ON QUASSIA AMARA. ^ 259 
it was derived from the Zygophyllum aeslivanSj a plant 
belonging to Rutaceae. Through Mr. Dahlberg, however, 
whose popularity was great as a counsellor and military 
officer, the secret became known. The tree affording the 
remedy was pointed out to him, and after cultivating it in 
his "garden, he transmitted specimens of the organs of fruc- 
tification preserved in spirit to Linnaeus, who determined 
its true position under the name Quassia amara. The 
first full specific account, with a drawing, was published 
under the auspices of Linnceus, by Dr. Blom, in an inaugu 
ral essay, in the " Amoenitates Academise," for 1763, vol. 6. 
By Pereira* we are informed that "Fremin mentions that, 
about the year 1714, the flowers of this shrub were highly 
valued at Surinam, on account of their stomachic proper- 
ties." " In 1730 the root is said to have been found in the 
collection of Seba, a celebrated spice dealer of Amsterdam." 
Haller, in the Biblioth. Botan. ii. 558, refers to it as having 
been well known in 1742.t That Quassia was known as a 
remedy, long before the tree was described, is evident from 
the statement of Dr. Blom,:]: that Linnaeus was in the habit 
of lecturing on the virtues of the wood. But whether this 
knowledge dates farther back than the return of Mr. 
Rolander, the period of its introduction specified by Spren- 
gel,§ is a point not easily settled. If the flowers were used 
in Surinam, Rolander would not have supposed the plant to 
be a Zygophy Hum, wox would Linnseus have given sanction 
to such a mistake, by publishing it as such in his Sp. PI. 
2d ed., a mistake corrected when the flowers &c., were 
given to him by Mr. Dahlberg. The English authorities 
did not adopt the article for some time. In Lewis' Dispen- 
satory for 1768, no mention is made of it, and none is to be 
found in the Lectures of Dr. Cullen, published in 1773. In 
his Materia Medica, Cullen mentions it as a bitter tonic, 
♦ Mat. Med. t Herat, and De Lens. lAmoenitates Academ. 
§ Hist, de la Medicine. 
