COPAIBA 491 



The oleo-resin is collected by cutting in the trunk of the tree near 

 the base a cavity sloping inwards and downwards, and penetrating 

 to the centre of the trunk, resembling the ' box ' made in the trunk 

 of the turpentine trees. Into this cavity the oleo-resin is discharged ; 

 it is transferred to barrels and other vessels for exportation. 



The large size of the secretion ducts, and their extensive distribu- 

 tion in each zone of wood throughout the entire length of the tree, 

 render the amount of oleo-resin that may be secreted by each tree 

 very considerable. Even as much as 48 litres is said to have been 

 obtained from a single tree, others again yielding but little. 



The drug is exported from the seaports on the northern coast of 

 South America viz. Para, Maranham, Maracaibo, Bahia, Cartagena, 

 &c., these towns giving their names to the commercial varieties of 

 the drug. As these differ in the percentage of volatile oil and of 

 resin and in the composition of the latter the following typical 

 commercial varieties may be described at length. 



MARACAIBO COPAIBA 



Description. Maracaibo copaiba is a clear, viscous, brownish- 

 yellow liquid with a slight but distinct green fluorescence. It 

 possesses a characteristic aromatic odour and an unpleasant, acrid 

 and rather bitter taste. It is miscible in all proportions with 

 chloroform, carbon disulphide, and benzene, and also with an equal 

 volume of petroleum spirit, but with larger proportions of the latter 

 a slight precipitation takes place ; with absolute alcohol it behaves 

 similarly. The specific gravity varies from 0-980 to 0-999, or even 

 slightly higher. The proportion of volatile oil varies from 42 to 53 

 per cent. 



Constituents. Maracaibo copaiba consists of a mixture of resin 

 and volatile oil with which traces of a bitter principle and fluorescent 

 substance are associated. 



The volatile oil is invariably Isevorotatory, the rotation in 100 mm. 

 tube varying from 5 to 35, usually, however, it does not exceed 

 25 ; its specific gravity varies from 0-896 to 0-910 and its boiling- 

 point from 250 to 275 ; it does not respond to the test for gurjan 

 balsam (see below). These details are important indications of the 

 purity of the oleo-resin. 



The resin contains a small proportion of copaivic acid (removed 

 by ammonium carbonate from ethereal solution), but consists chiefly 

 of /?-metacopaivic acid (extracted by sodium carbonate after removal 

 of the copaivic acid) ; with these there is associated a small quantity 

 of two indifferent copaibo-resenes and of crystalline illurinic acid 

 (compare African copaiba) . 



The bitter principle and fluorescent substance have not yet been 

 obtained in a pure state. 



