BALSAM OF COPAI VA'TREE. 183 



pceias in the syrupus tolutanus, tinctura tolutana, and syrupus baJ- 

 samicus. 



[/. Banks. Woodville. 



SECTION XVII. 



Balsam of Copaiva Tree, 

 Copaifera Officinalis. Linn. 



This is the arbor baccifera Brasiliensis of Ray. The tree 

 grows to a considerable height: it is covered with rough brown 

 bark, and divides into numerous branches: the leaves are pinnated, 

 large, consisting of four pair of pinnae, which are alternate, except 

 the undermost, which is nearly opposite ; they are ovate, pointed, 

 somewhat narrowed on one side, and placed upon short footstalks: 

 the flowers are white, and produced in terminal branched spikes: 

 there is no calyx : the petals are four, oblong, acute, concave, 

 spreading : the filaments are ten, slender, incurved, somewhat longer 

 than the corolla, and crowned with anthtrae, which are oblong, 

 and incumbent : the germen is roundish, compressed, and stands 

 upon a short pedicle : the style is filiform, incurved, about the 

 length of the filaments, and furnished with an obtuse sligma : the 

 fruit is an oval pod, of two valves, pointed with part of the re- 

 maining style : it contains one egg-shaped seed, involved In a ber- 

 ried tunic. 



This tall and elegant tree is a native of South America, particu- 

 larly Brazil, and some of the neighbouring islands ; and it is said to 

 have been discovered growing in the terra firma in large woods 

 with those trees which afford several of our officinal balsams, espe- 

 cially that of Tolu and Peru. The resinous juice, called Balsam of 

 Copaiba, is obtained from this tree by making incisions near the 

 base of its trunk, extending not only through the bark but into the 

 substance of the wood, when the balsam immediately issues, and at 

 the proper season flows in such abundance, that sometimes in three 

 hours twelve pounds have been procured. The older trees afford 

 the best balsam, and yield it two or three times in the same year. 

 The balsam supplied by the young and vigorous trees, which abound 

 with the most juice, is crude and watery, and is therefore account- 

 ed less valuable. While flowing from the tree this balsam is a 



N4 



