139 UNCARIA GAMBIER 



Catechu of the Acacia Catechu, or Catechu nigrum, which is 

 noticed under Acacia Catechu ; and, 3. Ceylon Catechu or Betel-nut 

 Catechu, which is described under Areca Catechu. 



Preparation of Catechu Pallidum. The Gambier or Gambir 

 plant is largely cultivated at Singapore and in the Island of 

 Bintang and other islands lying south-east of Singapore ; and also 

 to some extent in other parts. Gambier is prepared by boiling 

 the leaves and young shoots in water until all their astringency is 

 extracted ; the decoction is then said to be evaporated to the con- 

 sistence of a thin syrup, and put into buckets, and when suffi- 

 ciently cool stirred in the following manner : The workman 

 pushes a piece of soft wood in a sloping direction into each 

 bucket ; and with two buckets before him he works a stick up and 

 down in each. " The liquid thickens round the stick, and the 

 thickened portion being constantly rubbed off, while at the same 

 time the whole is in motion, it gradually sets into a mass, a result 

 which, the workman affirms, would never be produced by simple 

 stirring round." The thickened mass, which is described by Mr. 

 Bennett as being of a light yellowish-brown colour, like clay, is 

 now placed in shallow square boxes, and when sufficiently hardened 

 is cut into cubes and dried in the shade. The process adopted 

 is given somewhat differently by others ; but in all cases the pre- 

 paration is said to be conducted with the simplest apparatus. 



Commerce. Gambier is principally obtained from Singapore, 

 from which port alone 37,352 tons were exported in 1872, of 

 which about 25,000 tons were imported into Great Britain, repre- 

 senting a money value of about 450,000. It is also largely 

 imported into the United States. 



General Characters and Composition. Gambier ', Gambvr, Pale 

 Catechu, or Terra Japonica, under all of which names it is known, 

 occurs in cubes, or in masses of variable size formed of more or 

 less agglutinated cubes, or rarely, in quite compact masses. The 

 separate cubes are about an inch square on each side, of a deep 

 reddish-brown colour externally, and of a pale cinnamon-brown 

 hue internally. They are dry and friable, and their fractured 

 surface presents a dull, porous, earthy appearance, and hence, 



