BY .1. H. MAIDEN, K.L.S., K.C.S., KTC. 07 



('. heiujdicnsc, Roxb., exudes a clear, brittle, amber-coloured 

 resin resembling copal, -sec Kurz. Forest Flora of British India, 

 Bennett, n/i dt, and others. 



('. roininune is, however, the species of most interest to us, 

 because it is by some people supposed to yield the ordinary 

 Elemi (Manila i of commerce. I proceed to quote the best 

 authorities, from which it will be seen that the origin of Manila 

 Elemi is still a matter of uncertainty, and it is therefore dan- 

 gerous to make any assumption as to the composition and pro- 

 perties of the exudation of C. Muclleri based on the further 

 assumption that Elemi is the product of a (anarinm. 



The British Pharmacoptuia of 1885, speaking of Manila 

 Elemi, says : — ^" The botanical source of which is undetermined, 

 but is sometimes referred to ('anariiun comviune, Linn., and the 

 latest official Guide I have of the Kew Museums (1886), expresses 

 similar uncertainty. 



In the L'h((rjii(a-o;ir<(jiIi(/ of Hanbury and Fliickiger, these 

 authorities do not think that Manila Elemi is the product of a 

 ( '((iKtriioii. 



Cooke [(tiuiis and lleninn of India), speaking of C. coiinnuue 

 says, " Commercially no Elemi is derived directly or indirectly 

 from India, and although the tree is found there, under the name 

 of Java Almond, or Jiuuiht' hadam, its resin seems to be 

 unknown ; Dr. Cooke had charge of tlie gums and resins in the 

 Indian Museum, London, and had special facilities to acquire 

 exact knowledge on the subject. 



I now turn to authorities on the other side. " The tree 

 produces resin so abundantly that it hangs m large pieces and 

 conical tears from the trunk and principal branches. The resin 

 is at first white, liquid and sticky, but afterwards becomes 

 yellowish and of the consistence of wax (Rumphius)." 



We are told by Horstield, in his list of medicinal plants of 



Java, " that the gum has the same virtues of Balsam of 



Copaiba "...(Ainslie). Both the above quotations are from the 

 Phariii(ico(/r((pIiia Indira, Pt. II. 



•' The bark yields an abundance of limpid oil with pungent 

 turpentine smell, congealing m a buttery camphoraceous sub- 



