September 9, 1871.] TIIE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
205 
Bitter Kola of Fernando Po.—The common Bitter 
Kola ( Cola Xuts) , largely used by the natives of West 
Tropical Africa, is known to he the produce of a wide¬ 
spread tree, Cola acuminata, Br., hut the origin of tho 
Bitter Kola of Fernando Po is still uncertain. There 
can he no doubt that it is the seed of a Guttifer ( Garcinia 
or Xanthothymus), so it must he sought on a tree with 
strictly opposite leaves; the seeds probably contained 
in a pulpy fruit. 
Balsam op St. Thomas is the name of a tree growing 
in the island of St. Thomas, in the Gulf of Guinea. 
Specimens in flower and fruit, also of the resin, if it 
afford such, with information as to the mode of procuring 
it, would he acceptable. It is probably a species of 
Sorindeia. 
Bitter Wood. A species of Quassia ( Q. africana, 
Baill.) is found in the Gaboon and Camaroons rivers. 
Specimens of the wood are required to show whether it 
may serve as a substitute for the Tropical American 
species (Q. amara). 
What is the Kpokpoka tree of West Tropical Africa, 
from the fibre of which the “ dodo” cloth is prepared? 
Specimens in flower are wanted. 
Specimens in flower or fruit of any shrubs or trees of 
Upper Guinea, affording elastic gums, ivclia-rubber or 
gutta-percha , with accompanying gum and mode of its 
collection, arc particularly requested. 
Africa—East Coast, including the Red Sea, 
Arabia and Madagascar. 
Myrrii. —This celebrated drug is collected in great 
quantities by tho Somali tribes on the African coast, 
near the southern extremity of the Red Sea, whence it 
is brought to Aden for shipment to Bombay. A variety 
of myrrh, which is probably yielded by another species, 
is also produced (according to Vaughan) in a district 
lying forty miles to the east of Aden, to which place it 
is brought for sale. A third variety, distinguished by 
the Arabs as Biss a Bdl, is also collected by the Somali 
tribes, and sent by way of Aden to India. It is a point 
of much interest to determine with accuracy the plants 
which afford these several sorts of myrrh, and for this 
end it is earnestly requested that those who have any 
opportunity for investigating the subject will not neglect 
to do so. 
Olibanum. —The Olibanum found in European com¬ 
merce is produced partly on the African coast, near Cape 
Gardafui, and partly on the southern coast of Arabia, 
whence it is shipped to Bombay. There is still some 
doubt about tho various species of Bosicellia which yield 
the drug, and additional specimens, including flowers 
and mature fruits, are desired. 
Korarima Cardamom is the name under which the 
late Dr. Pereira has described an Abyssinian cardamom, 
having the shape and size of a small fig, which is ex¬ 
ported from Mussowah, a port at the southern end of the 
Red Sea. This drug, which has long been known in 
medicine, is perforated at the smaller end, and, when 
strung upon a cord, is commonly used by the Arabs and 
Abyssinians as beads for their mesbehas or rosaries. It 
is said to be brought to tho market of Baso, in Southern 
Abyssinia, from Tumhe, a country situated in about 
9° N. lat. and 35° E. long. The plant, for which the 
name Amovium Korarima has been proposed, is entirely 
unknown. 
Dragon’s Blood, of the Island of Socotra— By what 
plant is it afforded ? 
Catha edllis, called in Arabic Kut. A large supply 
of the dried leaves of this shrub, say one hundred pounds, 
should be procured for chemical examination. The plant 
grows in Southern Arabia and in Abyssinia. 
Kamala.— A peculiar sort of Kamala, evidently not 
derived from Rottlera tinctoria , Roxb., has been imported 
from Aden. Nothing is known of its place of growth 
or of the plant by which it is afforded. (Pharm. Jo urn. 
IX. (1868), p. 179.) 
I Kousso.—Fresh seeds of the Kousso tree, Brayera 
anthelmintica, Kunth, should be procured for cultivation. 
! Gum Arabic.— Acacia Ycreh , Guill. et Perrott., a tree 
growing all over tho northern part of Central Africa 
from Senegambia to Abyssinia, is said to produce the 
best sort of gum arabic. Fragments of the stem, with 
the gum exuding, from Western as well as from Eastern 
Africa, are requested, in order to ascertain the identity 
j or diversity of the gum produced by one and the same 
plant in different localities. 
Calumea Root. —Whether this drug is furnished 
i wholly by Jateorhiza Columba , Miers, or in part by 
J. Miersii , Oliv., both of them plants of Mozambique 
; (but the latter found also in Madagascar), is not known. 
Travellers visiting the localities where the drug is col¬ 
lected should obtain good specimens of the plant, as well 
as living roots, which are fleshy and easily transported 
without earth. 
Tangiiin of Madagascar ( Tanghinia renenifera, Poir.). 
—A specimen is requested of the poisonous milky juice. 
A portion should be partially dried with a gentle heat; 
another portion should be mixed with spirit of wane and 
sent in a fluid state. 
Caoutchouc, or Indiarubber. —In Madagascar, as 
well as in Mozambique, there are several trees said to 
yield this substance. Good specimens and definite in¬ 
formation should be collected. 
India, Siam, and the Indian Archipelago. 
Catechu. —Observe the processes by which the various 
kinds of Catechu , Catch, Terra Japonica, and Gambir are 
obtained; and, if from trees, whether from others besides 
Acacia Catechu , Areca Catechu and Uncaria Gambir. AVe 
wish to identify the trees with the respective extracts. 
What is the source of Pegu Cuteh, especially ? 
Benzoin, or Gum Benjamin. —It would be interesting 
to obtain good specimens of tho tree wdiich affords this 
drug in Siam in order to compare them wuth Styrax 
Benzoin , Dryand., wdiich produces the Benzoin of Su¬ 
matra. 
Camphor of Blumea grandis, D.C.—Some pounds of 
it are desirable, in order that its nature may be investi¬ 
gated. (See 4 Pharmacopoeia of India,’ p. 123.) 
Misiimi Bitter, or Mishmi Tita. —The small yellow 
rhizome of Coptis Testa, Wall., a drug known in medi¬ 
cine since a remote period, is produced in the Mishmi 
mountains to tho east of Assam, and probably also some¬ 
where on the confines of China further north. The 
plant which yields it is very little knowm, and complete, 
specimens are desirable. It is possible that some second 
species may furnish a portion of the drug. 
Aconite Root has been imported in considerable 
quantities from India. In what district is it collected, 
and from wdiat species of Aconitum ? 
Aromatic Barks, known as Culitlawang, Masoy, 
and Sintoc, derived from trees of the Order Laurincc &, 
are objects of considerable trade ia the Indian Archipe¬ 
lago. The traveller should embrace the opportunity, 
when it occurs, of seeing tho bark collected, and of ob¬ 
taining authentic specimens of it, and of the tree yield¬ 
ing it. Masoy bark is produced on the w T est coast of 
New Guinea. 
{To be continued.') 
THE HONEY TRADE. 
BY P. L. SIMMONDS. 
{Concluded from page 181.) 
The ceremonies of the Greek church requiring a large- 
consumption of w r ax candles, greatly favours this branch 
of ruraf economy in Russia, and preserves it 1 rom the 
decline to which it is exposed in other countries, from 
the increasing use of stearine, oil, gas, and other fluids. 
