404 STYRACEyE. 



foliage, indigenous to Sumatra and Java, in the first of which islands 

 benzoin is produced. 



The tree yielding the superior benzoin of Siam, though commonly 

 referred to this species, has never been examined botanically, and is 

 actually unknown. The French expedition for the exploration of the 

 Mekong and Cochin China (18G6-68), reported the drug to be produced 

 in the cassia-yielding forests on the eastern bank of the river in question 

 in about N. lat. 19°. Whether any benzoin is obtained from S. Fmlay- 

 soniana Wall, as conjectured by Royle, we know not. 



History — There is no evidence that the Greeks and Romans,^ or 

 even the earlier Arabian physicians, had any acquaintance with benzoin; 

 nor is the drug to be recognized among the commodities which were 

 conveyed to China by the Arab and Persian traders between the 10th 

 and 13th centuries, though the camphor of Sumatra is expressly named. 



The first mention of benzoin known to us (disregarding the word 

 kalanusari, which in the St. Petersburg Dictionary is given as the old 

 Sanskrit name of benzoin) occurs in the ti'avels of Ibn Batuta,^ who 

 having visited Sumatra during his journey through the East, A.D. 

 1325-49, notes that the island produces Java Frankinceiise and cam- 

 phor. The word Java was at that period a designation of Sumatra, or 

 was even used by the Arabs to signify the islands and productions of 

 the Archipelago generally.'^ Hence came the Arabic name Lubdn Jdwi, 

 i.e. Java Frankincense, corrupted into Banjawi, Benjui, Benzui, 

 Benzoe and Benzoin, and into the still more vulgar English Benjamin. 



We have no further information about the drug until the latter half 

 of the following century, when we find a record that in 1461 the sultan 

 of Egypt, Melech Elmaydi, sent to Pasquale Malipiero, doge of Venice, 

 a present of 80 rotuli of Benzol, 20 rotoli of Aloes Wood, two pairs of 

 Carpets, a small flask of balsam (of Mecca), 15 little boxes of Theriaka, 

 42 loaves of Sugar, 5 boxes of Sugar Candy, a horn of Civet, and 20 

 pieces of Porcelain.* Agostino Barberigo, another doge of Venice, was 

 presented in a similar manner in 1490 by the sultan of Egypt with 35 

 rotoli of Aloes Wood, the same quantity of Benzui and 100 loaves of 

 Sugar.* 



Among the precious spices sent from Egypt in 1476 to Caterina 

 Cornaro, queen of Cyprus, were 10 lb. of Aloes Wood and 15 lb. of 

 Benzui.^ These notices indicate the high value set upon the drug 

 when first brought to Europe. 



The occurrence of benzoin in Siam is noticed in the journal of the 

 voyage of Vasco da Garaa,^ where, in enumerating the kingdoms of 

 India, it is stated that Xarnaux (Siam*) yields much benzoin worth 3 

 cruzados, and aloes worth 25 Gruzados per farazola. According to the 



^ Crawfurd suggests that the Mala- ^ L. de Mas Latrie, Hist, de I' He de 



hathrumoi the ancients is possibly benzoin. Chypre, etc. iii. (1861) 483. 



—Diet, of Indian Islands, 1856. 50. "= Ihid. iii. 406. 



'-' Voyages d'Ibn Batoulah, traduit par ' Roteiro da Vingem de Vasco da Gama 



Defremery et Sanguinetti, Paris, 185.3-59. em 1497, par Herculano e o Barao Castello 



iv. 228. 240. de Paiva, segiinda edi9ao, Lisboa, 1861. 



3 Yule, Book ofSer Marco Polo, ii. ( 1 871 ) 1 09. 



228. The Roteiro is also found in Fliickiger, 



* Muratori, Kerum Italicarum Sa-iptores, Documente. zur Geschiclite de.r Pharmacie, 



xxii. (1733) 1170.— 100 rotoli = 175 lb. Halle, 1876. 1.3. 



avoirdupois. " Yule, op. cit. ii. 222. 



