On the myrospermum of sonsonate, from which the so-called balsam of Peru, white balsam and balsamito, are obtained / by Jonathan Pereira.

  • Pereira, Jonathan, 1804-1853.
Date:
[1850]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the myrospermum of sonsonate, from which the so-called balsam of Peru, white balsam and balsamito, are obtained / by Jonathan Pereira. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    dollars. It is sold in small portions at a time in the before-mentioned towns to persons who purchase for exportation. The trees yielding this commodity are very numerous on this privileged spot, and apparently limited to it, for on other parts of the coast, apparently identical in soil and climate, rarely an individual of the same species is here and there met with. The balsam is extracted by making an incision hi the tree, whence it gradually exudes and is absorbed by pieces of cotton rags, inserted for the purpose. These, when thoroughly saturated, are replaced by others, which, as they are removed, are thrown into boiling Avater. The heat detaches it from the cotton, and the valuable liquor being of less gravity than the water, floats on the top, is skimmed off, and put in calabashes for sale. The wood of the tree is of close grain, handsomely veined, nearly of a malio- gany colour, but redder; it retains for a long time an agreeable fragrant odour, and takes a fine polish. It would be excellent for cabinet makers, but is seldom to be obtained, as the trees are never felled, until by age or accidental decay all their precious sap is exhausted. This balsam was long erroneously supposed to be a production of Southern America, for, in the early period of Spanish dominion, and by the commercial regulations then existing relative to the fruits of this coast, it was usually sent by the merchants here to Callao, and being then transmitted to Spain, it there re- ceived the name of Balsam of Peru, being deemed indigenous to that region. The real place of its origui was known only to a few mercantile men.-(Pp. 93, 94.) OX MYROXOCARPINE: A NEW CETSTALLINE SUBSTANCE FROM WHITE BALSAM. BY JOHN STENHOUSE, liL.D., F.B.S. A FEW months ago I received a quantity of a fragrant semifluid balsam from my friend Dr. Pereira, which had been sent to him from Guatemala, under the name of luhite balsam. This balsam is said to be obtained irom tbe fruits of the same tree which yields the ordinary balsam of Peru. The white balsam is quite neutral to test paper, and has a peculiar agreeable smell, pretty closely resembling that of melilot. _ On digesting the balsam in spirit of wine of ordinary strength, a consider- able portion of it readily dissolved, and on the clear liquid remaiiiing at rest for twelve hours, a quantity of large white crystals were oradually deposited. These crystals, which retained a good deal of adhering resinous matter, were obtained perfectly pure when they had been digested with a little animal charcoal, and repeatedly crystallized out of hot spirits. When pure the crystals have no smell, and form broad thin prisms rather more than an inch in length. They are colourless, and possess considerable lustre, approaching that of nitrate of silver. They are hard and brittle; insoluble in both hot and cold water, but readily dissolve in hot alcohol and ether. They are also soluble to some extent in cold alcohol and ether. When chewed they have no taste. Their solution is quite neutral to test paper. I have given this crystalline substance the name of myroxocarpme, in the belief that it is derived from the fruits of the Myrospermuin as pre- viously mentioned. It was subjected to analysis with oxide of copper in the usual way.