Takamahak

Takamahak or Takamahaka is a name for a resin that was extracted from various tropical trees. The name comes from Spanish tacamahaca and tacamaca from the Nahuatl tecamaca . The resin is no longer used in Europe today.

Due to different origins, a distinction was made between two types, both of which are characterized by an aromatic scent, especially when burned. The West Indian , American or common Takamahak came from the tree species Bursera tomentosa and Bursera excelsa . It is described as firm, brittle, opaque, light or gray-brown. The smell is pleasant, lavender or balsamic.

The East Indian, Oriental or real Takamahak ( English Tamanu oil ) comes from the widespread Calophyllum inophyllum . A distinction is made between the Réunion or Madagascar takamahak, also called Marienbalsam, this comes from Calophyllum tacamahaca and the Indian takamahak Calophyllum apetalum . These resins are balsam-like and were sold in pumpkin or clam shells. Their smell is also described as pleasantly lavender-like, the color as yellowish or green.

The resin was used as incense or for medicinal purposes. As early as 1799, Samuel Hahnemann wrote in his apothecary lexicon that "this often caused the greatest damage", the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medical Sciences stated in 1831: "It is probably no longer needed".

In addition to the plant species Calophyllum tacamahaca , the balsam poplar section is also named Tacamahaca .

Also Protium heptaphyllum as Colombian Takamahak referred that as Elemi and Copal applies.

literature

J. Jakob Berzelius , Friedrich Wöhler: Textbook of chemistry . Vol. 3, 1. Abbot, Dresden 1827, p. 549, limited preview in the Google book search.
DWH Busch, CF v. Gräfe, CW Hufeland , HF Link, KA Rudolphi : Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medicinal Sciences. Vol. 6, Berlin 1831, p. 530, limited preview in the Google book search.
Samuel Hahnemann: Apothekerlexikon . 2nd department, 2nd part, Leipzig 1799, pp. 303-304, online at zeno.org
Takamahak . In: Adolf Beythien, Ernst Dressler (Ed.): Merck's Lexicon of Goods for Trade, Industry and Commerce. 7th edition. Gloeckner, Leipzig 1920. (Reprint: Manuscriptum, Recklinghausen 1996. ISBN 3-933497-13-2 ).
Takamahak at Pierer's Universal Lexicon .
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Thomas Brendler: Medicinal and aromatic plants of Indian ocean islands. Medpharm Scientific Publishers, 2004, ISBN 978-3-88763-094-2 .

Individual evidence

↑ Duden - The great foreign dictionary . Dudenverlag, 2003.
↑ ^a ^b W. Blaschek, G. Schneider (Ed.): Hagers Handbook of Pharmaceutical Practice. Volume 2: Drugs A – K , 5th edition, Springer, 1998, ISBN 978-3-642-63794-0 , p. 261.

[1] Duden - The great foreign dictionary . Dudenverlag, 2003.

[Hager-2] W. Blaschek, G. Schneider (Ed.): Hagers Handbook of Pharmaceutical Practice. Volume 2: Drugs A – K , 5th edition, Springer, 1998, ISBN 978-3-642-63794-0 , p. 261.