4i8 
Elemi. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1920. 
these  qualities  of  kauri  gum  can  be  produced  in  such  quantities  as  to 
be  sold  for  a  very  much  more  reasonable  price  in  proportion  to  what 
kauri  gum  has  been  sold  for  heretofore. 
Production  of  Kauri  Gum. — The  production  of  kauri  gum  during 
the.  seven  years  previous  to  the  beginning  of  the  war  averaged  not 
far  from  8,000  tons  per  year,  while  since  that  time  it  has  scarcely 
averaged  4,000  tons,  and  during  the  year  ended,  March  31,  191 9, 
only  amounted  to  2,338  tons.  Of  the  output  of  8.473  tons  for  19 14 
the  United  States  took  4,531  tons,  the  United  Kingdom  3,335  tons, 
Germany  373  tons,  and  the  remainder  was  well  scattered  over  10 
other  countries;  while  for  the  year  ended  March  31,  191 9,  the  United 
States  took  1,371  tons  of  the  2,338  tons,  while  the  United  Kingdom 
took  346  tons,  Canada  572  tons,  and  Australia  49  tons. 
Of  late  quite  large  quantities  of  kauri  gum  have  been  going  for- 
ward to  the  United  States  as  shipping  space  could  be  obtained,  and 
there  are  still  large  quantities  in  hand  here  for  export,  and  it  would 
seem  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  getting  all  of  the  kauri  gum 
necessary  from  now  on. 
ELBMI.* 
Elemi  is  a  drug  very  little  used  in  modern  pharmacy,  being 
chiefly  employed  in  the  form  of  a  stimulating  ointment  in  naval 
surgery,  and  finding  a  place  for  that  purpose  in  the  medicine-chests 
kept  on  board  ships,  foreign  as  well  as  English.  It  has,  however, 
a  much  wider  employment  in  the  manufacture  of  printing-ink,  in 
which  its  viscosity  and  adhesiveness  and  honey-like  consistence  are 
of  considerable  advantage.  It  is  of  use  also  in  felting  and  varnish 
making  and  plasters.  In  the  Scientific  American  attention  is  di- 
rected to  the  elemi  of  Porto  Rico,  derived  from  Dacryodes  hexandra 
Griseb.,  and  known  in  that  island  under  the  name  of  Tabanuco. 
This  tree  is  the  best  timber-tree  of  the  island,  the  trunk  attaining  a 
height  of  50  feet  to  the  first  branch,  and  a  diameter  of  5  feet  near  the 
base.  When  the  smooth  bark  is  tapped  by  V-like  incisions  formed  by 
two  oblique  strokes  of  the  hatchet,  the  oleoresinous  juice  flows  out 
and  is  collected  in  vessels  when  it  is  to  be  used  for  medicinal  purposes, 
being  employed  in  native  practice  as  a  stimulant  ointment  for 
indolent  ulcers.  It  is  also  used  for  torches  and  as  incense.  For 
torches  the  juice  is  allowed  to  run  down  a  central  stick  and  formed 
*From  The  Chemist  and  Druggist,  March  20,  1920. 
