128 



GYMNOSPERMIA. 



CONIFERS. 



519. ABIES BALSAMEA, Marshall; PINUS BALSAMEA, L. (Balsam Fir, 



Balm of Gilead Fir.) 



a. Oleoresin. (Canada Balsam.) 



Note. Canada balsam is also produced by Pinus Fraseri, Pursh. It is 

 much used for mounting objects for the microscope. For this purpose 

 old hard Canada balsam is preferred. It readily mixes with chloroform 

 and benzol in all proportions. See Pharmacographia, p. 552. It solidifies 

 with one sixth of its weight of calcined magnesia. For its optical pro- 

 perties, see Per. Mat. Med., vol. ii., pt. i., p. 306. 



6. Volatile oil. .'"" 



Note. This is the volatile oil separated by distillation from Canada 

 balsam. For fig. of plant, see Bentley and Trimen, Med. Plants, tab. 263. 



520. ABIES CANADENSIS, Mich.; PINUS CANADENSIS, L. (Hemlock 



Spruce.) 



a. Oleoresin. (Canada Pitch, Hemlock Pitch.) 



Note. In its purified state it is official in the U. S. Pharmacopoeia. 

 The powdered inner bark is used by American herbalists as an astrin- 

 gent. An oil obtained from the oleoresin, and called oil of hemlock or 

 oil of spruce, has been used to procure- abortion. See Wood and Bache, 

 Ditpent., p. 651. Bentley and Trimen, Med. Plants, tab. 264. 



521. ABIES EXCELSA, D.C. ; FINDS ABIES, L. (Norway Spruce.) 



a. Fruiting branchlet. 



b. Concrete oleoresin. (Burgundy Pitch.) 



Note. Specimen 6 is an authentic specimen, which, as well as the 

 fruit, was gathered in Switzerland, at Simmenthal, Canton de Bern, by 

 Mr. D. Hanbury in the autumn of 1849. It is described by Pereira in 

 his Mat. Med., vol. ii., pt. i., p. 306. 



c. Concrete oleoresin. Two specimens, from Messrs. Allen 



&Co. 



d. Ditto. Four specimens. 



e. Strained Burgundy pitch, from Hamburg. 



/. Plaister made from a specimen imported from St. 



Petersburg in 1849. Presented by Mr. J. Barclay. 

 g. Artificial Burgundy pitch. 



Note. Most of the Burgundy pitch found in commerce is a fictitious 

 article, made by melting resin with linseed oil, and colouring with 

 arnatto or palm oil. The genuine article is much more irritating than 

 the fictitious one. See Cooley's Cyclopedia, p. 941 ; Pharmacographia, 

 pp. 557-560. Any fat oil may be detected by treating the Burgundy 

 pitch with twice its weight of glacial acetic acid, when it forms a turbid 

 mixture. For fig. of plant, see Bentl. <& Trim., Med. Plants, tab. 262. 



