its taste, smell, or weight. 
« The smell at first is violent, and strongly pungent, giving a 
“sensation to the brain like that of volatile salts when rashly 
*‘ drawn up by an incautious person. This lasts in proportion 
* to its freshness, for, being neglected and the bottle uncorked, 
~ it quickly loses this quality, as it probably will at last by age, 
whatever care is taken of it.’ ; 
» Tacitus says this tree was so averse to iron, that it trembled- upon a knife 
being laid near it: and some pretend that the incisions should be made with ivory, 
shells, glass, or-stone, * 1 ee 
No. 48.— vot. 4. : 70 
