232 ODOROGRAPHIA. 
CHAPTER XI. 
BENZOIN.—STORAX.—BALSAM PERU.—BALSAM TOLU. 
BENZOIN. 
In the earliest known mention of gum benzoin the drug is called 
“Incense of Java,” Lubin Jéwi. The word Java was applied to 
the island of Sumatra, and was in fact used indiscriminately by 
the Arabs to designate in a general way the islands of the Archi- 
pelago. The Arab name Lubin Jawi became successively cor- 
rupted into Banjawi, Benjui, Benzui, Benzoi, Benzom, and 
ultimately to the common English name Benjamin. 
The Sumatra and the Java benzoin are produced by the Styraz 
Benzoin tree (Dryander). The botanical source of the Sumatra 
benzoin was determined by Dryander, and an account and figure 
of the plant were published by him in the ‘ Philosophical Transac- 
tions’ for the year 1787, lxxvii. p. 303. According to recent 
investigations made by Mr. Holmes *, the Penang benzoin is 
similar in appearance to the Sumatra kind ; but it has an odour 
quite distinct and so strongly resembling storax that it is probably 
produced by a different species, possibly the S. subdenticulata, 
Miq., which occurs in West Sumatra and has the same vernacular 
name, “ Kajoe Kéminjan.” That these two species should receive 
the same native name is not surprising, since the leaves are very 
similar in shape and appearance and the fruit of S. subdenticulata 
apparently only differs from that of S. Benzoin in being obovate 
instead of globular and depressed. Mr. Holmes adds :—“ The 
Palembang benzoin is probably derived from S. Benzoin; it has 
the same odour as ordinary benzoin from Sumatra and Java, but 
* Pharm. Journ. [3] xiv, p. 354, and xx. p. 519. 
