BENZOINUM. BENZOIN. 6l 



BENZOINUM. BENZOIN. 



Benzoinum is a balsamic resin obtained from Styrax 

 Benzoin, Dryander, a medium-sized tree native of 

 Sumatra, and portions of India, in which places it is also 

 extensively cultivated. It is probable that the Siam 

 variety is derived from another source.* The resin has its 

 origin for the most part in the cells of the middle bark, but 

 the secondary medullary ray cells also contain some resin. 

 The contents of the resin-producing cells are at first in- 

 creased, the cell becomes swollen, and later there appear 

 drops of resin within the cell. The cell walls then break 

 down, being absorbed from the inside, which results in the 

 formation of lysigenous passages in the bark. These 

 gradually increase to a large size. 



Artificial incisions are made in the bark in April and 

 May from which the clear resin flows; that from the 

 younger trees (five years) being the best quality. As 

 the tree grows older the resin grows darker, and when the 

 tree is about twenty years old it is frequently cut, and 

 yields, along with pieces of wood and bark, inferior grades. 

 The terms head, belly, and foot benzoin have been used to 

 designate the benzoin derived from the trees at these 

 respective times. 



The resin is received at Sumatra or Bangkok in canoes, 

 sampans, and is sent from there to the ports of export, 

 Singapore, etc. 



Several varieties need to be distinguished. These 

 are Sumatra, Siam, Penang, etc. 



Sumatra benzoin comes in large masses. The^e are 

 somewhat irregular and porous, and have a general 

 reddish or greenish brown color. Imbedded here and 

 there are a number of whiter pearls or "mandels," 3 to 5 

 cm. in diameter. The relatively greater number of these 

 mandels indicates a better sort of benzoin. Inferior 



♦ Fluckiger: Pharmakognosie; Holmes: Phar. Trans., 1891, p. 5x8. 



