GUAIACUM 159 



Grindelia robusta, a California plant, as found in 

 commerce, is of questionable authenticity, owing to 

 the near relationship of other very similar species of 

 grindelia. It early attracted the attention of the Jesuit 

 Fathers in their mission stations along the coast, it 

 being used by the natives before the conquest of the 

 country by the Americans. Dr. C. A. Canfield, of 

 Monterey, Calif., about 1863, called attention to grin- 

 delia as a remedy in the poison of Rhus Toxicodendron, 

 its native use in that direction having become known 

 to him. Mr. James G. Steele, of San Francisco, 1875, 

 contributed a paper to the American Pharmaceutical 

 Association, commending grindelia in this direction. 

 After that time the drug rapidly crept into favor with 

 the profession of medicine. Its introduction is to be 

 credited to Parke, Davis & Company, of Detroit. 

 See "New Preparations" (467). 



GUAIACUM (Guaiac) 



Both the resin and the wood of Guaiacum were recognized 

 from 1820 to the year 1890, the 1820 edition giving as its common 

 name Lignum vitce, The editions of 1900 and 1910 limit the 

 official drug to the "resin of the wood of Guaiacum." Officially 

 recognized by the U. S. P. 1910 as derived from Guaiacum offi- 

 cinale or from Guaiacum sanctum. 



Guaiacum is a low evergreen tree, native to the 

 West Indies and Southern Florida. Its earliest im- 

 portation into Europe was from San Domingo, as 

 recorded by Oviedo (487), 1526 A. D.; but that it was 

 known previously in Germany, is proved by treatises 

 by Nicholaus Poll (517), 1517; Leonard Schmaus (578), 

 1516; and Ulrich von Hutten (332), 1518, by whom it 

 is given a place. Oviedo, who landed in America in 

 1514, observed the tree, called by the natives Guayacan. 



