235 



The Indians eat this fruit with great 

 avidity, though it is apt to purge when fresh 

 gathered, but loses that quality as it grows 

 older. 



The juice, or decoction x of the leaves, is 

 carminative, and eases the colic pain. The 

 inward bark destroys worms. Between the 

 principal roots of the tree exudes a fine trans- 

 parent resin, which is collected in large lumps, 

 is called gum animi, and makes the finest 

 varnish that is known, superior even to the 

 Chinese lacca. 



The tree is now well known in the West 

 Indies ; and when old, the timber is in request 

 to make wheel-work for various machines. 



As this tree is made interesting to us by 

 the mention made of it in Scripture, I shall 

 be excused in giving some particulars from 

 the Botanical Manuscript of Mr. Anthony 

 Robinson, who writes thus : 



" On the 8th July, 1759, I had the plea- 

 sure of seeing the perfect flower of the hyme- 

 naea of Linnaeus expanded, from which I 

 took this description : the receptacle of the 

 cup was bell-shaped, permanent; the peri- 

 anth consisted of four ovate, coriaceous, thick 

 leaves, almost equal, placed scalewise, which, 

 for the most part, dropped as soon as the 

 petals were expanded. The leaves of the 



