5. E. African. —See Olibanum, p. 1676.
6. VI': A.fricca.—It is said that large cakes of elcmi used to be brought to Bembe, and that it is abundant at not many days' journey ; but there is possibly some confusion here with animi or copal. Nevertheless Holmes, in 1879, described an demi from an Idea sp. received from Liberia under the name of copal. Externally, it seemed inferior, having a dirty hlackish appearance, tho white opaque porous resin only showing here and there ; the odour resembled the true drug, but the article was much drier and more friable. Analysis proved it to be comparatively pitre, thus— resin soluble in oold alcohol, 84.5 ; resin soluble in ether, 12.0 ; black insoluble residue, 3.5. This last is of vegetable origin, and almost exclusively fungoid or algal filaments.
7. W. Indian.—Wiesner describes an exudation from Bursera gummifera in Martinique and Guadeloupe, forming large white inhumes, internally greenish to yellowish.
Euphorbium (FE., Euphorbe; GER., Euphorbium).—This gum-resin is obtained from Euphorbia resinifera, a tree confined to the interior of Morocco, growing on the lower slopes of the Atlas in the S. province of Suse, and in Demenet, and notably at Netifa and Imsfuia (Mesfioua). Incisions are made by a knife in the green fleshy branches, whence exudes an abundance of ntilky juice, which hardens on exposure, encrusting the stems down which it flows, and is collected in September. The collectors adopt the precaution of covering mouth and nose during the operation, to exclude the small dusty particles, which provoke intense sneezing. The gum-resin once had a wide medicinal use, but the trade in it is now rapidly declining, and its consumption is restricted t,o veterinary practice, and as RD ingredient of a marine paint. What little is exported is shipped at Mngador. Our imports in 1870 were 12 cwt.; since then there is no return. A small quantity recently sold in London at 28s. a cwt.
name frankincense properly belongs to olibanum, and the true drug will be described under that head (see p. 1676). The term " common frankincense" is a synonym for gum thus, a coniferous product (see Thus, p. 1684). and is also appLed to another pine-resin). There remains the resinous exudation known ns " W. African frankincense " for description in the present article.
The tree affording this, D thurifera,is a native of SierrA, Leone and circumjacent regions, being especially abundant in the mountainous districts W. of Freetown, and the wooded slopes near York. Lumley. and Gocicrich villages. It is said also to be met with on the forest declivities of
Fernando Po, and in Yoruba, where it is called ogea. In Sierra Leone, both the tree and the exu dation are termed bungo. The naturally exuded gum-resin mostly appears in a liquid state, of white or pale-straw colour ; in some seasons, it oozes so copiously from the branches that the ground and shrubs beneath become thickly covered with white spots. This does not occur so pro fusely from the cortex, and, when so produced, appears in thin, shallow, whitish streaks, resembling a saline efflorescence when dry. The natural exudation would not appear to be gathered. But the tree is much attacked by an insect which perforates the bark in all directions, and through the apertures made by it, the gum-resin issues as ft liquid mingled with and coloured by the woody debris, and accumulates in masses, which fall to the earth, harden, and are collected for sale. Further quantities are procured by stripping dead or unsound bark from the tree, the more decayed portions being commonly saturated by the exudation. Both kinds, frequently mixed, appear in the market at Freetown, and are largely consumed locally by the native women for anointing. The product seems to be unknown in European commerce.
Galbanum (FR., Galbanuat ; GEL, Galbanum, Mutterharz).—Premising that much ignorance still surrounds the origin of this medicinal gum-resin, it seems to be at any rate chiefly derived frorn two species of Ferula. These are : (1) F. galbaniflua, the khassuch of the Persians, and boridsheh of the Mazanderan dialect, inhabiting the foot and slopes (4000-8000 ft.) of the Demavend mountains in N. Persia, the mountains near Kuslikak and Churchura (Jajarud), and the neigh bourhood of Sabsawar ; and (2) F. rubricaulis [erubescens], growing in the gorges of the Kuh Dinar range in S. Persia, and locally throughout the whole of N. Persia, as on the Dalmkuh mountain, on the slopes of the Elvend near Hamadan, at intervals on the edge of the great central salt-desert of Persia, on the mountains near Sabsawar, between Ghurian and Khaf, west of Herat, and on the desert plateau west of Khar. The gum-resin of the former species is said to be gathered by the inhabitants of the district of Demavend, though it is not any special object of industry; that of the latter species is collected for commercial purposes around Hamadan, and constitutes "Persian " galhanum.