BALSAMUM PERUVIANUM. 207 



feired to the " Hoaxtepecences hortos " of the Mexican kings " deliti- 

 ai'um et magnificentise gratia." 



Balsam of Peru was well known in German pharmacy in the begin- 

 ing of the l7th century (see article Bahamuni Tolutanum). 



The exports of Guatemala being shipped chiefly at Acajutla, were 

 formerly carried to Callao, the port of Lima, whence they were trans- 

 mitted to Spain. This circumstance led to the balsam acquiring the 

 misleading name of Peru, and in part to the notion that it was a produc- 

 tion of South America. 



The history of Balsam of Peru was much amplified by a communica- 

 tion of the late Dr. Charles Dorat, of Sonsouate, Salvador, in 1860 to the 

 American Journal of Phai'vuicy, and by still further information accom- 

 panied by drawings and specimens, transmitted to one of us in 1863.* 

 These statements have lastly been confirmed again on the spot by Mr. 

 Theophilus Wyss, a Swiss apothecary, established in San Miguel la 

 Union, San Salvador.^ 



Extraction of the Balsam — Early in November or December, or 



after the last rains, the stems of the balsam trees are beaten with the 



back of an axe, a hammer or other blunt instrument, on four sides, a 



similar extent of bark being left unbruised between the parts that are 



beaten. The bark thus injured soon cracks in long strips, and may be 



easily pulled ofi". It is sticky as well as the surface belovv^ it, and there 



is a slight exudation of fragrant resin, but not in sufficient quantity to 



be worth collecting. To promote an abundant flow, it is customary'-, five or 



six days after the beating, to apply lighted torches or bundles of burning 



wood to the injured bark, whereby the latter becomes charred. About 



a week later, the bark either drops or is taken off", and the stem commences 



to exude the balsam. This is collected by placing rags (of an}- kind or 



colour), so as entirely to cover the bare wood. As these rags in the course 



of some days become saturated with the exudation, they are collected, 



thrown into an earthen vessel of water, and gently boiled and stirred 



until they appear nearly clean, the balsam separating and sinking to the 



bottom. This process goes on for some hours, the exhausted rags being 



from time to time taken out, and fresh ones thrown in. As the rags are 



removed they are wrung out in a sort of rope bag, and the balsam so saved 



is added to the stock. When the boiler has cooled, the water is decanted, 



and the balsam is poured into tecomates or gourds, ready for the market. 



The balsam prepared by means of rags is termed " balsamo de trapo;" 



a little balsam of inferior quality is also produced, according to Wyss, 



by boiling the bark with water. This method affords " Tacuasonte " or 



" balsamo de cascara," which is sometimes mixed with the balsamo de 



trapo. Tacuasonte means prepared without fire. 



The Indians work a tree a second year, by bruising the bark that was 

 left untouched the previous year. As the bark is said to be renewed 

 in the short space of two years, it is possible to obtain from the same 

 tree an annual yield of about 2 lb. of balsam for many years, provided 



^Hanbury in Pharm. Journ. v. (1864) San Salvador to the Paris exhibition, p. .33, 



241. 315 ; also Science Papers, 294-309. Dr. D. J. Guzman gives : " Details sur le 



-Seemypaper, with map, in ^'cAweisemcA* moyen d'extraire et travailler le Balsamo 



Wochenschri/t fiir Pkarmacie, 1878. 219 H^^rodu Salvador, "which are far from satis- 



(Library of the Pharm. Soc, London). — factory. — F. A. F. 

 In the Catalogue of the contributions of 



