Wood - Specimen details

Wood - Specimen details

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Catalogue Number: 6399

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Plant Name 57.01 LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE Eysenhardtia amorphoides Entry Book Number 43.1910
Artefact Name Wood Vernacular Name
Iso Country Mexico TDWG Region Mexico
Parts Held Wood Geography Description Mexico
Uses WoodUse: MEDICINES User: Man TDWG use MEDICINES
Storage Woods size B Related Items
Donor Tower R Donor No
Donor Date Donor Notes
Collector Collector No
Collection Notes Collection Date
Exhibition Expedition
Number Components Publication
Notes: Label source: 1. Specimens to illustrate the wood Lignum nephriticum, and the Fluorescenceof its Infusion. L.n. is the wood of 'Coatli', a small leguminous Mexican tree. An infusion of the wood was used medicinally by the Aztecs. Soon after the conque, st of Mexico the Spaniards brought the wood to Europe, where it was used for similar purposes, and excited remark owing to the blue fluorescence of the watery infusion of the wood. The phenomenon was first described more fully by Athanasius Kircher, 1646, , and J. Bauhin, 1651, who used cups made of the wood. It was carefullly studied by Boyle, 1664. During the next century the wood itself was lost sight of, its origin remained unknown till quite recently. Plukenet, 1696, suggested and Dale and Linnaeus, states that it was the wood of the Horse radish tree, which is however a native of the old world. Another source that has been suggested is Pithecolobium Unguis- Cati, a native of the West Indies. (In charge of Dr. O. Stapf, FRS)

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