7loe Ufeful Family Herbal 9 3 



The Copal Tree. 



ARBOR GOPALIF^RA 



■ 



Large Tree o^ South- America. It 



great Hcighth, and is tall, ftrait, and 



A^ 



rably'regular ; the Bark of the Trunk is of 

 deep Brown. The Branches arc bitter. The 

 JLeaves are large and oblong, and they are blunt 

 at the Ends j they are deeply cut in at the Edges, 

 and if it were not that they are a great deal long- 

 er in Proportion to their Breadth, they would be 

 ..very like thofe of the Oak -, the Flowers are mo- 

 derately large, and full of Threads -, the Fruit 

 Is round, and of a Blood Red when ripe. 



We ufe a Refin which ouzes from the Bark of 



and is 



pale yellow Colour, fome 



ge Trees of 



times 'brownjfh, and often colourlefs, and like 

 Gum Arabic ■, we have a Way of calling it a Gum, 

 but it is truly a Refin j and the yellow Pieces of 

 it are fo bright and tranfparent, that they very 

 much refemble the pureil Amber. 



It is good againft .the Whites, and againft 

 Weaknefles left after the venereal Difeafe, but it 

 is not fo much ufed on thefe Occafions as it de- 

 ferves. It is excellent for making Varnifliesi and 

 what is commonly called Amber Varnifti among 

 our Artifls is made from it. Amber will make 

 a very fine Varnifli, better than that of Copal, 

 or any other kind -, but it is dear. 



We fometimes fee Heads of Canes of the co- 

 lourlefs Copal, which feem to be of Amber, only 

 they want its Colour, thefe are made of the fame 

 Refin, in the Eqft- Indies where it grows harder. 



Coral." 



