ON  SOME  PANAMA  DRUGS. 
233 
black,  opaque,  fracture  dull,  readily  fusible,  completely  soluble 
in  alcohol,  when  rubbed,  of  an  odor  intermediate  between 
tacamahaca  and  pine  resin  ;  2d,  a  larger  mass  of  500  grammes, 
flattened,  black-green,  opaque,  fracture  granular  and  glossy,  odor 
between  elemi  and  pine  resin  ;  3d,  tears  about  the  size  of  beans, 
flattened,  surface  unequal,  glossy,  deep  black  green  ;  fracture  un- 
equal, vitreous,  in  thin  pieces  transparent,  odor  strong  but  less 
agreeable  than  tacamahaca,  becoming  soft  between  the  teeth, 
taste  somewhat  resinous,  neither  acrid  nor  bitter,  the  alcoholic 
tincture  reddish,  the  undissolved  portion  consisting  of  earthy 
matter  and  a  deep  green  substance  giving  off  an  aromatic  odor 
on  being  heated.  A  fourth  kind,  the  Amboina  caranna  of  Rum- 
phius  is  likewise  described. 
On  comparing  the  different  descriptions  as  given  above,  it  be- 
comes evident  that  different  exudations  have  been  described 
under  the  name  of  caranna,  and  it  is  not  ijnprobable  that  in 
various  portions  of  Central  and  South  America  this  term  is  ap- 
plied generically.  This  supposition  appears  to  be  verified  by  the 
specimen  sent  by  Mr.  Herbruger,  which  does  not  entirely  agree 
with  any  of  the  above  descriptions.  I  received  it  in  a  tin  can. 
It  is  of  the  consistence  of  a  rather  soft  pitch,  but  far  less  tena- 
cious ;  the  surface  is  of  a  brown-blackish  green  color  ;  the  interior 
is  of  a  dirty  fawn  color  inclined  to  green,  intermixed  with  streaks 
and  patches  of  a  brown  red  substance,  having  a  somewhat  pulveru- 
lent appearance  ;  exposed  to  the  air  it  rapidly  darkens,  first  assum- 
ing a  liver  color  and  finally  dark  brown-green  ;  the  interior  por- 
tion is  perfectly  opaque,  but  with  the  change  in  color  becomes 
transparent  in  thin  layers,  which,  when  quite  dry  or  nearly  so, 
are  of  a  brown  red,  almost  ruby  color.  Its  odor  has  at  first  a 
faint  resemblance  to  ammoniac,  but  is  mainly  almost  identical 
with  myrrh,  being  however  much  stronger  ;  its  taste  resembles 
that  of  myrrh,  being  rather  more  aromatic  and  much  less  bitter  ;  . 
when  chewed  it  feels  somewhat  gritty  between  the  teeth,  which 
is  due  to  dust  and  earthy  matter,  plainly  visible  when  thin  trans- 
parent layers  are  viewed  under  the  magnifying  glass. 
100  grains  of  caranna  were  treated  with  alcohol  and  the  in- 
soluble portion  was  thoroughly  washed  with  alcohol ;  after  dry- 
ing, the  residue  weighed  25  grains  and  consisted  of  small  chips 
of  bark,  fragments  of  leaves,  lumps  of  a  red-brown  earthy  matter, 
