BENZOIN. 129 
This balsam is used in medicine both in the form of a 
tincture, and a syrup ; and, in its medicinal virtues, it 
agrees with most other balsams. The syrup of Tolu is 
used in several medicines ; and is also made into lo- 
zenges, which may be procured of almost any chemist, 
and which are considered serviceable in appeasing the 
irritation occasioned by severe coughing. 
140. BENZOIN or GUM BENJAMIN, is a concrete or solid 
and fragrant balsamic substance, the produce of a tree (Styrax 
benzoe) which grows chiefly in the island of Sumatra. 
This tree has oblong leaves which taper to a point, and are 
smooth on the upper surface, and downy beneath. The flowers are 
in loose bunches ; they usually hang all on the same side ; and are 
generally closed, which gives them the appearance of buds. 
In some of the northern parts of Sumatra, particularly 
near the sea coast, there are several extensive planta- 
tions of Benzoin trees. The seeds or nuts are sown in 
the rice fields, and they afterwards require no other at- 
tention than that the surrounding shrubs should be 
cleared away from about the young plants. 
When the trees have attained the age of six or seven 
years, incisions are made into the bark ; and from these 
the balsam exudes, in the form of a thick, whitish, re- 
sinous juice. By exposure to the air, this juice soon 
hardens ; it is then pared from the bark with a knife or 
chisel. For the first three years the trees yield the 
purest resins: this is of a white colour inclining to 
yellow, is soft and fragrant. Afterwards, for the next 
seven or eight years, an inferior sort is yielded ; this is 
of reddish yellow colour, degenerating to brown. At 
length the trees, unable to bear a repetition of the pro- 
cess, are cut down, and split into pieces. From these is 
procured by scraping, a still worse sort of benzoin, 
which is dark-coloured, hard, and mixed, more or less, 
with parings of the wood and other impurities. 
The inferior sorts of benzoin are exported to Arabia, 
Persia, and some parts of India, where they are burned, 
to perfume, with their smoke, the temples and the houses 
G 5 
