622       Sulpho-Carbolate  of  Sodium  for  Bee  Stings.  {^^Ir^ass^''^' 
to  Kew^  a  second  was  planted  in  Mr.  Jamie's  own  garden,  and  the 
third  died. 
Tlie  twig  which  I  now  exhibit  was  taken  by  Mr.  Jamie  from  the 
young  plant  in  his  garden.  The  specimen  sent  to  Kew  is  still  living 
and  seemed  to  be  in  a  healthy  state  when  I  saw  it  a  fortnight  since. 
Judging  from  the  appearance  of  the  plant  at  Kew  and  from  the  leaves 
sent  by  Mr.  Jamie,  the  Siamese  benzoin  tree  is  probably  a  distinct 
species,  although  nearly  allied  to  S.  benzoin,  Dry.  The  leaves  are 
rather  thinner,  the  lateral  veins  are  fewer  in  number  and  the  veinlets 
more  prominent  beneath,  but  it  is  necessary  to  wait  until  flowers  and 
fruit  are  obtained  before  the  exact  species  to  which  it  belongs  can  be 
ascertained.  Mr.  Jamie  has  now  the  two  growing  together  in  his  gar- 
den, and  remarks  in  his  letter,  Judging  from  what  I  have  seen  of 
the  two  kinds  growing  together,  they  are  different." 
I  have  compared  the  specimens  of  the  Styarx  benzoin  tree  from  Mr. 
Jamie's  garden,  with  Dryander's  original  specimen  in  the  British 
Muesum,  and  they  correspond  exactly. 
Concerning  this  tree  Mr.  Jamie  writes  : — ^'  The  Singapore  grown 
tree  is  thought  to  be  from  Palembang,^  it  is  about  30  feet  in  height, 
and  the  branches  are  all  at  the  top.  The  circumference  of  the  trunk 
is  from  14  to  16  inches.  It  flowers  in  March  and  the  fruit  does  not 
take  long  to  mature,  then  it  falls  off,  producing  seedlings  in  abundance 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  How  old  this  tree  may  be  is  rather  difficult  to 
determine,  but  it  must  be  over  thirty  years  at  the  least." 
The  tolerable  certainty  that  in  a  short  time  flowers  and  fruit  of  the 
Siam  benzoin  tree  will  be  obtainable,  and  that  the  source  of  the  drug 
can  then  be  definitely  set  ar  rest,  must  be  my  excuse  for  bringing 
incomplete  information  before  you.  I  need  none  for  bringing  the 
admirable  specimens  presented  by  Mr.  Jamie  under  your  notice. 
ISiilpho-carbolate  of  sodium  for  bee  stings.— Dr.  Thos.  Edwards, 
in  the  Lancet,  September  22,  1883,  says  that  in  a  case  of  great  swelling  of 
the  face  from  the  sting  of  a  bee  he  gave  fifteen  grains  of  this  drug  in  an 
ounce  of  water,  every  four  hours,  with  most  gratifying  results. — Med.  and 
Surg.  Rep.  Oct.  27. 
1  If  so,  then,  it  supports  my  supposition  that  Palembang  and  Sumatra 
benzoin  are  produced  by  the  same  tree. 
