﻿THE PHILIPPINE 



Journal of Science 



A. General Science 



Vol. II FEBRUARY, 1907 No. 1 



THE TERPENE OILS OF MANILA ELEMI. 



By A. M. Clover. 

 (From the Chemical Laboratory, Bureau of Science.) 



INTRODUCTION. 



The name elemi is commonly applied to a number of resinous prod- 

 ucts obtained from different countries and having a different botanical 

 origin. The species from which most of the varieties are derived is un- 

 known, but there appears to be little doubt but that they are all to be 

 referred to the general order of Burseracece. 1 Prom Mexico, Central 

 America, Brazil, Guyana, Africa, and the Philipine Islands, products 

 known as elemi find their way into European markets. A common char- 

 acteristic of the different varieties is that they all contain a good propor- 

 tion of volatile oil. Further, from the incomplete data to be found in the 

 literature, it appears that nearly all, if not all, yield a good proportion 

 of crystalline substances when they are treated with alcohol, in which 

 the crystalline portion is only sparingly soluble. 



According to G-ildemeister and Hoffman, 2 elemi was known in Europe 

 in the fifteenth century and used for medicinal purposes. It is still 

 used in Europe medicinally in the preparation of ointments and 

 plasters and is also said by different authors to have a limited use in 

 the manufacture of lacs and varnishes for imparting toughness to these 



1 Merrill: The Source of Manila Elemi, Publ. Bur. Goct. Labs., Manila, (1905), 

 29, 51-55. 



- Die Aertherischen Oele. Berlin (1890), 042. 

 51214 



