Gurjun Balsam
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Gurjun balsam is a thick, aromatic liquid obtained from the trunk of Dipterocarpaceae trees in Southeast Asia. It contains essential oil, resin, and gurjunic acid, and was historically used as a substitute for copaiba balsam in treating gonorrhea.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
Gurjun Balsam, Balsamum Dipterocarpi, or Bals. Gurjunae, is a thick liquid with a characteristic odor and bitter taste, ranging from light yellow to dark brown in color with a greenish fluorescence. Specific gravity 0.947-0.970. It is soluble in chloroform, carbon disulfide, and essential oils; incompletely soluble in ether, alcohol, and petroleum ether. G. b. is obtained from incisions in the trunks of giant trees Dipterocarpus turbinatus and Dipterocarpus trinervis (family Dipterocarpaceae); its native region is Southeast Asia and the Indian Archipelago. G. b. contains about 80% essential oil, about 18% amorphous resin, a small amount of crystalline resin, and gurjunic acid. The acid number of G. b. is 5.0-10.0; the saponification number is 10.0-20.0. It is used in the treatment of gonorrhea as a substitute for copaiba balsam (a poor surrogate); in technology, it is used in the manufacture of varnishes.
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Cite this page
“Gurjun Balsam.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/gurjun-balsam/