526 
Siam  Benzoin. 
(Am.  .Torn*.  Pharm. 
X     October,  1895. 
found  on  elevated  ground  and  do  not  like  the  plains  country.  They 
grow  in  isolated  patches,  like  the  forests  of  "teng-rang"  and  teak. 
A  forest  patch  of  gum  benjamin  usually  contains  from  fifty  to  sixty 
trees  and  upwards,  and  the  tree  is  found  generally  in  large  numbers 
along  the  high  hills  in  the  extensive  forest  region  of  Slua  Phan, 
Tangslok,  and  the  borders  of  Miiang  Theng  in  the  province  of  Luang 
Prabang.  It  is  rarely  met  with  in  other  countries,  except  those 
outside  the  provinces  immediately  contiguous  to  Siam.  The  Siam- 
ese Thai,  Annamites  and  Tongsoos,  who  have  settled  in  the  above- 
mentioned  provinces,  have  worked  out  and  traded  in  the  gum  ben- 
jamin from  an  early  period  for  successive  generations,  and  these  are 
scattered  amongst  the  neighboring  people,  as  well  as  being  fre- 
quently found  in  Siam  also.  The  season  for  working  the  gum  ben- 
jamin is  from  the  eighth  or  ninth  months  (July  and  August)  to  the 
tenth  and  twelfth  months  (September  and  November),  when  the 
season  ends.  Thenceforward  is  the  period  during  which  the  gum 
benjamin  is  bought  and  sold.  The  gum  benjamin  is  worked  after 
the  following  methods  :  So  many  trees  are  notched,  so  as  to  form 
a  girdle  around  the  stem.  An  interval  of  three  months  is  allowed 
to  elapse  between  the  period  of  notching  and  that  of  picking  the 
gum  benjamin  dammar,  which  wells  out  of  the  trunk  and  collects  in 
the  notches.  By  means  of  a  sharpened  stick  or  the  point  of  a  knife 
this  is  picked  out,  bark  and  all,  and  gathered  at  once  in  baskets.  It 
is  then  sorted  and  divided  into  different  classes,  according  to  choice. 
Picking  cannot  commence  before  the  interval  of  three  months  has 
elapsed,  as  the  dammar  that  has  trickled  out  into  the  notches  would 
not  have  had  time  to  harden.  It  would  still  be  soft  and  sticky,  and 
if  picked  at  the  time  would  become  dirty,  owing  to  the  bark  coming 
off  with  it ;  nor  would  it  be  of  such  value  either,  as,  being  sticky,  it 
would  cling  to  other  things  and  the  full  benefit  would  not  be  de- 
rived, such  as  would  be  the  case  if  it  were  properly  dry.  For  this 
reason  the  gum  benjamin  must  be  left  for  three  months  after  the 
notching,  in  order  that  all  the  gum  possible  may  well  out,  and  it 
may  become  dry  and  hard.  Among  the  people  above-mentioned 
the  picking  and  sale  of  gum  benjamin  is  generally  considered  as  one 
way  of  obtaining  a  livelihood,  for  the  gum  has  a  value  and  is  reck- 
oned as  a  marketable  commodity.  And  even  if  the  people  have 
no  other  occupation  than  selling  gum  benjamin,  that  by  itself  is 
sufficient  as  a  means  of  livelihood.    The  period  during  which  the 
