OF THE QUASSIA SIMAIiUBA. 309 



In 1756, Dr Patrick Browne published his Civil and 

 Natural History of Jamaica. At page 345, he describes the 

 terebinthinus, or birch and turpentine tree. The barkt>f the 

 roots (says he) is thought to be the simarouba of the shops. 



In 1763, Linn eus makes the simaruba to be the Burscra 

 gummifera, and refers to the pistacia of former editions of the 

 Species Plantarum, and to Browne and Sloan, as above 

 cited. In the Appendix, a reference is made to the terebin- 

 thinus Americana polyphylla. Commelin, Hort. i. p. 149, 

 and to Catesby's gum elemi tree. 



M. Jacquin visited all the West India Islands, and made 

 many discoveries of new plants. He examined the roots of the 

 Burscra gummifera, and found their bark very different from 

 the simaruba bark. 



In 1772, I employed all my spare hours in examining the 

 plants of Jamaica. In this delightful walk of science, I dis- 

 covered and ascertained many hundreds of new plants which 

 had escaped the diligence of former botanists, — amongst 

 others, the tree which produces the simaruba bark. 



In 1773, specimens of the fructification were sent in spirits, 

 accompanied with a botanical account of the tree, to my late 

 worthy friend Dr Hope, Professor of Botany in the Univer- 

 sity of Edinburgh ; also some dried bark from the roots. 

 The following year specimens, with similar descriptions, were 

 transmitted to my late learned and valuable friend Dr John 

 Fothergill, of London, who sent them to the celebrated 

 LiNN.KUs, at Upsal, as appears by Professor Murray's Ap- 

 paratus Medicaminum, vol. hi. p. 458*, article Simaruba. 

 Dr Fothergill caused elegant drawings to be made of this 



* Qualis vera ejusdem arbor sit, jamjam Aubletii iiulagine cognosci- 

 raus, ut tamen ct mihi monerc incumbat, CI. Linx.i.um equitem, litteris 

 jam anno 1770 ineunte, mihi datis, antequam Aubletii elegantissimum 

 opus illi innotesceret, signifieasse, simarubam quassia- species a se haberi. 

 llle autem simaruba? cortex quo CI. WaiGHT, arborem in Jamaica, vrul- 

 garem vestitam esse innuit; pariter in alvi profluviis efficaci, &c. 



