93  Notes  on  Some  Saps  and  Secretions.  { ^Slvy^t' 
useful  astringent  to  all  ulcerations  or  congestions  of  the  mucous 
membrane.  It  makes  a  valued  wash  for  the  mouth  and  gums  and 
a  gargle  in  ulcerated  sore  throat.  It  is  a  stimulant,  expectorant,  and 
much  admired  as  a  remedy  for  pulmonary  affections,  especially  the 
asthma  of  the  aged.  Hakims,  in  India,  use  it  for  intestinal  worms. 
It  is  detergent,  siccative,  astringent  and  aperient,  a  disperser  of  cold 
tumors  and  one  of  the  most  important  of  medicines,  as  it  preserves 
the  humors  from  corruption.  Dissolved  in  milk  it  is  dropped  in  the 
eye  in  purulent  ophthalmia.  It  is  useful  in  humid  asthma  and 
chronic  catarrh,  also  in  chlorosis  and  defective  menstruation.  Dose, 
in  pill,  powder  or  emulsion,  10  to  30  grains;  of  tincture,  j4  to  1 
fluiddrachm. — Dr.  George  Watt. 
B.  opobalsam,  Kunth  ;  Amyris  opobalsam,  Lin. — This  tree  fur- 
nishes the  balsam  or  balm  of  Gilead,  which  is  not  a  true  balsam,  but 
an  oleo-resin  of  a  consistence  like  that  of  Chian  turpentine.  It  has  a 
fragrant  odor  and  warm,  aromatic  taste,  and  was  held  in  high  esteem 
by  the  ancients,  and  accredited  with  a  variety  of  medicinal  proper- 
ties. As  a  cosmetic  and  perfume  it  is  still  largely  employed  by 
Turkish  ladies.  There  are  references  to  it  by  many  ancient  writers, 
among  others,  Theophrastus,  Dioscorides,  Pliny  and  Galen,  and  also 
many  mentions  of  it  in  the  Bible.  So  highly  prized  was  this  balsam 
that,  during  the  war  of  Titus  against  the  Jews,  two  fierce  contests 
took  place  for  the  orchards  in  Jericho,  where  it  was  produced,  the 
last  of  which  was  to  prevent  the  Jews  from  destroying  the  trees  that 
the  trade  might  not  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands.  The  gardens  were 
taken  formal  possession  of  as  public  property,  an  imperial  guard  was 
appointed  to  watch  over  them,  and  it  appeared  that  the  emperor 
increased  their  size  and  endeavored  to  propagate  the  plants.  The 
imperial  care  was  unavailing,  for  not  a  branch  of  the  balsam  tree  is 
now  to  be  found  in  all  Palestine.  The  shrub  was  taken  to  Arabia 
and  grown  in  a  recess  in  the  mountains  between  Mecca  and  Medina, 
whence  the  balsam  is  now  exported,  not  as  balm  of  Gilead,  but  bal- 
sam of  Mecca.  The  substance  is  still  eagerly  sought  for  in  Egypt 
and  the  East  under  this  name.  It  is  obtained  by  making  incisions 
in  the  trunk  or  branches,  but  the  yield  is  very  small,  only  averaging 
three  or  four  drops  per  diem.  This  fact  accounts  for  the  comparative 
rarity  and  the  great  costliness  of  the  genuine  article,  as  also  for  the 
numerous  substitutes  and  imitations  of  the  original.  There  are 
three  qualities  produced  by  art ;  the  first  and  best  is  the  opobalsam, 
