33 
identical with the D. accedens of Blume. From this it may be 
concluded that dragon's blood is produced by Dciemonorops 
propinquus Becc. of Malaya* Penang, Sumatra, and D. ruber. 
Mart., of Java. Beccari also mentions another Borneo species 
named by him D. Motleyii (Motley, No. 1,103) having fruits with 
a broadly ovate base, and yielding a red resin abundantly. We 
thus have four species known certainly to yield commercial 
dragon s blood. There are also the following species which are 
mentioned by Beccari as having fruits which exude a red resin, 
although whether it is commercially obtained from them is not 
certain. There are D. micracanthus, Becc.., a native of 
Malaya; D. sparsiflorus, Becc.* of Borneo and Labuan ; 
D. mattaniensis and D . draconcellns, Becc., natives of Borneo. 
It may, therefore, be concluded that Indian dragon’s blood is the 
produce of several species, and that it differs in tint and quality 
according to the species from which it is derived. It must not 
be forgotton, however, that in Pontianak, and possibly elsewhere 
also, the resin is nearly always mixed with the milky juice of 
Garcinia parvifoha , Miq., in order to give it more \veight ( 1 . c. p. 
519 )- 
“ During the present year I took advantage of the kind 
offer of Mr. C. 1 . Johnson, now resident at Penang, an ardent 
botanist and former student of the Society’s school, to try to 
obtain specimens of the plants that yield the different kinds of 
dragon s blood and benzine. He kindly sent me some of the 
fruits from which dragon’s blood is prepared, possibly the 
Djernang Koekoe of Java, but found that it was almost impossible 
for a European to penetrate much beyond the towns on the coast 
line of Sumatra without danger to life, owing to the ill-feeling 
that exists between the natives and Dutch, and that only travel- 
lers who have by a lengthy residence and medical skill become 
trusted by the natives, have any chance of exploring the interior. 
The fruits correspond in size and character with that of D. Draco , 
figured by Blume in “ Rumphia,” and are therefore probably 
those of D. propinquus, Becc. For the present, therefore, there is 
but little chance of adding to our knowledge of the botanical 
source of Sumatran products or drugs. 
“ The finest kinds of dragon’s blood are usually wrapped in 
the leaves of Licuala spinosa, according to the Rumphius. The 
best sorts are made by rolling the fruits in a sack to loosen the 
resm m the form of thin scales or powder, which is sifted out, 
warmed, and made into flat strips.” 
E. M. HOLMES, 
The Pharmaceutical Journal of G. Britain, 
December 16th, 1905, p. 833.” 
Further investigations seem necessary to distinguish if 
possible the dragon s blood of D. propinquus and D. micracanthus 
our native species from the Sumatran and Bornean varieties. 
