242 ODOROGRAPHIA. 
tree. This fine kind of storax, always extremely scarce, was called 
amygdaloid, from the small white almond-like tears of which it 
partially consisted. It also bore the name of Styrax calamites, a 
term derived from the ancient method of packing it im _ reeds 
(calami). This description of storax, which was undoubtedly the 
Storax of ancient times, has now wholly disappeared from com- 
merce, the name Styrax calamites or calamita bemg retained to 
designate a manufactured compound, hereafter described, but not 
produced from S. officinalis, Linn. 
Liquid Storax.—This balsam was mentioned at avery early date 
by the Arabian physicians and was exported by the Arabs to India 
and China, which countries still receive the larger portion of the 
annual production. The botanical origin of the drug was, until a 
comparatively recent date, obscure, but we know now with cer- 
tainty that it is exclusively obtamed from Liguidambar Orientals, 
Miller (LZ. imberbe, Aiton), a tree whose geographical distribution 
is very restricted, but which forms large forests in the south-west 
of Asia Minor. These forests are described by Hanbury* as 
being found in the district of Sighala, near Melasso; near 
Moughla, and near Giova and Ulla, in the Gulf of Giova; also 
near Marmorizza and Isgengak, opposite Rhodes. ‘The trees are 
described as resembling the plane tree, although with a smaller 
leaf and being much denser in foliage than the plane; the height 
being twenty to sixty feet, and being especially large in the 
immediate vicinity of streams of water, and where they find 
sufficient air and space. 
The tree is figured in Hooker’s ‘Icones Plantarum,’ 3rd series, 
1867, tab. 1019; Hanbury’s ‘ Science Papers, 1876; and 
Bentley and Trimen’s Med. Plants, tab. 107. 
The methods of extracting the Liquid Storax have been 
described as follows :—In June and July, the outer bark is 
stripped off on one side of the tree and reserved for purposes of 
fumigation. The inner bark is then scraped off with a semicir- 
cular or sickle-shaped knife, and when a sufficient quantity has 
been collected, it is packed in strong horsehair bags and subjected 
to pressure in a wooden lever press. Upon removal from the 
press, hot water is thrown over the bags and they are pressed a 
second time, after which the greater portion of the resin will have 
* Pharm, Journ. [1] xvi. p. 461. 
