RESINA GUAIACI. 103 



the northern coast of the island. The wood obtained from the Haytian 

 ports (of the western part of the same island) is much less esteemed in 

 the London market. 



Some small wood of good quality comes from the Bahamas, and an 

 ordinary quality, also small, from Jamaica. From the latter island, the 

 quantity exported in 1871 was only l-i tons ;^ from the Bahamas in the 

 same year 199 tons.- Lignum Vitie was shipped from Santa Martti in 

 1872 to the extent of 115 tons.^ 



Hamburg is also an important place for the wood under notice ; in 

 1877 there were imported 22,404 centners from S. Domingo and 3551 

 centners from Venezuela. 



Uses — Guaiacum wood is only retained in the phannacopoeia as an 

 ingredient of the Compound Decoction of Sarsaparilla. It is probably 

 inert, at least in the manner in which it is now administered.'* 



Adulteration — In purchasing guaiacum chips it is necessary to 

 observe that the non-resinous sapwood is absent, and still more that 

 there is no admixture of any other wood. A spurious form of the drug 

 seems to be by no means rare in the United States.^ 



RESINA GUAIACI. 



Guaiacum Resin; F. Resine de Game; G. Gaaiakharz. 



Botanical Origin — Guaiacum offtcimale L., see preceding article. 



History — Hutten^ in 1510 stated that guaiacum wood when set on 

 fire exudes a blackish resin which quickly hardens, but of which he 

 knew no use. The resin was in fact introduced into medicine much 

 later than the wood. The first edition of the London Pharmacopmia 

 in which we find the former named is that of 1677. 



Production" — In the island of St. Domingo, whence the supplies of 

 guaiacum resin are chiefly derived, the latter is collected from the stems 

 of the trees, in part as a natural exudation, and in part as the result of 

 incisions made in the bark. In some districts as in the island of 

 Gonave near Port-au-Prince, another method of obtaining it is adopted. 

 A log of the wood is supported in a horizontal position above the 

 ground by two upright bars. Each end of the log is then set on fire, 

 and a large incision ha\'ing been previously made in the middle, the 

 melted resin rims out therefrom in considerable abundance. 36,350 lbs. 

 of it have been exported in 1875 from Port-au-Prince. 



The resin is collected chiefly from G. o^ciiude, which afibrds it in 

 greater plenty than G. sanctum. 



^ Blue' Book — Island of Jamaica for 1871- pamphlet quoted before, and its numerous 



- Blue Book for Colony of Bahamas for reprints and translations. 



1871. ^ Schulz, in the (Chicago) Pharmacist, 



3 Consular Seports, Aug. 1873. 746. Sept. 1873. 



■* The ancient treatment of syphilis by " Op. cit. at p. 101. 



guaiacum which gained for the drug such ^ We have to thank Mr. Eugene Nau of 



immense reputation, consisted in the ad- Port-au-Prince for the information given 



ministration of vast quantities of the decoc- under this head, as well as forsome interest- 



tion, the patient being shut up in a warm ing specimens, 

 room and kept in bed. — See Hutten's 



