DRAGON'S BLOOD.
Dain-ul-akhwain, . ARAB. Hirsduckhun, G Ki-lin-kieh, . . Sanguis draconis, . LAT.
Hiueh-kieh, Chu-kieb, Janiang, . . 3IALAY.
Lung-ain-hiang„ „ Khun-u-Livan, Indarume, . . . DEER. CAtgaBlUruga-rilda, SANS. Sang-dragon, . . Fit. Kandsanurga rat tarn, TAW. Dre,chenbluth, . . GER. Khadga.mragarnnetru,Tz.
The dragon's blood gum-resins of commerce are obtained from several plants. The fourth Chinese name means dragon s spittle gum-resin. As sold in China, it is the product of two plants, probably the Pterocarpus draco, the other the Calamus draco. Pterocarpus draw wood when first cut presents no marks of reduces, lait in a little time red drops begin to exude from the wood. In about ten minutes they become lard and clear, and are collected. All the dragon's blood obtained, now, in the market is said to lx‘ from several species of Calamu.s, C. petrieus (Lour.), C. rudentum (Lour.), C. verua (Lour.), and C. draw (IVilld.), natives of Ilindustan, Cochin-China, the Moluccas, Borneo, and Sumatra ; but Linrueus reckoned the last three mere vaneties of the C. rotang (Linn.). Its ripe fruits are covered with a reddish-brown dry resinous granular matter, which is obtained by beating or thrsahing the fruit in little baakets. Within the Archipelago, the prin• cipal pilule of production lit Jambi, on the N.E. side of Sumatra. The plant is not cultivated. The collectors are the wild Kuhl], alio dispose of it to the Malays at a price not much exevol ing a shilling a pound. The beat kind imported into Europe in reeds is mauipulated by the Chinese. The canes of the male plant used in
former times to be exportAxl to Batavia, arid very probably formed the true Jambees.' coin memorated in the Spectator as the most fashion- I able walking-sticks in the reign of Queen Anne. The secretion of the fruit constitutes the best of ; jur-nang, or dragon's blood. A second and , rather inferior kind is produced by heat, and by bruising the fruit, from which the natnral secre tion has been removed. The third, and most inferior, seems to be the refuse of the last process., It is perhaps doubtful whether it is ever procured from the plant by incisions. Quantities of this drug are annually sent from Banjer Massing in I3orneo to Singapore and Batavia, and thence to China, where it is much prized. In Europe it is a constituent of some tooth-powders and tinctures, but is chiefly used for colouring spirit and turpen tine varnishes. It is found in the market either in oval drops, or in large and impure masses com posed of several tears. That which is good is of a bright crimson when powdered, and if held up to the light in masses, is semi-transparent. It is often adulterated with other gurns. It is sent to the Chinese market in reeds, at 15 to 35 dollars per pikul, principally in native vessels. The price in China varies from 80 to 100 dollars a pikul, after purifying and refining.—Faulkner ; Morri son ; Marsden's Sumatra, p. 159 ; Crawfurd ; Seeman on Palms.