The history of this drug is involved in much obscurity, owing to it shaving been confounded by both native and European writers with true Frankincense and Bdellium. Sanskrit writers may possibly sometimes allude to it when they speak of Kunduru, but as this word is evidently the same as the Arabic Kundur, it is much more likely that they allude to the true Frankincense imported from Africa and Arabia, and which we know to have been introduced into India at a very remote period. Mahometan writers have probably included the produce of B. serrata among the different kinds of Mukul for which they give as the Indian synonym Gúggul. It seems probable that the true Sanskrit name for B. serrata is Sallaki, from which the Hindí word Salai has been derived. The exudation from the tree is called Sallaki-drava or Sihla, and Guggulu. Ainslie notices B. glabra as producing Gúggul, and B. serrata the olibanum of commerce, but calls the latter Salai, and quotes Dr. F. Hamilton’s MS. account of Shahabad, where the tree is said to be very common and to yield a resin called Sale-gond or Sale-lassa, which is not used. Dr. Hamilton describes it as of the consistence of turpentine when it flows from the tree; in this state it is called at Chandalghar Gandah-biroza, and in the dry state Sukha-biroza. (Mat. Ind. 1, 226.) Other European authors make the same mistake with regard to the source of commercial olibanum. B. glabra is now considered to be only a variety of B. serrata. B. serrata is one of the commonest trees in some parts of Khandesh, Loonawara, and other neighbouring territories; the gum-resin is obtained by incising the bark. Dr. Hooker, when ascending from Belcuppee in Behar to the height of 1,360 feet, came upon a small forest of these trees, which he likens to the mountain ash. Dr. Irvine remarks that the tree is very plentiful in the Ajmeer hills, where the gum-resin is called Ganda-biroza, and is similar in appearance to Venice turpentine. Dr. O’Shaughnessy obtained fine specimens from the Shahabad country. […] Sanskrit writers describe Guggulu as moist, viscid, fragrant, and of a golden colour when freshly exuded—a description which is not applicable to the exudation of the Balsamodendrons, but is exactly so to the exudation of B. serrata. It is said to be demulcent, aperient, alterative, and a purifier of the blood. The Yogarája gúggula is a well known alterative compound; it contains Guggal 25 parts, Triphala 15 parts, ginger, long pepper, chavak, pipalimul, chitrak, hing, ajmod, siras, jira, shahjira, renuka, indrajao, paharmul, baberang, kutki, atis, bharingi, vekhand, of each one part, morvel two parts. The whole is made into a pill mass, the dose of which is from 3 to 5 grains, to be taken with a decoction of Sphæranthus indicus. It is used in rheumatism, nervous diseases, scrofulous affections, urinary disorders and skin diseases, and is generally combined with aromatics.
One sentence omitted: it records a Bhil marriage custom, and ceremonial material from Indigenous peoples is not transcribed here.