LIBRARY 
STATE k'LAtiT aOAi^D 
E-483 Juno 1939 
United States Department of Agriculture 
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF QyASSiA 
By R. L. Busbey, Division of Insecticide Investigations 
INTRO DaCTION 
The term "quassia," as employed in the entomological and med- 
ical literature, may refer to either of two plants, both members of 
the family Simaroubaceae. Q,uassia amara L. is a small branching tree 
or shrub native to Surinam and found in Brazil, Guiana, Colombia, 
Panama, and the Vest Indies and also in some tropical countries. 
About the middle of the eighteenth century, a negro of Surinam, named 
Quassi, acquired a reputation for treating the malignant fevers of 
that cov.ntry by a secret remedy, which he was induced to disclose to 
Rolandcr, a Swede, for a valuable consideration. Speciments were 
taken to Stockholm by the latter in 1756 and the medicine soon became 
popular in Europe. The generic name of the plant is derived from the 
name of the negro. This Surinam quassia has now been largely replaced 
in use by Jamaica quassia ( Acschrion excolsa (Swartx) Kuntze)!' , a 
closely related plant, which occurs in much greater abundance. A. 
excelsa is a lofty tree, sometimes attaining a height of 100 feet or 
more, inhabiting Jamaica and the Caribbean Islands. 
The water extract of the wood of these two species is employed 
medicinally as a bitter tonic in the treatment of dyspepsia and also 
finds some use in agriculture as an aphicidc. Where any distinction is 
made between the two, it is usually in favor of the Surinam quassia. 
The Jamaica quassia comes on the market usually in the form of chips, 
raspings, or billets; the Surinam quassia generally is obtained in 
billets. 'iiThen the wood is prepared for use, it is turned into small 
chips and kiln dried. 
The active bitter principles of the two species are not identical 
but are very similar. The principle occurring in Qigassia amara , which 
is spoken of in the literature as qaiassin or quassiin, is believed to 
be a mixture of several closely related compounds. The principle in 
Aeschrion excelsa, which has been variously called quassin, quassiin, 
and picrasmin, Is also thought to be a mixture of substances which 
appear to be related to those occurring in ^. amara . In many instances 
the literature speaks merely of quassin or quassiin without specifying 
the plant from which it is derived. 
l/ Synonyms: (^assia excelsa Swart z, Simarouba excelsa DC. , 
Picraena excels^ Lindl. , and Picrasma excelsa Planch. 
