Glass bottle labelled ‘Tinct. Tolut’. This means Tinctura Toluta. Tolu balsam or balsam of Tolu (a variant of balsam of Peru) is the resinous secretion of Myroxylon balsamum. Savory, 'A companion to the Medicine Chest', 1836, p.90: “Tincture of Balsam of Tolu. Is sometimes used for relieving obstinate coughs, attended by difficult expectoration, when no inflammatory symptoms are present. The dose is from twenty to sixty drops in a little barley-water, honey, or mucilage of gum Arabic.” The resin is still used in certain cough syrup formulas. However its main use in the modern era is in perfumery, where it is valued for its warm, mellow yet somewhat spicy scent. It is also used as a natural remedy for skin rashes. Ironically, it is a well known cause of contact dermatitis, a form of skin allergy.