THE 
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
JANUARY, 1851. 
OBSERVATIONS ON AN OLEO-RESIN FROM VENEZUELA. 
By William Procter, Jr. 
The substance forming the subject of the following remarks was 
placed in my hands by Mr. Avery Tobey, pharmaceutist, of 
this city, with the information that it was brought from South 
America by Capt. J. B. Thomas. It appears that this gentleman, 
during his sojourn in that region, obtained a quantity of this " na- 
tive oil of laurel, or sassafras," as it is called. No accurate know- 
ledge was obtained of its origin, further, than that the tree produc- 
ing it is very large and resembles the cedar, that it grows on the 
banks of the river Orinoko, four hundred miles from its mouth, 
and that the oleo-resin is obtained by direct incision into the trunk, 
in the manner of extracting copaiba. It would further appear that 
a very high value is set on its medicinal virtues, as its exportation 
is prohibited. The lot brought by Capt. Thomas, cost him three 
dollars and a half per gallon in South America. Not many months 
since a notice was observed in the Journal dePharmacie, of a very 
fluid oleo-resin obtained in the neigborhood of Maracaibo, and which 
was employed to adulterate copaiba. Is it identical with the " oil 
of laurel," or an analogous product ? I have not been able to elicit 
any further information from the parties above mentioned, but 
believing the substance to be possessed of some interest both 
chemically and medicinally, hope that it may engage the attention 
of some person having correspondence with Venezuela. 
The label on the bottle recommends the " Aceite de Sassafras," 
as a sudorific and diuretic in rheumatism, gout, etc., " fortifying 
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