COPAIBA 113 



of the trees yielding copaiba is to be found in the joint 

 work of Piso and Marcgrav (511), (1648), whose state- 

 ments form the basis of the subsequent literature on the 

 subject. In this connection it appears rather remark- 

 able that the Pharmacopeia Amstelodamensis, sixth 

 edition, 1630, antedating this publication, distinctly 

 mentions Balsam copce yvce. Some of the statements of 

 Piso and Marcgrav have given rise to discussion, the 

 fact that Piso figured and described the flowers with 

 five sepals, whereas they are now known to bear only 

 four, being one of the points. The pod, however, is 

 figured and described correctly, and the statement is 

 made that it contains an edible nut, which the monkeys 

 of the forest are very fond of eating. As regards the 

 mode of collecting the balsam, Piso relates that an in- 

 cision is made through the bark deep into the pith, at 

 the season of the full moon, which causes such an abun- 

 dant flow of fatty and oily liquid that twelve pounds 

 may exude in three hours. In case no oil should appear, 

 the opening is at once closed with- wax or clay, and 

 after two weeks the yield is sufficient to make up for 

 the delay. The fact that the resiniferous ducts in these 

 trees often attain a diameter of one inch, as has been 

 observed more recently by Karsten, seems to be quite 

 in harmony with the statement regarding the abundant 

 yield. It is also related that frequently the balsam 

 accumulates in these ducts and exerts pressure enough 

 upon the enclosing wall to burst the tree with a loud 

 report. According to Piso, the copaiba tree is not very 

 frequent in the Province of Pernambuco, but thrives 

 luxuriantly in the Island of Maranhao, which, he says, 

 furnishes the balsam of commerce in great quantit" 

 He also enumerates the many medicinal virtues ^ r 



