Tolu balzam

Origin

Balsam of Tolu is similar to the balsam of Peru and frequently confounded with it. Balsam of Tolu and balsam of Peru are both products of the resin of the species Myroxylon balsamum, and they are extracted from different varieties in different ways. Myroxylon balsamum is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. Its two varieties are var. balsamum, the Tolu balsam tree, and var. pereirae, the Peru balsam tree. The species is native to tropical forests from Southern Mexico through the Amazon regions of Peru and Brazil. The tree is large and slow growing, reaching 45 metres in height. It got its name because it was shipped to Europe from Tolú, Colombia. In Colombia the tree grows plentifully in the forests near the river Magdalena and its tributary the Cauca. The tree has been planted for balsam production in West Africa, India and Sri Lanka. Its wood is reddish with an interlocked grain and is used for flooring, furniture, interior trim and heavy construction. The species has the conservation status Least Concern.

Properties and composition

The balsam is easily soluble in alcohol, acetone and chloroform, but only partially soluble in carbon disulphide. Its chief constituents are 12 to 15 per cent of free cinnamic acid, 0.05 per cent of vanillin, and 7.5 per cent of an oily liquid made of benzyl benzoate mixed with a little benzyl cinnamate. The resin makes up about 80 per cent of the balsam and yields an alcohol and cinnamic acid on saponification, together with a little benzoic acid. The volatile oil contains tolene, styrol, and free benzoic and cinnamic acids. The chief adulterants of balsam of Tolu are colophony and balsam that has previously been used in making syrup of Tolu. The balsam contains a fairly large amount of benzyl benzoate and benzyl cinnamate. A small piece of the balsam warmed and pressed between two pieces of glass shows crystals of cinnamic acid under the microscope. Warming the balsam with carbon disulphide and evaporating the solution leaves about 25 per cent of a crystalline residue, chiefly cinnamic and benzoic acids. The acid value of genuine balsam ranges from 107.4 to 147.2, and the saponification value from 170 to 202. Exhausted balsam is detected by a deficient amount of substances soluble in carbon disulphide and of aromatic acids.

Uses

The resin is still used in certain cough syrup formulas. It is also used as a natural remedy for skin rashes. The resin is used in traditional medicine by the people of Central America and South America. Its antiseptic properties are due to the cinnamic and benzoic acids it contains. It is a well known cause of contact dermatitis, a form of skin allergy. A tincture of the balsam in alcohol is used as a disinfectant expectorant in chronic bronchitis. Both tolu and Peru balsams are marketed through intermediaries and exporters, with destinations in Germany, the United States, England and Spain.

History

In 1753 Linnaeus described the type specimen of Toluifera balsamum, a synonym of Myroxylon balsamum, using a specimen collected in the province of Cartagena, probably a town called Tolú. He named the species Toluifera balsamum in relation to the place of collection.

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