206 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



although it has the qualities of our incense, is nearly all consumed 

 in its native country and never arrives in Europe, where we employ 

 especially the OUban collected on both sides of the Eed Sea, iu Arabia, 

 and Abyssinia. It is said that a part of this product comes to us 

 direct by the north of Egypt, and that the other passes by India, 

 whence the commercial names of African Incense and Indian Incense ; ^ 

 the tree it flows from is the Boswdlia impijnfera'^ (fig. 280-283), 

 whose trunk, very thick at the base, is so remarkable for the exfolia- 

 tion of the superficial layers of its bark in large parchment-like 

 flakes.^ Incense, which has always been burnt in temples, and whose 

 usage seems to have been necessitated by the putrid emanations 

 resulting from the sacrifices, W'as also employed for embalming, and 

 in medicine, as astringent, detersive, diaphoretic, stimulant, diuretic, 

 expectorant ; it also formed part of several ointments, the balm of 

 Fioravanti, of theriac, etc. 



BuvHfra also yields certain oleo-resinous products, but the 

 majority are little known and little used in Europe. B. gummi- 

 fera^ (fig. 269-274), or Gommart (Er.) of the Antilles, furnishes a 

 resin called American gum or chibou resin, Elemi of the Antilles, 

 dull yellow Tacahamaque, T. of Guatemala, formerly recommended 

 as autigonorrhojic and anthelmintic, resolvent, cephalic, applied 

 Avith success to obstinate soi-es and ulcers. Jledwigia hahumifcra * 

 (fig. 284-293), very frequently, but, we think, wrongly, confounded 

 with the preceding plant, differing from it more especially by its 

 raonopetalous corolla, has however the same properties. Its oleo-resiu 

 is also touic, stimulaut, a remedy causing sores to cicatrize. This tree 

 is vulgarly called '• Mountain Sugar Tree" and also " Pig-wood," be- 

 cause it was believed that the wild pigs cured, with the bark of this tree. 



1 Maucu. in AJausoida, viii. 52., Sloan. Sist. t. 199. — Catesb. Car. i. t. 30. — 



2 A. Rich. Fl. Abyss. Tent. i. 148, t. 3.3.— DC. rroilr. ii. 78, n. 1.— Tuiir. in Diet. Sc. Nat. 

 Oliv. Fl. trap. Afr. i. 323. — Amyris papyi-ifera Atl. t. 264, 265. — Lindl. FL Med. 171. — Gruin. 

 Del. Voy. a Meroe, 99. — Plwsslia Jhi-ibiotda op. cil. iii. 522, fig. 720. — Eosenth. op. cit. SG5. 

 Endl. 7co«»y)-. 66, t. 28 (jl/ii/.'/.e/- of the Abyss.). — JIabch. in Adniisoiiia, viii. oi.—Blaphrium 

 Tlio B. .«««■« Fluck. of Ai-abia, yielding incense, inteffcrnmiiiiiTuL. (Cirafero in Colomb.). Its 

 is perhaps a form. hark and wood are employed in New Granada 



^ Incense is colloclod in Zanzibar, perhaps as diuretic, diaphoretic, and for di-opsy, poly- 

 it is furnished by Biilsamca. The B. Zaiizi- sarcia, etc. 



barica U. B.v. (in Atlniisoiiia, xi. ISO), yields a 5 Sw. Fl. Iiid. Oce. ii. 670, t. 13.— DC. Prodi: 



very aromatic stimulant resin, employed in ii. 80. — Gum. op. cit. iii. 524. — March. li:c. cit. 



medicine in that country, under the name of 54. — Biirscra bahamifira Pers. Enc/iirid. i. 413. 



Sandarciim. I'tiniffastris ossca (piu't.) G.EKT.y. Friict. ii. 130, 



I J.icu. Aiiu-r. 94, t. G5.-L. Spec 741.— t. 100. 



