GARCINIA CAMBOGIA. GAMBOGE MANGOSTAN. 
Class XI. DODECANDRIA.— Order I. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order, GUTTIFERJS. — THE MANGOSTEEN TRIBE. 
(<i) Fruit ; (6) Section of the same ; (c) Seed. 
Garcinia Cambogia is one of the plants which yield the well known and valuable gum-resin called 
Gamboge, from Camboge, or Cambodge, the name of the East Indian province whence it is chiefly procured. 
This tree is a native of Malabar, growing in the forests of Travancore, where it is known to the Natives by 
the name Ghorkapli ; flowering in March, and ripening its fruit in June and July. 
It is a tall tree, with a trunk about four inches in diameter, and widely spreading, round, smooth 
branches. The leaves are opposite, three or four inches long, elliptical, entire, tapering at each extremity, 
smooth, paler beneath ; their lateral veins few and distant, forming very acute angles with the midrib, and 
placed on short channelled footstalks. The flower stalks, which are nearly an inch long, grow in pairs just 
below the insertion of each leaf, and are by no means terminal. The calyx is 4-leaved, consisting of two 
opposite pairs of leaflets, the exterior pair rather smaller ; all nearly round, firm, fleshy, smooth on both 
sides, and permanent. The petals are four, roundish, twice the length of the corolla, and of a yellow colour. 
The filaments are from fifteen to twenty, shorter than the germen, slightly united at the base, and bearing 
roundish anthers. The germen is superior, round, 8-10 lobed, 8-10 celled, with one ovule in each cell. 
There is no style. The stigma is peltate, with as many divisions as there are cells in the germen. The 
fruit is pendulous, the size of a small orange, but furrowed like a melon, and crowned with the tumid crenate 
remains of the stigma ; it is of a yellow colour when ripe, and containing a sweetish pulp, with some degree 
of acidity. The seeds are said to be from eight to ten, each enveloped in its own proper, succulent, 
yellowish aril. 
From the trunk and branches, when wounded, exudes a viscid, but tasteless juice, which hardens into 
a brownish yellow gum-resin. 
In the East Indies it is believed to be a provocative of appetite, and is much esteemed, and enters into 
the composition of many sauces. Its chief consumption is, however, as a yellow pigment. “ Gamboge,” 
says Mr. Field in his ingenious work entitled Chromatography “is a concrete vegetal substance, of a gum- 
resinous nature, and beautiful yellow colour, bright and transparent, but not of great depth. When properly 
used, it is more durable than generally reputed, both in water and oil : it is deepened in some degree by 
ammoniacal and impure air, and somewhat weakened, but not easily discoloured, by the action of light. 
Time effects less change in this colour than on other bright vegetal yellows ; but white lead and other 
metallines injure, and terrene and alkaline substances redden it. It works remarkably well in water with 
which it forms an opaque solution, without grinding or preparation, by means of its natural gum ; but it is 
with difficulty used in oil, &c., in a dry state. In its natural state it, however, dries well, and lasts in glazing 
when deprived of its gum. It is perfectly innocent with regard to other colours, and though it is a strong 
medicine, is not dangerous or deleterious in use. ****** 
It has also been employed as a yellow lake prepared upon an aluminous base ; but a much better 
way than either is to dissolve it into a paste in water, and mix it with lemon yellow, with which pigment 
being diffused it goes readily into oil or varnish.” 
In the Pharmacopoeia of the London College the Stalagmitis cambogioides is supposed to lie the plant 
which produces gamboge. According to the Edinburgh College, it is a species of Hebradendron. For the 
greater part of the following observations we are indebted to Dr. Pereira’s excellent lectures in the Medical 
SIAM GAMBOGE PLANT. 
Gamboge was first mentioned by Clusius in 1605, who received it in 1603 from Peter Garet of Amsterdam, 
where it had been lately brought from China by Admiral Van Neck and his companions. Hitherto the 
