34 
ON THE MALAMBO BARK OF CARTHAGENA. 
valuable Spanish work, in the possession of Mr. Watts, 
and from which that gentleman also favoured me with an 
extract, it is spoken of as follows: 
"El tercero* esel Malambo, enja corteza aromatica es unantipasmo- 
dico eminente, deun amargo may activo, febrifugo ; y astringente. Lo 
hay con abundancia en la Provincia de Santa Maria, donde la aplican 
para curar pasmo, caknturas, intermittentes, y la dysenteria; y tambien 
se encnentra en varios territories de esta Provincia. Se hacen algu- 
nas extracciones de su corteza para la Habana ; y alii lo usan con 
mucho suceso contra el pasmo aque son muy propensos los negros; y 
decde que tienen este specifico, casi no muero ninguno de el. Acqui 
no se aplica para nada, y hace pocos dias hemos, vista morir un joven 
apreciable, por no haberle dado en tiempo este remedio. Es un vege- 
tal importantissimo ; que merece la atencion del Gobierno por las virtu- 
des ; que dexamos expuestas, y aplicaciones que se hacen de el en 
Santa Maria, como por el color y olor de su corteza ; tenemos razones 
para creer sea del genero cusparia, 6 quino de Angostura, de que se 
comporie parte de la receta del difunto Dr. Mutis, para curacion de la 
dysenteria. y no dudamos asegurar que, a falta de esta, puede suplir la 
Corteza del Malambo.' 5 
"The third is the Malambo, whose aromatic bark is a 
powerful antispasmodic, containing bitter febrifuge and as- 
tringent properties of great activity. , It abounds in the pro- 
vince of Santa Martha, where it is employed in the cure of 
spasms, intermit tents, calentures, and dysenteries; it oc- 
curs also in various parts of this province (Carthagena.) 
The bark is exported to the Havannah, where it is exhi- 
bited in the treatment of spasms [tetanus?) to which the 
negroes are very subject; and since the adoption of this 
remedy hardly any deaths arise from this complaint. Here 
we make no use of it; and very lately (in 1810, at Cartha- 
gena) we have witnessed the death of a valuable young 
man from the neglect of exhibiting this remedy insufficient 
time. It is a most important vegetable production, merit- 
ing the attention of government from the valuable proper- 
ties it possesses, and the use made of it at Santa Martha. 
♦The other three are the Guayacan, Ariza, and Guarumo 
