The balsam is gathered by the Indians on the banks of tile Orinoco and its upper affluents, and taken to Ciudad Bolivar (Angostura) for shipment, some of this balsam reaching Europe by way of Trinidad. It is more largely obtained on the tributaries of the Caisquiari and Rio Negro (the Siapa, Icanna, Uaupgs), and the N. influents of the Amazon (the Trornbetas and Nhamundri), and is sent down to Para. In S. Venezuela, tire balsam is known as aceite de palo (" wood-oil "), the term balsam° being reserved for "sassafras-oil" froni Nectandra sp. The balsam exported from Maracaibo is produced by C. officinalis, the canime of the natives. The exportation of the balsam takes place chiefly from Para, Marauham, Rio de Janeiro, Dcmerara, Ciudad Bolivar, Trinidad, Maracaibo, Savanilla, and Cartagena. In 1875, the shipments fronr Savanilla were 10,150 kilo., flora Para, 65,243 kilo., and from Ciudad Bolivar, 99,800 lb.; the exports to New York from Ciudad Bolivar were 4165 lb. in 1878, and 1378/ lb. in 1879. Maracaibo, in 1880, exported 15,758 gal., 74744, dol. (of 4s. 2d.), The balsam often reaches England by way of New York and Havre.
The balsams frora Para, Maranham, Maracaibo, and the W. Indies are considered distinct, and are rerdily di,tinguished by experienced dealers. The first is of much less firm consistence than the second and third, aild the W. Indian is opalescent, and usually deemed inferior, though pro bably on insufficient grounds. These differences are ascribed to variety of origin, and to oxidation and the loss of volatile constituents by exposure. The general characteristics of copaiba balsam are a more or less viscous fluid; of pale-yellow to light golden-hrown colour ; peculiar, aromatic, not unpleasant odour ; persistent, acrid, hitter flavour ; commonly transparent, sometimes opalescent ; consisting of a resin held in solution by an essential oil, the latter forming 30-80 per cent. ; of sp. gr. 0.940-0.993, according to the proportion of the oil ; and mostly soluble in all proportions in absolute alcohol, acetone, and carbon bisulphide, in an equal volume of benzol, and in several volumes of alcohol at 0.830 sp. gr.
The balsam is very largely adulterated with castor-oil, turpentine, and other fixed and volatile oils, to which it readily lends itself by its inconstant character ; it is extensively replaced by gurjun balsam here, and by the oleo-resin of Hardwickia pinnata in India, which are equally effective drugs. No reliable general test has yet been discovered for copaiba ; but a few special tests may be mentioned. Treatment of the suspected mass with 1-4 parts petroleum-benzine will give dense floccules with 4 parts of turpentine present ; and treatment with 10-12 parts of the ben zine will cause a separation of even 10 per cent. of castor-oil. Most volatile oils would be detected
by their ready solution in alcohol. A distinguishing test for copaiba, gurjun, and Hardwickia is:— Shake up 1 drop of the balsam with 19 of carbon bisulphide, add 1 drop of nitro-sulphuric acid (equal parts concentrated), and agitate : copaiha shows faint reddish-brown, with deposit of resin on the sides of the tube; gurjuu, intense purplish-red, soon becoming violet ; Hardunclua, no alteration from its pale greenish-yellow. This test will reveal 12/ per cent. of gurjun in copaiba.
The uses of copaiba are essentially medicinal (see Drugs, p. 809).
The cultivation of copaiba trees in India, is advocated by Cross, who brought seeds from Brazil with that object. The site should be the best dry loam, suitable for cane or coffee ; wet land is quite unfitted. The climate should be such. as that enjoyed by the Para indiarubber, with which it is often naturally associated. Returns from the cultivation would be realized in about the same thne as from oak plantations ; a, few hundred trees on an estate would much enhance its value.
Sec also Gmjun, p. 1651 ; Hardwickia, p. l654.
Copal and Animi (FR., Copal, Anime ; GER., Kopalharz, Flussharz, Animegummi).—The term " copal " is frequently used in a generic sense, embracing a number of resins of widely different oligin. It will here be restrioted to the fossil and recent copols of continental and insular Mika ; for tho other kinds, readers are ref( rred to their distinct headings—Dammar, Jutahy-seca, Knurl, and Piney.
Tbe resin known as Bombay, E. Indian, or Zanzibar copal or animi, is a product of E. Africa, chiefly the neighbouthoed of Zanzibar. It is of two kinds, fossil and recent. The exact geniis and species of the tree yielding the former must retnain a matter of doubt; the latter is attributed to 7i.achylobium mossarnbicense [flornemonnianum], a tree which is sometimes grouped with the very closely allied Ilyrnenwa vo,., one or more of which yields a similar product in S. America (see Jutahy seen). According to Burten, the copul-tree is called shajar el sandanis by the Arabs, msandaeusi by the Wasawahili, and mnzingii by the Wazaramo and other maritime riees. It atill lingers on the island aud maieland of Zanzibar, and was eliserved by him at 31onibosa, Saadani, Muhenvera, and 13tzegero of Uzatnare, and MIS heard of at Bagarrnoyo, Mbuamaji, and liilwa. The tree is anid to be abundant in the woods adjoining the inner side of the wilderness in Usarnhara. It grows throughout the Uzainaro (Wazainare) country much further aouth, and is by no meana confined to the sea-coast, but ia even more abundant ioland beyend the first coast-ridge. It ceases towards the interior as soon ss the limestone formation makes its appearance.