Gamboge

Clusiaceæ, or Guttiferæ, a natural order of trees or shrubs belonging to the Dicotyledons (division Thalamifloræ), natives of the humid tropics of S. America. [...] Most of the plants have acrid properties, and yield a yellow resin. Among the chief and common plants of the order are Gambooge (q.v.), Mangosteen fruit (Garcinia Mangostana), [...]

Gamboge is one of the firſt yellows, which may be made to produce five or six ſorts of Green with verdegreaſe, according as the gambooge is in the greater or leſſer proportion; if it abounds, it will make a tolerable oak green, and being mixt with a greater quantity of verdegreaſe, it will make a fine graſs Green.

Concerning the Tree which yields the Gamboge, By Profeſſor J[ames] A. Murray. [...] The tree which yields the true gamboge is, by the natives on the coaſt of Coromandel, called Gokathu, and Bokathu; by Dr. König, it is name Guttæfera vera, and Arbor polygama fructu ceraſiformi eduli. [...] This tree grows in Siam and Ceylon: in the months of June and July, the natives break off ſome of the leaves and young ſhoots, and a yellow juice drops from the wound, of the conſiſtence of cream, which is collected in cocoa-nut ſhells, and afterwards dried by the ſun.

Chestnut wood, dyed with saffron, or old chestnut, dyed with gambooge, imitates dark mahogany.

Taken in small doses, gamboge promotes the secretions of the alimentary canal and of the kidneys, and causes more frequent and liquid stools than natural. [...] Gamboge belongs to the active hydragogues and drastic purgatives. [...] It is exceedingly apt to irritate the stomach, and to occasion nausea and vomiting. This arises from its ready solubility in the gastric juices. As this action on the stomach is exceedingly objectionable, we sometimes endeavour to lessen it by conjoining aloes, or some other substance which diminishes the solubility of gamboge in aqueous fluids, and by giving the medicine in the form of a pill.

That the papers already communicated on this subject might be rendered more complete, we have now added thereto a brief account of such other dyeing substances as are in general use. [...] Dyes of animal origin, catechus, gamboges, and other similar products are excluded. [...] gamboge and dragon's blood can scarce merit the title of dye-stuffs.

At the ordinary temperature of the air camboge has little smell, but when heated it gives out a very peculiar one. Taken into the mouth it has scarcely any perceptible taste, but upon being chewed for some time it causes a sharp, somewhat acrid feeling, ending in a sweet sensation, accompanied with dryness in the mouth. [...] Camboge is more extensively used as a pigment than as a medicine.

Pipe gamboge consists of cylindrical pieces, varying from one to three inches in diameter. Some of them appear to have been formed by rolling; but many of them are striated from the impression of the bamboo stems into the hollow of which the gamboge juice has been poured, [...] Pipe gamboge occurs in all qualities—the finest and the worst specimens of gamboge which I ever saw having this form. [...] Lump or cake gamboge occurs in masses of several pounds weight. Its quality is inferior to the finest pipe kind.

Of gum resins, the emulsive series including gamboges of all varieties will follow the gums in natural order in consequence of the facility with which they mix and form an emulsion with water.

I have always heard, and red, that Nature is one of the chief beauties of poetry; and lo! behold an example!—for I merely turned into rhyme the pitiful ravings of two love-lorn maids, most tenderly sensible to the charms of a pair of black moustachios relieved with deep gamboges.