Peru Balsam

#### Peru Balsam. **Balsam Peru**, also called **Peruvian Balsam**, is a true natural resinous balsam according to the definitions in this book (see Part One: **Balsam**). It consists of essential oil and resin, and is thus of the oleo-resin type. The essential oil consists mainly of high-boiling esters of benzoic and cinnamic acids, forming the balsamic part of the natural product. **Peru Balsam **is a pathological product which exudes from the trunk of the large Central American tree, **Myroxylon**** ****Pereirae**, when the bark is removed section wise from the tree. The exudation is collected in a very crude manner, and is only coarsely purified locally by treatment with boiling water. In order to increase the yield of balsam, the native collectors use knives, hatchets or even blowtorches on the bark and the lacerated trunk. The latter sort of treatment may introduce a pronounced "smoky" note in the Peru balsam. Due to the primitive conditions of the purification process, the balsam may acquire a smoky note anyway, namely from the fire over which the water has been boiled with the balsam separating at the bottom. Practically all of the **Peru Balsam **found in commerce today originates from the Central American state of El Salvador. Peru balsam is a dark brown, viscous but pourable liquid. It is transparent and appears reddish-brown in color when spread in thin layers. The odor is the typical "balsamic" one: rich, sweet, cinnamic-benzoic, soft and very tenacious, showing an increasing vanillin-like note on drying out. Incidentally, the balsam does not truly "dry out" when exposed to the air. If Peru balsam is spilled outside the bottle and not wiped off, the bottle will remain oily, not sticky or stringy. The flavor of the balsam is persistently bitter, warm and biting, not at all as suave or pleasant as its odor. Peru balsam is almost entirely soluble in perfume alcohol, but only partly soluble in petroleum ether or other hydrocarbons. Chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (methylene dichloride, trichloro ethylene, etc.) are, however, good solvents for Peru balsam. About two-thirds of the balsam is made up of an "essential" oil (see **Peru**** ****Balsam**** ****Oil,**** **next). This is not a true essential oil since it cannot be isolated from the balsam by steam distillation at atmospheric (or higher) pressure. The oil is produced either as an absolute or as a false resinoid (false, since a hydrocarbon is used in the extraction, but no resins are wanted in the extract). More recently, a high-vacuum, dry distillation has been undertaken which can produce a semi-solid "essential oil", directly from the balsam. Molecular distillation produces an **Anhydrol **type product. **Peru Balsam **is often used as such in perfumery since the natural resins act as good fixatives. However, the very dark color of the natural product is a disadvantage in many cases. In addition, the insolubility of certain constituents of Peru balsam in other perfume materials presents difficulties. This may cause resins to deposit slowly from the perfume, giving it a poor appearance, or clogging the nozzle of an aerosol can, or making trouble in other ways. In medicinal preparations where Peru balsam is still used extensively for its dermatological (epithel-growth promoting) effects, the recommendation is often made to mix the balsam with equal parts of castor oil prior to incorporating it into the ointment, liniment, etc. This will prevent a separation of resins when the balsam meets sulphur or other active ingredients in the preparation. Peru balsam blends excellently with cinnamic alcohol, heliotropine, ionones, isoeugenol, linalool, nitromusks, petitgrain oil, patchouli, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, dimethyl phenylethyl carbinol, labdanum products, etc. in floral bases (honeysuckle, tuberose, longoza, etc.), Oriental bases, "powder" type perfumes and numerous types of sweet and heavy perfumes. However, the oil or the resin-free preparations from the balsam find a more extensive use in modern perfumery.