CONFIRMATORY OPINIONS. 307 



3. That it acquired the name of Balsam of Peru solely from 1864. 

 the circumstance of it being transported to Europe by way 

 of Peru. 



Since communicating to the Society that paper, I have referred 

 to several of the early writers on Central America, in the hope 

 of finding further confirmation of the opinions above expressed. 

 In this I have not been wholly unsuccessful, as the following 

 brief extracts will show. 



Father Joseph de Acosta in his Historia Natural y Moral de Father Joseph 

 las Indicts, published at Seville in 1590, says: " . . . . That 

 which is more important, is, that for making the Chrism, which 

 is so necessary in the Holy Church and so greatly venerated, 

 the Apostolic See has declared that with this Indian balsam 

 Chrism is to be made in the Indies, and with it that of the 

 Sacrament of Confirmation, and those moreover used in other 

 ceremonies of the Church. 



" Balsam is brought to Spain from New Spain ; and it is in 

 the provinces of Guatemala and Chiapas and others in those 

 parts that it most abounds, although the most precious is that 

 which comes from the island of Tolu in Terra Firma, not far 

 from Carthagena." l 



Herrera, who wrote a history of the West Indies published at Herrera's 

 Madrid in 1601, states, in describing Guatemala, that there are 

 found in this province many fountains and springs of hot water 

 having different properties, virtues and colours : there is fine 

 balsam in abundance, which the Spaniards knew without learn- 

 ing it from the Indians, notwithstanding what a certain author 

 has written. Moreover there is liquid ambar, copal and suchi- 

 copal and other kinds of gurns and juices, very perfect. . . 

 The harbour of Acaxutla near Trinity [Sonsonate] at 13 degrees 



1 '.... Lo que mas importa es, que para la substancia de hazer Chrisma, 

 que tan necessario es en la sancta Iglesia, y de tanta veneration, ha declarado 

 la Sede Apostolica, que con este Balsamo de Indias se haga Chrisma en 

 Indias, y con el se de el Sacramento de Confirmation, y los de mas, donde la 

 Iglesia lo lisa. Traese a Espaiia el Balsamo de la nueva Espaiia, y la provincia 

 de Guatimala, y de Chiapa, y otras por alii es donde mas abunda, aunque el 

 m;is preciado es, el que viene de la Isla.de Tolu, que es en Tierrnfirme no 

 de Cartngena." lib. iv. c. 2S. 



