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Tolu balsam or balsam of Tolu (a variant of balsam of Peru) is the resinous secretion of Myroxylon toluifera
Myroxylon

Myroxylon is a genus of two species of South American trees in the Fabaceae . The tree is well know in the western world as the source for Perfume#Plant sources and Tolu balsam....
. The resin, as well as the leaves and fruit, have been traditionally used by the people of Central America
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 to relieve coughs and asthma, and to treat wounds. Its name comes from Tolú (singular); Tolúes (plural), the name of the native precolumbian people that used to be the inhabitants at the same place where now is located Tolú
Tolú

Tol? is an eponym for toluene and thus for trinitrotoluene, commonly known as TNT.Tol?'is a small town and municipality in Sucre Department, northern Colombia by the Caribbean sea....
, a small town and municipality in Sucre Department, northern Colombia (South America) by the Caribbean sea.






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Tolu balsam or balsam of Tolu (a variant of balsam of Peru) is the resinous secretion of Myroxylon toluifera
Myroxylon

Myroxylon is a genus of two species of South American trees in the Fabaceae . The tree is well know in the western world as the source for Perfume#Plant sources and Tolu balsam....
. The resin, as well as the leaves and fruit, have been traditionally used by the people of Central America
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 to relieve coughs and asthma, and to treat wounds. Its name comes from Tolú (singular); Tolúes (plural), the name of the native precolumbian people that used to be the inhabitants at the same place where now is located Tolú
Tolú

Tol? is an eponym for toluene and thus for trinitrotoluene, commonly known as TNT.Tol?'is a small town and municipality in Sucre Department, northern Colombia by the Caribbean sea....
, a small town and municipality in Sucre Department, northern Colombia (South America) by the Caribbean sea. Tolúes were the first reported to be using this resin in early Spanish chronicles. The resin is tapped from the trunk of the tree through incisions into the bark
BARK

BARK was an early Electromechanics. BARK was built using standard phone relays, implementing a 32-bit binary machine and could perform addition in 150 ms and multiplication in 250 ms....
 and collected when dry. The colour of the resin is light to reddish brown. Tolu balsam is pliable when warm and fractures in a pattern similar to flint when cold. The dry resin has a complex aroma consisting chiefly of cinnamon
Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree 10?15 metres tall, belonging to the family Lauraceae, and is native to Sri Lanka.The leaf are ovate-oblong in shape, 7?18 cm long....
 and vanilla
Vanilla

Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. Etymologically, vanilla derives from the Spanish language word "", little pod....
 notes with a slight floral character.

The resin is still used in certain cough syrup formulas. However its main use in the modern era is in perfumery, where it is valued for its warm, mellow yet somewhat spicy scent. It is also used as a natural remedy for skin rashes. Ironically, it is a well known cause of contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis or Irritant dermatitis is a term for a skin reaction resulting from exposure to allergens or Irritation . Phototoxic dermatitis occurs when the allergen or irritant is activated by sunlight....
, a form of skin allergy.

See also

  • Toluene
    Toluene

    Toluene, also known as methylbenzene or phenylmethane, is a clear, Water -insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners, redolent of the sweet smell of the related compound benzene....
  • Balsam
    Balsam

    Balsam is a term used for various pleasantly scented plant products. These are oily or gummy oleoresins, usually containing benzoic acid or cinnamic acid, obtained from the exudates of various trees and shrubs and used as a base for some botanical medicines....
  • Castor oil
    Castor oil

    Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean . Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste....