46S 



Dr. Graham^ s Reply to jDr, 'Wigki, 



Companion to the Botanical Magazine, vol. ii. p. 193, I feel certain 

 that his observations would not have appeared in their present shape. 



The points stated to be at issue between my friend and me, are 

 these 1st, He does not think me right in considering the tree of 

 which Mrs. Walker sent me specimens and drawings, as the only one 

 that produces gamboge fit to be used in the arts. 2d, He does not 

 think Mrs. Walker's plant the one which produces the true Ceylon 

 gamboge. 3d, He thinks the facts adduced by me are not sufficient to 

 invalidate his and Dr. Arnott's position, that the Xanthochymus ovali- 

 folius is the only indigenous plant in Ceylon that produces gamboge 

 fit to be used in the arts. 4th, That the tree from which my specimens 

 were procured, is in Ceylon of exotic origin. Now, my friend will 

 find, that, even in my letter to him, correctly, I am sure, quoted by him* 

 I never said that my plant was the on^ owe that produces gamboge fit 

 to be used in the arts ; and in my subsequent paper in the Companion 

 to the Botanical Magazine, I expressly guard against that supposition, 

 thinking it very probable that there may be others. I only say that 

 this plant does yield gamboge fit to be used in the arts, and that I had 

 received perfectly good gamboge taken from it. We do differ on the 

 second point, and my opinion rests on the authority of Mrs. Walker ; 

 —the authority of the mutilated trees which she saw ;—the authority 

 of the Ceylon Doctor which she quotes, as shewn in my extracts from 

 her letters, published in the Companion to the Botanical Magazine ; — 

 the authority of the gamboge which she sent to me from these trees, 

 which proved to be excellent gamboge, chemically, medicinally, and as 

 a pigment. With regard to the third point, there is a mistake, as Dr» 

 Wight will immediately see upon reflection. I did not attempt to in- 

 validate his and Dr. Arnott's position that the Xanthochymus ovalifolius 

 is the only indigenous -^l^xii in Ceylon that produces gamboge fit to be 

 used in the arts, because they took no such position ; but in the quota- 

 tion which Dr. Wight himself makes from their excellent Flora, they 

 give it as their opinion that it is the only plant in Ceylon that does so j 

 and this opinion I shewed to be an error, by proving that another plant 

 does. I can go farther now, however, than I could do when I wrote 

 Dr. Wight, and say, that Xanthochymus ovalifolius yields a juice which 

 is not, chemically, medicinally, nor as a pigment, good gamboge. As 

 to the 4th point on which Dr. Wight thinks we differ, namely, as to 

 whether my plant be a native of Ceylon, he will find that I never have 

 asserted that it is, because in this country I can be no judge, and 1 have 

 no direct information upon the subject. Though, therefore, I have no 

 interest in this question in support of any thing I have written, I may 



