414  Notes  on  Some  Saps  and  Secretions. 
Toluifera  balsamum,  Lin.;  Myroxylon  Toluifera,  H.  B.  K.;  Myros- 
permum  toluiferum,  A.  Rech. — There  are  many  other  synonyms  of 
this  tree. 
There  is  great  confusion  yet  as  to  the  origin  of  the  two  balsams, 
Peru  and  Tolu.  The  exudation  known  as  "  balsam  of  Tolu"  is 
obtained  by  incisions  in  the  trunk.  When  in  the  first  state  it  is 
thickish,  yellow,  becomes  slowly  darker  and  solid,  and  has  a  very 
pleasant  odor  and  an  agreeable  taste.  It  is  chiefly  obtained  in  New 
Granada,  and  exudes  only  from  the  tree  during  the  heat  of  the  day. 
The  tree  inhabits  the  mountains  and  banks  of  the  River  Magdalena. 
The  balsam,  which  contains  cinnamic  acid,  is  used  as  a  stimulant 
expectorant,  and  for  flavoring  by  confectioners  and  perfumers.  It  is 
largely  imported  into  the  United  States,  the  imports  averaging 
42,000  pounds  in  the  three  years  ending  1890.  In  the  form  of  loz- 
enges it  is  a  popular  and  agreeable  remedy  for  appeasing  trouble- 
some coughs,  and  gives  a  pleasant  odor  to  lip  salve. 
Toluifera  Pereirce  (Roxb.)  Baillon ;  Myroxlon  peruiferum,  Lin. 
fil. ;  Myrospermum  Salvatoriense. — This  balsam  tree,  like  Tolu, 
has  received  many  synonyms  from  different  authors.  The  balsam 
is  a  beautiful  tree,  averaging  100  feet  in  height  and  20  inches 
in  diameter.  It  grows  almost  exclusively  on  the  coast  of  Sal- 
vador, comprised  by  the  southern  shores  of  the  departments  of 
Sonsonate  and  Libertad.  It  is  known  locally  as  quinquino,  or 
white  balsam,  when  first  obtained,  but  this  name  is  also  given 
to  a  balsam  from  the  pressed  fruit.  It  is  a  transparent  deep  red- 
dish brown,  or  black  liquid,  similar  in  color  and  consistence  to  dark 
molasses,  smells  vanilla-like,  but  somewhat  empyreumatic,  tastes  a 
little  bitter,  sharp  and  burning. 
There  are  two  methods  of  extracting  the  liquid.  The  first  con- 
sists in  scraping  the  skin  of  the  bark  to  the  depth  of  one-tenth  of 
an  inch  with  a  sharp  machete  in  small  spaces  some  twelve  to  fifteen 
inches  square,  all  along  the  trunk  and  stout  branches  of  the  trees. 
Immediately  after  this  operation,  the  portions  scraped  are  heated 
with  burning  torches  made  out  of  the  dried  branches  of  a  tree,  and 
after  this  pieces  of  old  cotton  cloth  are  spread  on  the  warmed  and 
half-charred  bark.  By  punching  the  edges  of  the  cloth  against  the 
tree  with  the  point  of  the  machete,  they  are  made  to  adhere.  In 
this  condition  they  are  left  for  twenty-four  and  even  forty-eight 
hours,  when  the  rags  are  gathered  and  submitted  to  a  decoction  in 
