BALSAMODE'NDRON, a genus of Oriental trees, is deserving of our notice here as pro ducing Myrrh, and Balsam of Gilead. Myrrh exudes from the bark, and is at first soft, oily, and of a yellowish-white colour, then acquires the consistence of butter, and by exposure to the air becomes harder, and changes to a red dish hue. As met with in commerce, it is of two kinds, that which is called myrrh in tears, and that called myrrh in sorts. The smell is peculiar and rather disagreeable, the taste is bitter and very unpleasant.
The alcoholic tincture of the best myrrh, mixed with equal parts of nitric acid, becomes red or violet. The tincture of the false myrrh (of Bonastre) so treated becomes turbid and yellow, but not red. The taste of this false myrrh is very bitter, but the smell is that of turpentine.
The produce of the Balsamodenclron 011ea dense, though called a balsam, and denomi• nated Balsam of Mecca and Balsam of Gilead, is not entitled chemically to rank as such, being an oleo-resin. It is of two kinds, that obtained by spontaneous exudation, and that which is obtained by boiling the branches.
The former is so highly prized in the East and so expensive, that it is never brought to Europe. It is said that even in Constantinople there are only two shops whence it can be pro. cured genuine, and where it costs about is. per grain English. That which is obtained by boiling is of different qualities and value, according as the boiling is continued for a short or long time. When for a short time only, the substance which floats on the sur face is highly esteemed, and almost all of this quality is consumed in Asiatic Turkey and Egypt. The variety procured by long-con tinued boiling is sent to Europe in small conical leaden bottles, the mouth of which is closed with a leaden stopper, and covered over with bladder. It is, however, frequently adul terated on account of its high price ; and the cheaper kinds ordinarily sold contain not an atom of the real balsam.