Myroxylon balsamum or Balsam Tolu is a tall tree native to northern South America, found predominately in Columbia, Peru and Venezuela and in some areas of Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. A closely related species, M. pereirae is found farther north, native to Central America, is called Balsam Peru. Balsam Peru derives it's name because it was originally assembled and shipped to Europe from the ports of Callao and Lima, Peru, not because the species is indigenous to Peru. Both trees grow up to 20 to 25 meters in height and are tapped like rubber trees to collect their resin-like saps which are used medicinally.

The leaves and fruits of M. pereirae have been used by indigenous tribes of Mexico and Central America and the bitter resin employed for asthma, catarrh, rheumatism, and external wounds and the Choco Indian use the powdered bark as an underarm deodorant. The sap of M. balsamum has had indigenous uses for colds, and lung ailments, and the Amazon rainforest tribes have employed it for abscesses, asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, headache, rheumatism, sores, sprains, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, and wounds. The indigenous use of Balsam of Peru led to its export to Europe in the 17 century where it was first documented in the German pharmacopeia and to its use as a bactericide, fungicide and parasiticide in cases of scabies, ringworm, pediculosis, granulations, superficial ulcerations, wounds, bed sores, diaper rash and chilblains. Balsam of Peru has been in the US Pharmacopeia since 1820 used for bronchitis, laryngitis, dysmenorrhea, diarrhea, dysentery and leucorrhea and has also been used as a food flavoring and fragrance material for its aromatic vanilla like-odor. Today it is used extensively in topical preparations for the treatment of wounds, ulcers, and scabies, and can be found in hair tonics, anti-dandruff preparations, feminine hygiene sprays and as a natural fragrance in soaps, detergents, creams, lotions and perfumes.

Balsam of Tolu was included in the US Pharmacopeia in 1820 as well and used similarly in addition to an antitussive and respiratory used for lozenges for coughs and sore throats, in cough syrups and as a vapor inhalant for respiratory ailments with documented antiseptic and expectorant properties. The internal dosage is reported to be ½ to 1 gram taken three times daily.

Balsam of Peru contains 50 to 64% volatile oil and 20-28% resin. The volatile oil contains benzoic and cinnamic acid estes, and small amounts of nerolidol, and free benzoic and cinnamic acids and are believed to be the main active constituents Balsam of Peru has antiseptic, antiparasitic and antibacterial properties and has shown to promote the growth of epithelial cells. It is reported highly effective in cases of scabies, destroying the itch acarus and its eggs, and being much preferred over other sulfur ointments, and also useful in cases of prurigo, pruritus and later stages of acute eczema.

References/Footnotes:

• Blumenthal, Mark. Plant Medicines from the New World. Whole Foods, March 1997, pp 114.

• Schultes, R.E., and Raffauf, 1990. The Healing Forest. Medicinal and Toxic Plants of the Northwest Amazonia, R.F. Dioscorides Press, 1990. Portland, OR

• Rutter, RA. 1990 Catalogo de Plantas Utiles de la Amazonia Peruana. Instituto Linguistico de Verano. Yarinacocho, Peru.

• Duke, J. and Vasquez, R., 1994 Amazonian Ethnobotanical Dictionary, CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton, FL

• Lloyd, JU. 1929. Origin and History of all the Pharmacopeial Vegetable Drugs. Caxton Press. Cincinnati, OH

• Morton, JF. 1977. Major Medicinal Plants: Botany, Culture and Uses. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas ed.

• Hoffman, David. 1990. The Hew Holistic Herbal

• Lueng A., & Foster, S. Encylcopedia of Common Natural Ingredients. Ed. Wiley & Sons, NY, NY. 1996.

• Monograph Balsamum peruvianum, Bundesanzeiger, no 173 (Sept. 18, 1986).

• Duke, JA, CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs 1985. Ed. CRC Press Boca Raton, FL

• Grieve, M., 1971. A Modern Herbal Dover Pulications

• Beckstrom-Sternberg, S., Duke, JA, Ethnobotany Database, USDA

The above text has been quoted from the book, Herbal Secrets of the Rainforest

Clinical References