BENZOIN

This article appears in Volume V03, Page 757 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: BEC-BER

BENZOIN , or Gum BENJAMIN (supposed to be from Arab. luban,

frankincense

FRANKINCENSE

, the first syllable being dropped in Romanic as if it were the article), a balsamic

resin

RESIN (through O.Fr. resine, modern reline, from Lat. resina, prcbably Latinized from
Greek
- GREEK
- GREEK, ETRUSCAN AND
Pirivrt, resin)

obtained from Styrax benzoin, a tree of considerable size, native to

Sumatra

SUMATRA

and Java, and from other species of Styrax. It is obtained by making incisions in the bark of the trees, and appears to be formed as the result of the wound, not to be secreted normally. There are several varieties of benzoin in commerce: (1) Siam benzoin, which apparently does not come from Styrax benzoin, is the finest and most aromatic, and occurs in the form of small " tears, " rarely exceeding 2 in. in length by 1 in. in thickness, and of " blocks " made up of these tears agglomerated by a clear reddish-brown

resin

RESIN (through O.Fr. resine, modern reline, from Lat. resina, prcbably Latinized from
Greek
- GREEK
- GREEK, ETRUSCAN AND
Pirivrt, resin)

. The odour of Siam benzoin is partly due to the presence of vanillin, and the substance contains as much as 38 % of benzoic acid but no cinnamic acid. (2)

Sumatra

SUMATRA

benzoin occurs only in masses formed of dull red resin enclosing

white

WHITE
WHITE, ANDREW DICKSON (1832– )
WHITE,
GILBERT
- GILBERT
- GILBERT (KINGSMILL) ISLANDS
- GILBERT (or GYLBERDE), WILLIAM (1544-1603)
- GILBERT, ALFRED (1854– )
- GILBERT, ANN (1821-1904)
- GILBERT, GROVE KARL (1843– )
- GILBERT, J
- GILBERT, JOHN (1810-1889)
- GILBERT,
  MARIE
  - MARIE
  DOLORES ELIZA ROSANNA [" LOLA MONTEZ "] (1818-1861)
- GILBERT, NICOLAS JOSEPH LAURENT (1751–1780)
- GILBERT, SIR HUMPHREY (c. 1539-1583)
- GILBERT, SIR JOSEPH HENRY (1817-1901)
- GILBERT, SIR WILLIAM SCHWENK (1836– )
(1720–1793)
WHITE, HENRY KIRKE (1785-1806)
WHITE, HUGH LAWSON (1773-1840)
WHITE, JOSEPH BLANCO (1775-1841)
WHITE,
RICHARD
- RICHARD
- RICHARD (d. 1184)
- RICHARD, FRANCOIS
  MARIE
  - MARIE
  BENJAMIN (18,9-1908)
- RICHARD, HENRY (1812-1888)
- RICHARD, ST
GRANT (1822-1885)
WHITE, ROBERT (1645-1704)
WHITE, SIR GEORGE STUART (1835– )
WHITE, SIR THOMAS (1492-1567)
WHITE, SIR WILLIAM ARTHUR (1824--1891)
WHITE, SIR WILLIAM HENRY (1845– )
WHITE, THOMAS (1628-1698)
WHITE, THOMAS (c. 1550-1624)

tears. It contains about 20 % of cinnamic acid in addition to 18 or even more of benzoic. (3) Palembang benzoin, an inferior variety, said to be obtained from Styrax benzoin in Sumatra, consists of greyish translucent resinous masses, containing small

white

opaque tears. It does not appear to contain cinnamic acid. Large quantities of benzoin are used as

incense

INCENSE

. Its medicinal uses depend on the contained benzoic acid (q.v.).

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