220 THYMELMA CEJB. 



near Sylhet, a dependency of the Sdbah of Bengal, situated 

 towards tlie nortli-east of Bengal Proper. The tree is also found 

 in the islands to the south of Bengal, situated north of the 

 Equator, and in the Chatian islands belonging to the town of 

 Nawaka, near the boundaries of China. The tree is very large, 

 the stem and branches generally croolced, the wood soft. From 

 the wood are manufactured walking sticks, cups, and other 

 vessels; it is liable to decay, and the diseased part then 

 becomes infiltrated with an odoriferous secretion. In order to 

 expedite this change it is often buried in wet ground. Parts 

 which have undergone the change above mentioned become oily, 

 heavy, and black. They are cut out and tekted by being thrown 

 into water ; those which sink are caUed Gharki, those which 

 partly sink Nim Gharki, or Samaleh-i-aah, and those which 

 float Samdkh ; the last kind is much the most common. Gharki 

 is of a black colour, and the other qualities dark and light- 

 brown." 



• The best kind for medicinal use is Gharki Ood from Sylhet ; 

 it should bo bitter, odoriferous, oily and a little astringent ; 

 other kinds are considered inferior. In most receipts raw Uo 

 (Ood-i-kham) is enjoined to be used to prevent the use of wood 

 from which the oil has been abstracted by crushing and mace- ^ 

 ration in water, or by crushing and admixture with almon s, 

 which are afterwards expressed.* This precaution is the more 

 necessary as Ood shavings are an article of commerce m in 

 under the name of Chura agar ; they are often adulterated \M 

 chips of Sandalwood, or Taggar, an odoriferous wood, commo 

 in India. 



Eiumphius describes two kinds of true, and two of false, al 

 wood ; the first kind of true aloe wood, he says, is called Kuan^ 

 or Ho-Kilam by the Chinese, and Calambac by the Malays, and 

 is produced by a tree growing in the provinces of Champa and 

 Coinam, and in Cochin- China. This tree has been described by 

 Loureiro under the name of Aioexylon Afjallochum. The second 

 kind, called Ga>o, la the product of Aquilaria malaccensis, Lan ' 



• Nicolau 



dum 



