GOA POWDER, a drug occurring in the form of a yellowish-brown powder, varying considerably in tint, which has recently been brought into notice by Dr Fayrer of Calcutta as a remedy for ringworm. It derives its name from the Portuguese colony of Goa, where it appears to have been introduced about the year 1852. In 1875 it was shown by Dr Lima that the substance had been exported from Bahia to Portugal, whence it found its way to the Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia. The tree which yields it belongs to the genus Andircι of the natural order Leguminosoe, and has been named A. Araroba. It is met with in great abundance in certain forests in the province of Bahia, preferring as a rule low and humid spots. The tree is from 80 to 100 feet high, and is furnished with imparipinnate leaves, the leaflets of which are oblong, about 1 √ inch long and ∣ inch broad, and somewhat truncate at the apex. The flowers are papilionaceous, of a purple colour, and arranged in panicles. The Goa powder or araroba is contained in the trunk, filling crevices in the heartwood. To obtain it, the oldest trees are selected as containing a larger quantity, and after being cut down are sawn transversely into logs, which are then split longitudinally, and the araroba chipped or scraped off with the axe. During this process the workmen feel a bitter taste in the mouth; and great care has to be taken to prevent injury from the irritating action of the powder on the eyes. In this state, i.e., mixed with fragments of wood, the Goa powder is exported in casks....