﻿SALVADOR 
  STANDL.EY. 
  323 
  

  

  expressed 
  and 
  later 
  refined 
  by 
  a 
  boiling 
  process. 
  The 
  balsam 
  is 
  an 
  

   official 
  drug 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Pharmacopoeia, 
  being 
  employed 
  in 
  

   ihe 
  treatment 
  of 
  diseases 
  of 
  the 
  respiratory 
  system, 
  and 
  in 
  Europe 
  it 
  

   is 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  perfumes 
  and 
  other 
  articles. 
  By 
  a 
  

   papal 
  bull 
  issued 
  by 
  Pius 
  IV 
  in 
  1562 
  and 
  by 
  another 
  by 
  Pius 
  V 
  in 
  1571 
  

   the 
  clergy 
  were 
  authorized 
  to 
  use 
  the 
  balsam 
  in 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  

   the 
  chrism, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  declared 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  sacrilege 
  to 
  injure 
  or 
  destroy 
  

   the 
  trees. 
  The 
  balsam 
  is 
  still 
  much 
  used 
  in 
  church 
  services. 
  

  

  In 
  spite 
  of 
  its 
  nai 
  le 
  of 
  Peruvian 
  balsam, 
  the 
  tree 
  which 
  produces 
  

   it 
  is 
  not 
  found 
  in 
  Pe 
  i. 
  This 
  erroneous 
  term 
  owes 
  its 
  origin 
  to 
  the 
  

   fact 
  that 
  in 
  colonial 
  days 
  the 
  balsam 
  sometimes 
  found 
  its 
  way 
  to 
  

   Spain 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  Peruvian 
  ports. 
  When 
  first 
  introduced 
  into 
  Europe 
  

   the 
  most 
  extravagant 
  properties 
  were 
  ascribed 
  to 
  it, 
  and 
  it 
  sometimes 
  

   sold 
  at 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  $200 
  an 
  ounce. 
  Although 
  apparently 
  native 
  only 
  

   in 
  a 
  restricted 
  portion, 
  cultivated 
  trees 
  are 
  seen 
  in 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  Sal- 
  

   vador. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  these 
  cultivated 
  trees 
  will 
  not 
  yield 
  balsam; 
  

   but 
  while 
  this 
  actually 
  may 
  be 
  the 
  case, 
  it 
  seems 
  most 
  improbable. 
  

  

  The 
  national 
  tree 
  of 
  Salvador 
  undoubtedly 
  is 
  the 
  amate, 
  or 
  wild 
  

   fig. 
  Of 
  the 
  wild 
  figs 
  there 
  are 
  numerous 
  species, 
  all 
  with 
  fruits 
  in 
  

   form 
  much 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  cultivated 
  fig 
  tree, 
  but 
  usually 
  small 
  

   and 
  inedible. 
  The 
  annates 
  are 
  not 
  lofty 
  trees, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  strik- 
  

   ingly 
  handsome, 
  with 
  short, 
  thick 
  trunks 
  and 
  broad, 
  spreading 
  

   crowns 
  of 
  lustrous 
  foliage. 
  The 
  familiar 
  banyan 
  trees 
  of 
  the 
  Orient 
  

   are 
  of 
  this 
  group, 
  but 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  see 
  any 
  trees 
  of 
  the 
  banyan 
  type 
  

   (with 
  numerous 
  trunks 
  extending 
  down 
  from 
  the 
  branches) 
  in 
  

   Salvador, 
  although 
  they 
  are 
  common 
  enough 
  along 
  the 
  western 
  coast 
  

   of 
  Mexico. 
  The 
  wild 
  figs 
  frequently 
  begin 
  their 
  existence 
  upon 
  the 
  

   branch 
  of 
  some 
  other 
  tree, 
  where 
  the 
  seed 
  germinates, 
  and 
  later 
  the 
  

   young 
  fig 
  plant 
  develops 
  long 
  aerial 
  roots 
  that 
  reach 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  

   ground 
  and 
  take 
  root. 
  The 
  intruder 
  grows 
  rapidly 
  and 
  soon 
  envel- 
  

   ops 
  and 
  destroys 
  its 
  foster 
  parent. 
  The 
  annates 
  are 
  probably 
  the 
  

   most 
  admired 
  of 
  all 
  Salvadorean 
  trees, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  left 
  for 
  shade 
  

   everywhere 
  along 
  roads 
  and 
  in 
  fields. 
  There 
  is 
  scarcely 
  a 
  country 
  

   dwelling 
  that 
  does 
  not 
  boast 
  of 
  its 
  special 
  tree, 
  which 
  is 
  frequently 
  

   quite 
  as 
  much 
  a 
  center 
  of 
  domestic 
  activities 
  as 
  the 
  dwelling 
  itself. 
  

  

  Another 
  tree 
  which 
  vies 
  in 
  beauty 
  and 
  interest 
  with 
  the 
  amate 
  is 
  

   the 
  ceiba, 
  or 
  silk-cotton 
  tree, 
  of 
  which 
  there 
  are 
  fine 
  examples 
  in 
  

   many 
  places. 
  The 
  ceiba 
  is 
  not 
  nearly 
  so 
  abundant 
  as 
  the 
  amate, 
  

   but 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  much 
  larger 
  and 
  more 
  imposing 
  tree, 
  being 
  actually, 
  I 
  

   believe, 
  the 
  largest 
  Salvadorean 
  tree. 
  The 
  trunk 
  is 
  often 
  of 
  enor- 
  

   mous 
  girth, 
  but 
  not 
  very 
  tall, 
  and 
  the 
  crown 
  is 
  large 
  in 
  proportion, 
  

   not 
  high 
  but 
  of 
  ample 
  spread. 
  The 
  trunk 
  is 
  usually 
  strengthened 
  

   at 
  the 
  base 
  by 
  buttresses, 
  which 
  radiate 
  on 
  all 
  sides 
  and- 
  supply 
  the 
  

   strength 
  necessary 
  to 
  sustain 
  the 
  great 
  top. 
  The 
  amate 
  trees 
  also, 
  

   when 
  they 
  have 
  attained 
  a 
  large 
  size, 
  sometimes 
  develop 
  buttresses. 
  

  

  