Page:Chronicles of pharmacy (Volume 1).djvu/48

 tail, and feet armed with talons. They pretend," he adds, "that this figure gave the name to tree. But I believe this circumstance fabulous because I never knew it confirmed by any traveller."

(Dracona Draco).

The tree illustrated above is at Teneriffe, and is, perhaps, the oldest tree in the world. Humboldt, in 1799, found its trunk was forty-eight feet in circumference.

Very likely the shrewd Arabs invented the name dragon's blood to please their Chinese customers, and it may be therefore that the tree acquired its name from the resin, not the resin from the tree.

Dragon's blood was given in old pharmacy as a mild astringent, and was one of the ingredients in the styptic pills of Helvetius. It was also included in the formula for Locatelli's balsam. Now it is chiefly used as a varnish colouring, as for example in varnishes for violins. In some parts of the country it has a reputation as a charm to restore love. Maidens whose swains are