ELEMI, as commercially used at the pres ent day, an oleo-resin obtained from the Cana rium lueonicum of the Philippine Islands, also known as ((Manila elemi." As found in the mar ket it has the appearance of old honey, due to admixture with extraneous material, but when pure it is colorless, and has a pleasing fragrance. It is a mixture of resin with a volatile oil, the resin being compound, part (61 per cent) amor phous and part (25 per cent) crystalline; the latter Icnown by the specific name, amyrin. The amorphous resin dissolves in cold alcohol; the crystalline only in hot alcohol. The hard elemi, most abundant in the West Indies, is obtained from species of Bursera, and is either yellowish or greenish, sometimes opaque and sometimes translucent, has a fatty lustre, is easily pulver ized and very fusible. It is heavier than wate.r, in which it is insoluble, although it is reachlY dissolved in either turpentine or alcohol. .The
Oriental elemi of ancient times was the African elemi, an extract of Boswellia Frereana or San tiriotis balsamifera. The Mauritius variety is obtained from Canarium paniculatum. A large part of the demi of commerce is produced from trees of different genera of the same family growing in tropical America. Brazilian elem.
or anime, is the product of Hymencea Cour bora. Mexican elemi, now rarely found in com merce, is the product of Amyrts plurnieri. It was formerly the base of a highly valued lac quer. Elemi is a regular constituent of spirit varnishes, and the Manila kind is used in plas ters and ointments, and in the preparation of certain high grade printing inks. In Eastern countries it is also used as incense. Its active principle is a volatile oil obtained by distillation.