41 6  The  Commerce  in  Vegetable  Oils.      {A p^m- 
tion  of  "  Terra  japonica."  It  is  like  cutch,  a  powerful  astringent, 
useful  chiefly  in  diarrhoea.  Lozenges  are  said  to  be  the  best 
medium  of  administering  it  in  relaxed  condition  of  the  throat,  uvula 
and  tonsils,  in  sponginess  of  the  gums,  salivation,  etc.  They  may 
be  employed  in  pyrosis  and  other  cases  in  which  astringents  are 
indicated.  This  extract  contains  only  about  half  the  astringent  mat- 
ter of  that  obtained  from  the  trunk  of  Acacia  Catechu.  (Tests  to 
determine  the  two  are  given,  Vol.  66,  p.  105.). 
The  exports  from  Singapore  average  over  40,000  tons,  of  which 
more  than  half  comes  to  England,  to  be  chiefly  used  by  tanners  and 
dyers,  and  about  13,000  tons  to  the  United  States. 
Unona  Narumi  Dun.;  Uvaria  Narum,  Bl.;  U.  Zeylanica,  Lam. — 
A  greenish,  sweet-smelling  oil ;  is  obtained  in  Malabar  by  distilling 
the  roots  of  this  evergreen  climber,  which  is  used  medicinally  as  a 
stimulant  in  rheumatism.    The  seeds  are  carminative. 
Vateria  indica,  Lin.;  Elceocarpus  copallinns,  Retz. — The  resin  from 
this  tree  is  the  white  dammar,  or  Indian  copal,  known  also  as 
"  piney  varnish."  Under  the  influence  of  gentle  heat,  it  combines 
with  wax  and  oil,  and  forms  an  excellent  resinous  ointment. 
Xanthorrhcea  Tatei,  Mueller. — This,  one  of  the  largest  of  the 
so-called  "  Australian  grape  trees,"  furnishes  the  "  black-boy  gum," 
a  balsamic  resin  of  a  bright  yellow  color  and  pleasant  fragrant  odor, 
when  burned  as  incense.  It  is  used  for  the  manufacture  of  sealing 
wax,  and  picric  acid  (which  it  yields  in  large  percentages),  and  for 
varnishes.  It  is  also  known  as  "  gum  acroides."  It  tastes  slightly 
astringent  and  aromatic,  like  storax  or  benzoin,  containing  benzoic 
and  cinnamic  acids.  This  resin  is  also  commercially  obtained  from 
X.  resinosa,  Persoon ;  X.  quadrangulata,  Mueller,  of  South  Aus- 
tralia ;  X,  Preissic,  Endlicher,  of  West  Australia,  and  X.  hastilis, 
and  X.  Australis,  R.  Brown,  of  New  South  Wales. 
NOTES  ON  THE  COMMERCE  IN  VEGETABLE  OILS. 
By  P.  L.  Simmonds,  F.L.S. 
All  plants  do  not  yield  oil,  but  still  the  list  of  oil  producers  is 
an  extensive  one.  The  richest  are  the  cruciferous  tribe,  and  some 
of  the  palm  fruits.  All  oils  are  not  good  for  food  or  light,  some  ot 
them  being  what  are  termed  "  drying  oils." 
