BY JOSEPH LAUTERER, M.D. 1$ 



In the Proceedings of our Royal Society J. H. Maiden gives 

 an analysis of the gum resin of Araucaria Cunninghamii and one 

 of A. Bidwilli, the "holy tree" of the Aborigines or the 

 Bunyah-bunyah Pine (Buni means holy or awful in Turabul). 

 Maiden obtained the resin of the latter, as he says, from the 

 Director of the Sydney Gardens, and gives a very startling 

 description of it, which does not inspire the reader with toa 

 much confidence. Here in Brisbane there is opportunity 

 enough to obtain pure resin of Arancana Bidivilli. It is quite 

 white in the fresh state and only gets yellow if exposed to the 

 weather for some days. 



By boiling it in water arable acid is dissolved, which falls 

 out with a snowy-white colour by adding alkohol or alcohol and 

 a few drops of hydrochloric acid. It amounts, when dry, to 23^ 

 per cent, of the air dry gum resin. The residue which is left 

 after boiling dissolves nearly all in spirits, staying in the beaker 

 when the alcohol evaporates. It contains a small amount of oil 

 of turpentine, which can be separated from it by distillation. 

 The first drops which go over have a smell like Canada balsam, 

 the last ones seem to be different and smell more of Oleum 

 Lauri, like the oil of frankincense. 



A small residue is left undissolved in spirits and is taken up 

 readily by strong boiling alcohol. After evaporation of this 

 smell, plates crystallize out, melting when heated without any 

 odour. They consist of sylvic acid, which is found too in the 

 resin of the European pines. 



UNPUBLISHED SONGS AND CORROBORREES. 



By J. LAUTERER, M.D. 



[Read before the Royal Society of Queensland, 17th Nov., 1894']. 



