44 ODOROGRAPHIA. 



Laurus Benzoin, or Wild Allspice. 



It is stated that during the American war, when allspice was 

 difficult to obtain in the United States, a substitute was found in 

 the berries of Laurus Benzoin, Linn., sp. pi. 530 (Syn. Benzoin 

 odoriferum, Xees, Laurin, 497 ; Barton, Mat. Med. ii. t. 33 ; 

 Laurus i^seudo Benzoin, Mich. fl. bor. am. i. 243), commonly known 

 as "Spice-Wood," "Wild Allspice," " Fever- Wood," "Benjamin- 

 bush " and " Spice-bush " (not the Californian " Spice-bush," which 

 is Oreoda'phne Californica, described hereafter), a deciduous 

 ]^orth American shrub of the genus Lauracece, inhabiting damp, 

 shady woods in localities extending from Canada to Florida. This 

 bush grows to a height of eight or ten feet, has oblong-ovate or 

 elliptic wedge-shaped leaves and small yellow flowers in clustered 

 naked umbels appearing before the leaves. The aromatic fruit 

 is the size of an olive, bright red, and in clusters. The bark is 

 highly aromatic, stimulant and tonic. 



For the purpose of ascertaining the amount of fixed and volatile 

 oils in the berry of this plant, an examination was made by Dr. 

 Miller, of Philadelphia,* with the following results : ". . . Fifty 

 pounds of the spice berries, in very fair condition, were reduced to 

 a coarse powder in a mill, and then subjected to a hydraulic 

 pressure of 2,000 lbs. on the square inch of surface. Only very 

 little oil having been obtained in this manner, the ground berries 

 were removed from the press, moistened with water, and at the 

 same time G^entlv warmed bv means of a steam-bath. After being 

 re-introduced into the cylinder of the hydraulic press under these 

 conditions, the berries yielded a comparatively large proportion of 

 viscid oil. This was separated from the water accompanying it 

 and then filtered. It was found to weigh 16 lbs. 8 J ozs., being 

 about 33 per cent, of the crude drug. It has a consistence 

 similar to that of castor oil, a greenish-brown colour and a pungent 

 aromatic taste. Its sp. gr. was found to be 0*929. Mixed with 

 double its volume of 94 per cent, alcohol, only 12 per cent, of it 

 was dissolved, but it was miscible with ether in all proportions. 

 The expressed residue was next introduced, along with sufficient 

 water, into a still heated by a steam-jacket, but though the 

 operation was continued for a number of hours, only 123 grains of 

 volatile oil were obtained from the entire mass, showing that the 

 * Proc. Am. Fharm. Assoc, 1879, p. 772. 



