2l6 
Australian  Sandarach. 
f  Am.  Jonr.  Pharm. 
\       April,  1895. 
ascertained  by  a  microscopical  examination  by  Dr.  Julius  Wiesner 
(Die  chemisch-technisch  venvendte  Gummiarten,  Harze  und  Bal- 
zame,  1869,  p.  129),  to  the  unequal  contraction  of  the  resin  while 
drying,  resulting  in  a  mass  of  fissures  that  form,  as  in  the  case  of 
several  kinds  of  copal,  facets  that  gradually  separate  from  the  mass 
and  constitute  the  •  powder  '  of  many  authors."  (Morel,  op.  cit.) 
Evidence  against  Herlant's  supposition  is  also  found  in  the  fact 
that  resins  of  the  Sandarach  class  are  nearly  white  on  the  trees  after 
they  have  been  exuded  some  little  time,  showing  that  the  appear- 
ance is  brought  about  by  exposure  to  the  weather. 
Australiafi  Sandarach. — Australian  Sandarach  burns  readily,  and 
on  the  Snowy  River  (near  the  Victorian  border)  it  is  often  mixed 
with  fat  by  the  settlers  to  make  candles.  The  aborigines  used  fre- 
quently to  use  it  for  a  similar  purpose.  Sir  Thomas  Mitchell  {Three 
Expeditions,  ii,  37)  says  :  "  Each  carried  a  burning  torch  of  the 
resinous  bark  of  the  Callitris,  with  the  blaze  of  which  these  natives 
(Lachlan)  seemed  to  keep  their  dripping  bodies  warm." 
The  Callitris  resins  soften  slightly,  but  do  not  melt  in  boiling 
water,  and  a  sample  of  commercial  Sandarach  behaves  similarly. 
In  the  mouth  they  feel  gritty  to  the  teeth,  and  in  no  way  different 
to  Sandarach.  When  freshly  exuded  they  are  very  irritating  to  a 
cut. 
I  will  reiterate,  at  this  place,  in  order  to  save  time,  that  the  prop- 
erties of  Sandarach  are  shared  by  Australian  Sandarach;  I  do  not 
know  in  what  respect  they  differ,  and  the  one  article  may  be  sub- 
stituted for  the  other. 
It  was  a  specimen  of  resin  from  the  Oyster  Bay  Pine  of  Tasmania, 
sent  to  the  exhibition  of  185 1,  which  first  drew  the  attention  of 
experts  to  the  possibilities  of  Australian  Sandarach.  For  "the  fine 
pale  resin  of  the  Oyster  Bay  Pine  {Callitris  australis)  from  the 
eastern  coast  of  Van  Diemen's  Land  "  and  other  gums  and  resins, 
Mr.  J.  Milligan  was  awarded  honorable  mention  (Jury  Reports,  1851, 
Exhibition,  p.  182). 
I  have  only  alluded  to  naturally-growing  trees,  but  Baron  von 
Mueller  states :  "  Probably  it  would  be  more  profitable  to  devote 
sandy  desert  land,  which  could  not  be  brought  under  irrigation,  to 
the  culture  of  the  Sandarach  Cypresses  than  to  pastoral  purposes, 
but  boring  beetles  must  be  kept  off."  Of  course,  Cypress  Pine 
timber  is  very  valuable,  as  it  is  ornamental,  and  one  of  the  best  of 
