494 



TANNING SUBSTANCES. 



Bauliinia variegata, is made use of in Sciude and other parts of 

 Asia. The bitter astringent bark and the galls of several of the 

 Tamarisk tribe are also well suited for the purpose. 



31esenibryantkemum nodiflorum, one of the numerous indigenous 

 species of the Cape, is used in making morocco leather. 



The extract procured from the bark of the Butea, that of the 

 Buclianania latifolia, the Scyzgium {Calyptranthes) , Jamholana, &c., 

 are likely to be of consequence to the tanners, and could be pro- 

 duced in India in large quantities. Specimens of these, and of the 

 bark of the Saul tree, o^. Nyclianthes arhortrista, Terminalia angus- 

 tifolia, and of the gaub fruit (Biospyros glutinosd), were shown by 

 the East India Company. The bark of the hemlock tree is ex- 

 tensively employed for tanning in ]^ew Brunswick. 



The bark of yellow hercules {Xantlioxylwn ocliroxyloii) , and 

 the pods of Acacia tortuosa are used for tanning in the West 

 Indies. 



In the instructions given by the Admiralty to Sir James !Ross, 

 when proceeding on his Antarctic Expedition, his attention was 

 particularly called to the astringent substances adapted for tan- 

 ning, and to the various extracts of barks, &c., imported into 

 England from our Australian settlements, and which are employed 

 by the tanner. Little sterling information has as yet been ob- 

 tained as to the qualities of the astringent gums, barks, and dyes, 

 yielded in such abundance by the trees of those colonies, and the 

 proportion of tannin they contained. 



In 1846, 563 tons of bark for tanning were exported from 

 Port Phillip. 



A large quantity of tannin is extracted from various species 

 of Eucalyptus, the gigantic gum trees in Australia and Van 

 Diemen's Land (of which quarter all the species are natives), 

 and sent to the English market ; it is said to be twice as power- 

 ful in its operations as oak bark. Some of these trees attain a 

 height of 200 feet. Their bark separates remarkably into layers. 

 A sort of kino gum, an astringent resinous-like substance, is also 

 extracted from resinifera^ the brown gum-tree of New Hol- 

 land, which is sold in the medicine bazaars of India. It exudes 

 in the form of red juice from incisions in the bark. A single tree 

 will often yield 60 gallons. In Brazil they use the bark of Luhea 

 •panicata, an evergreen climber, for tanniiig leather ; and in Peru 

 the bark of some species of Weimnaunia serve the same purpose. 

 Among other powerful astringents I may notice the root of a 

 species of Sea Lavender (Statice Garoliniana), Myrica cerifera, 

 and Seuchera Americana, all natives of North America. Also the 

 petals of mhiscus Bosa-sinensis, a native of Asia. 



The sea-side grape {Qoccolaba uviferci) yields an astringent sub- 

 stance, known as Jamaica kino. 



The bark of the Cassia auriculata, and the milky juice of the 

 Asclepias gigantea, are used lor tanning in India. 



The red astringent gum obtained from Butea frondosa, a 



