264 
Fragrant  IVoods. 
A.m.Jour.  Phann. 
May,  1879. 
clipped  off  with  the  axe — an  operation  technically  called  "  cleaning."  Thus  a  log 
1  foot  in  diameter  is  reduced  to  a  billet  only  from  4  to  6  in.  thick.  The  quality  of 
the  wood  depends  on  the  quantity  of  the  oil  contained  in  it,  as  indicated  by  the  smell 
when  freshly  cut  or  burned.  The  old  trees  produce  the  best,  and  in  them  that  part 
of  the  wood  near  the  root  is  the  most  prized.  A  handful  of  the  shavings  of  the 
wood  will  prevent  moths  from  attacking  clothes  of  any  description,  and  I  have  suc- 
cessfully used  the  same  means  to  keep  'away  insects  from  specimens  of  natnral 
history.  Owing  to  a  similar  strong  aromatic  odor,  furniture  made  of  the  fragrant 
timber  of  the  bastard  sandal- wood  of  Australia  (Erimophila  Mitchellii,  Bentham) 
may  be  kept  free  from  the  attacks  of  insects.  The  wood  is  hard,  of  a  brown  color, 
nicely  waved  and  beautifully  grained.  It  will  turn  out  handsome  veneers  for  the 
cabinet-makers. 
S.  austro -Caledonicum  (Viell),  of  New  Caledonia,  furnishes  a  superior  kind  of 
sandal- wood  to  that  of  other  countries,  owing  to  the  strength  and  fineness  of  its 
odor.  It  is  to  be  regretted,  however,  that  this  tree  is  being  ruthlessly  destroyed  in 
the  island,  as  the  wood  is  of  such  great  use  in  perfumery.  Scarcely  anything  but 
the  stumps  and  roots  left  from  former  times  can  now  be  utilized.  An  essential  oil, 
distilled  in  England  and  France  from  sandal-wood,  fetches  £3  per  pound.  The 
powdered  wood  for  filling  sachets  and  other  uses  is  sold  at  is.  the  pound.  The 
Pacific  species  of  sandal-wood  are  S.  ellipticum  and  S.  Freycinetianum  (Gaudichaud), 
which  are  met  with  in  the  Sandwich  Islands.  The  latter  species  is  found  in  the 
high  mountainous  ranges  of  Tahiti,  but  the  wood  is  of  inferior  quality  as  it  is  not 
odoriferous,  or  only  becomes  so  by  age.  The  wood  of  Myoporum  tumifolium 
(Forster)  is  used  as  a  substitute  for  sandal-wood  ;  the  fragrance  of  the  fresh  wood  is 
very  pleasant,  but  it  soon  loses  this  after  being  kept  some  time. 
The  cedar-wood  chiefly  imported  is  Cedrela  odorata,  from  Cuba,  Mexico  and 
Central  America,  in  quantities  varying  from  3,000  to  5,000  tons  yearly,  and  the  red 
and  pencil  cedar  of  Virginia  and  Bermuda,  Juniperus  Virginiana.  Fragrant  cedrine, 
an  essential  oil,  is  distilled  from  the  wood.  The  cedar-wood  of  British  Guiana 
(Idea  altissima,  Aubl.)  has  also  a  strong  aromatic  odor  which  keeps  away  insects, 
and  adapts  it  for  cabinets,  wardrobes,  etc.  In  the  translation  of  Latin  authors  the 
citron-wood  has  often  been  quoted  for  the  cedar,  without  taking  into  account  the 
difference  which  Pliny  makes  between  the  two  woods.  Cedri  fantum  et  citri  suorum 
fructicum  in  sacris  fumo  convolutum  nidorem  noverant,  etc — Pliny's  "Natural 
History,"  book  xiii.  And  the  description  which  Theophrastus  gives  of  the  Thuya 
and  Homer  cites  in  his  "  Odyssey  "  :  "A  great  fire  burnt  on  the  hearth,  the  odor 
of  the  cedar  which  is  easily  split,  and  of  the  Thuya  which  was  consumed,  spread 
widely  over  the  island." 
Pinus  Cembra  of  Russia  is  another  of  the  fragrant  woods. 
The  fragrant  rosewood  or  Palisandre  of  the  French  cabinet-makers  has  been  ascer- 
tained by  M.  Brogel  to  belong  to  two  or  three  species  of  Triptolomea. 
An  undefined  rare  wood  from  South  Ameiica,  called  Palo  santo,  has  a  fine  odor, 
which  it  never  loses.  It  takes  a  magnificent  polish,  fs  of  a  green  color,  very  solid 
and  elastic.  It  may  be  used  for  furniture,  wind  instruments,  and  would  make  mag- 
nificent pianos.    A  log  brought  down  the  river  to  Parana  some  years  ago  measured 
