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Show COPAIVA TREE. 439 It is usually about the consistence of oil, or a little thicker; when long kept, it becomes nearly as thick as honey, retaining its clearness ; but it has not been observed to grow dryor solid, as most of the other resinous juices do. ‘The best resin of copaiva comes from Brazil; but we sometimes meet with a thick sort, which is not at all transparent, or muchless so than the foregoing, and generally has a portion of turbid watery liquor at the bottom. ‘This is probably either adulterated by the mixture of other substances, or has been extracted by decoction from the bark and branches of the tree: its smell and taste are muchless pleasant than those of the genuine resin. Pure resin of copaiva dissolves entirely in alcohol: the solution has a very fragrant smell. Distilled with water it yields a large quantity of a limpid essential oil, but no benzoic acid: it is therefore not a balsam, but a combination of resin and volatile oil. Neumann says that it effervesces with liquid ammonia. MEDICAL VIRTUES. COPAIVA TREE. COPAIFERA OFFICINALIS. Class X. Decandria. Order I. Monogynia. NT EN z588SENT. GEN, CHAR. Calyx- none: Petals four: Legu men ovate: Seed one, with a berriedarillus, a DESCRIPTION. Tus tree grows to a great height. The leaves are pinnated, large, consisting of several pair of pinn e and an odd one, on ae footstalks. The flowers are white, and inco nspicuous. Petals four, acute, spreading. HISTORY, 1 ae : as The tree which produces this resin is a native of the Spanish y Tac 7a ky a 7 Vest India islands, and of some parts 1 . of South America. It grows to a large size, and the resin ous juice flows in considerable quantities from incisions made in the trunk. ae juice is clear and transparent, of a whitish or pale yele. owish colour, an agreeable smell, anda bitter ish pungent taste. The resin of copaiva is an useful corroborating detergent medicine, but in some degreeirritating. It strengthens the nervous system, tends to loosen the belly ; in large doses proves purgative, promotes urine, and cleans and heals ulcerations in the urinary passages, which it is supposed to perform more. effectually than any of the other resinous fluids. Fuller observes that it gives the urine anintensely bitter taste, but not a violet smell, as the turpentines do. This resin has been principally celebrated in gleets, and the fluor albus, and externally as a vulnerary. The dose of this medicine rarely exceeds twenty or thirty drops, though some authors direct sixty, or upwards. It may be conveniently taken in the form of an emulsion, into whichit may be reduced by triturating it with almonds, with a thick mucilage of gum arabic, or with the yolk of eggs, till theyare well incorporated, and then gradually adding a proper quantity of water. |