" The gum exudes only from those portions of the bark which have been injured by decay or by insects, since incisions in the healthy bark do not cause the gum to flow. The gum first exudes in the form of a white, opaque, viscous mass, which readily turns red, and finally dries into hard, brittle, mahogany-coloured tears, the larger of which are hollow in the centre, the cavity being produced during the gradual drying of the jelly-like mass which first exudes from the tree. The fresh exudation contains about 84 per cent, of moisture which it loses on drying in air. The gum is best collected during the early part of the hot season— from March till June— since it has then lost most of its moisture, and consequently is less liable to ferment and deteriorate when it is stored.**
" Chemical properties of the gum.— The gum contains a considerable quantity of tannin and belongs, in fact, to that class of tannin materials which Procter has classified as being of ' mixed and doubtful constitution.' It contains also catechol tannin."
" Hydrolysis of the gum.— Boiling the original substance with dilute acid, probably hydrochloric acid, yields a red coloured solution, together with an insoluble residue which possesses the colour of crimson lake. For brevity's sake this amorphous product will be referred to as ' Semul red.' It is only very moderately soluble in alcohol, and, therefore, this colouring matter does not possess the solubility ordinarily attributed to the phlobaphenes. The filtrate from the hydrolysis deposits a small quantity of a dark red, amorphous powder, and if the tannin substances be removed by means of precipitation with lead acetate, and the excess of lead in solution be removed from the filtrate by means of sulphuretted hydrogen, then the residual liquid, freed from sulphuretted hydrogen, will reduce Fehlings' solution."— J. Ch. I 29-4-1911 p. 469.
177. Eriodendron anfractuosum., D.C. h.f.b.l, i. 350.
Syn. :— Bombax pentandrum, Roxb. 513.
Vern. :— Safed simal, senibal, hatian (H) ; Swet Simal (B.) ; llavam (Tam.) ; Buruga, pûr, buraga-sânna (Tel.) ; Paniâ, paniala (Mal.) ; Khatyan, safed-khatyan (Dec); shamicula, sapheta sâvara, shâlmali, pandhari sâvar (Mar.) ; Biliburga, bili-barlu (Kan.).
Habitat :— Forests, throughout the hotter parts of India, Ceylon. Native of Malay.
A moderate-sized, deciduous tree. Bark greyish brown, green when young, peeling off in round bosses. Wood yellowish or brownish white, soft. Trunk straight ; the primary branches horizontal, in whorls of three ; young parts, glabrous. Leaves
