On Indian Lycium, and the method of extracting juice from woods among the Indians. Chapter II.

The same Philip Likely referring to the physician Filipe Corte-Real or a similar contemporary source writes these things concerning Indian Lycium: The tree is called Cadira original: "Cadira"; likely the Khair tree or Acacia catechu by the Indians, from whose wood they extract a juice which they call Catu original: "Catu"; known today as Catechu. It grows spontaneously throughout the entire maritime region of India, but is more abundant in Cambay A region in Gujarat, India. Its roots are quite thick; the trunk is like that of a Plum or Almond tree, in which the branches are arranged unevenly both in height and in circumference. From the branches come thorns as in a Bramble, and the leaves are a bright green, narrow and small, like those of a Fir tree, forming an acute angle on the twigs rather than a flat surface. Upon these grow certain small, round, reddish things which occupy the entire width of the leaves, harsh to the taste. The bark of the tree is rough and cracked, with a reddish color on the inside, beneath which is another thin bark of a yellowish color. The outer wood is also yellowish, but the pith The innermost part of the trunk is a very dense reddish color, which, if cut crosswise, shatters like lignum sanctum original: "lignum sanctum"; literally "holy wood," usually referring to Guaiacum, known for its extreme hardness, and is so heavy that it sinks in water. The odor of the fresh tree is heavy. The flavor of the pith is known from the juice which is extracted, for it is bitterish, but more so astringent; these flavors are not perceived in the wood itself. Garcia de Orta and Cristóvão Referring to Garcia de Orta and Cristóvão da Costa, famous 16th-century physicians and botanists who studied Indian medicine assert this to be the Indian Lycium of Dioscorides A famous Greek physician and pharmacologist of the 1st century AD, as we can confirm from the descriptions. The method of extracting this kind of juice is as follows: The pith of the tree is taken and split into thin pieces, then ground upon a marble slab such as painters use. This powder is boiled in sufficient water for 24 hours, then strained. The decoction is boiled again until it thickens beyond the consistency of honey, but less than that of wax, so that lozenges term: paftilli (lozenges) - small medicinal cakes or tablets can be formed, which when dried are black on the outside and reddish within. They are proven to be pure if, when taken into the mouth in the size of half a hazelnut, they melt entirely with no grittiness under the teeth. The flavor is perceived as moderately bitter, not unpleasant, with a little sweetness, and is so powerfully astringent that it reaches from the tongue and palate all the way