MANILA COPAL. 



By George F. Richmond. 

 (From the Chemical Laboratory, Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I. 



CONTENTS. 



Manila copal. 



The chemical examination of Manila copal. 



Oleovesinous varnishes. 



INTRODUCTION. 



This investigation was undertaken with a twofold object, first, of 

 clearing up the considerable confusion which exists throughout the liter- 

 ature and in commerce with respect to the origin, mode of production, 

 commercial grading, and physical and chemical properties of this com- 

 modity, and, second, with the hope that some light might be thrown 

 upon the chemistry of the art of its most important use, namely, varnish 

 making. "Manila copal," so called because of its similarity to the true 

 copals, as an ingredient of oleoresinous varnishes is a leading minor 

 article of export the Philippine Islands, approximating 200,000 pesos 

 ($100,000 United States currency) in value annually. 



It appears in the Quarterly Summary of Commerce under the term 

 "almaciga," which is a Spanish name meaning "gum mastic," a resin 

 of entirely different character produced by Pistacia lentiscus Linn, in 

 Spanish and other Mediterranean countries. Almaciga is the only 

 resinous product exported from Manila and is identical with the Manila 

 copal of commerce. 



GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN. 



According to Wiesner, 1 Manila copal is a collective term used com- 

 mercially for medium-hard resins from the Sunda, Philippine, and 

 Molucca Islands, which show by their properties that they possess a 

 common origin. Hence, Celebes, Singapore, Borneo, Philippine, and 

 East Indian gums are known to varnish makers, and all of these in point 

 of geographical origin may be included under the collective term of 

 Manila copal. 



J Die Rohstoffe des Pflanzenreiehes. Leipzig, 2d ed. (1900), 1, 284. 



177 



