Forms: 1 balsam, balzam, balzama; 6–7 balsome, 7 -um, -ame, 7–8 -om, 7– balsam. [ad. L. balsam-um: see below. Found already in OE. as balsam, balzam (neut.), and balzama, -e, wk. ? m. or f.; then not till c. 1600, the general popular sense having been meanwhile supplied by basme, baume from F. (see BALM), and the more specific sense, from the Renascence, by the L. balsamum unchanged, and occasionally by It. balsamo: see these words.]
I. The aromatic resinous product.
1. An aromatic vegetable juice; = BALM sb. 1.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. lxiv. Þis is balzaman smyring wiþ eallum untrumnessum. Ibid. Cruc on þam heafde … sceal on balzame beon.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, II. 26. A very cleare and odoriferous Gumme … which some called Balsom.
a. 1711. Ken, Blandina, Wks. 1721, IV. 526. The Trees … In od’rous Balsam bleed away.
1872. Yeats, Growth Comm., 16. Gems, spices, and balsams brought from India and Arabia.
b. specifically: True Balsam, or Balsam of Mecca, the earliest known sort, is BALM OF GILEAD, q.v. The discovery of America brought knowledge of many other natural balsams or oleo-resins, e.g., Balsam of Acouchi, of Copaiba, of Peru, of Tolu, all used medicinally, and Canada Balsam, from the Balm of Gilead Fir, used also in mounting objects for the microscope.
1671. Salmon, Syn. Med., III. xxiii. 444. Balsamum verum, the true Balsam … is the chief of the Oyls and Balsams in the world. Ibid. Balsam of Tolu … hath the same virtue with the former.
1721. Lond. Gaz., No. 5939/2. Six Pots of Balsam of Mecca.
1771. J. S., Le Dran’s Observ. Surg., 43. Slips of … Linen, moistened with Balsam of Peru.
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 127. Balsam of Acouchi is produced by Icica acuchina.
1831. Brewster, Optics, xxi. 191. Cementing upon it a plate of glass with Canada balsam.
2. An aromatic oily or resinous medicinal preparation, usually for external application, for healing wounds or soothing pain.
1579. Langham, Gard. Health (1633), 582. A balsam, take oile oliue one pint, S. Iohns wort, Betony, Centory, & Selfeheale, ana one handfull.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1653), 34. This unguent is a sure Balsame for wounds of any sort.
1671. Salmon, Syn. Med., III. xxix. 490. Balsams … are made of Oyl, Butter, Fat, Suet, Gums, Rosins, and other things which will mix or melt.
1720. Gay, Poems (1745), I. 120. His pills, his balsams and his Ague-spells.
1864. Skeat, trans. Uhland’s Poems, 236. Ah! no balsam e’er shall heal him.
b. specifically, of various substances dissolved in oil or turpentine, as Balsam of Aniseed, of Saturn (see quot.), of Steel, of Sulphur.
1694. Phil. Trans., XVIII. 200. Balsam of Sulphur … made with Oyl of Turpentine and Brimstone.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., Balsam of Saturn is a salt, or sugar of lead, dissolved in oil or spirit of turpentine.
1822. Imison, Sc. & Art, II. 128. Fixed oils dissolve sulphur and then form Balsams.
3. fig. A healing, soothing agent or agency.
1607. Shaks., Timon, III. v. 10. Is this the Balsome, that the vsuring Senat Powres into Captaines wounds?
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. iv. II. iii. (1651), 698. No salvation, no balsome for their diseased souls.
a. 1764. Lloyd, To G. Colman, Poet. Wks. 1774, I. 109. From friendship’s source the balsam flows.
1884. Tennyson, Becket, 24. Was not the people’s blessing … a balsam to thy blood?
† 4. transf. in Alch. A healthful preservative essence, of oily and softly penetrative nature, conceived by Paracelsus to exist in all organic bodies. Cf. BALSAMUM 3. Obs.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., I. §. 43. Radicall balsome, or vitall sulphur of the parts.
1658. A. Fox, Würtz’ Surg., I. vi. 25. The humidity of the naturall balsum, which alwayes like a chrystal lyeth on the wound.
1733. Cheyne, Eng. Malady, II. iii. § 1. 137. The Blood is return’d to its due Degree of Thinness, Fluidity, and Balsam.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Internal balsam … called also gluten naturæ.
† 5. = BALM sb. 2; fig. a preservative. Obs.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., iv. (1736), 43. Noble Acts which are the Balsom of our Memories.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Dead Balsam … of myrrh and aloes … for drying and absorbing the humours of dead bodies.
6. Chem. Compounds, insoluble in water, consisting of resins mixed with volatile oils. Formerly only those oleo-resinous compounds which contained benzoic acid were called balsams: the Fr. baume has this limited meaning.
1673. Grew, Anat. Roots, iii. § 21. A curious Balsame of a Citrine Colour … I call it a Balsame; because it will not dissolve in water.
1819. Children, Chem. Anal., 296. Resinous matters which afford benzoic acid when heated … one of the chief characteristics by which balsams are distinguished from resins.
7. attrib., as in balsam-fir, -oil, -poplar, -tree.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXIII. iv. The Balsame oile, called Balm, is of all others most pretious.
1695. Blackmore, Pr. Arth., II. 147. The fragrant Balsom-Tree distills around Her healing Riches.
1865. Parkman, Champlain, xii. (1875), 342. The spruce, hemlock, balsam-fir, or pine.
1882. Garden, 14 Jan., 15/2. The Balsam Poplar and the Lombardy grow rapidly near water.
II. 8. A tree yielding balsam: see BALM sb. 8.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., in Wright, Voc. (W.), /139. Carpo balsami, balsames blæd. Opobalsamum, balsames tear.
1651. Jer. Taylor, Course Serm., I. i. 7. Falling like the tears of the balsam of Iudea.
1876. Harley, Mat. Med., 629. Balsam of Tolu, a lofty evergreen tree.
III. 9. A flowering plant, of the genus Impatiens, distinguished by its hooded and spurred colored sepals, and thick succulent stem. Usually applied to Impatiens Balsamina, an ornamental garden flower producing under culture variegated double blossoms; sometimes also to the yellow-flowered I. Noli-tangere, found wild in Britain.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, II. iii. 379. Female Balsams, Larkspurs, Convolvulus.
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxvi. 407. A wild species called Yellow Balsam and also by the familiar names of Quick-in-hand and Touch-me-not.
1884. U. P. Mag., April, 149. The stand of balsams in the windows.
10. Balsam Apple (or Balm Apple): a. properly, name of species of Momordica (M. Balsamina, M. Charantia), gourd-like plants with highly colored fruits or ‘apples,’ also called Apple of Jerusalem, and ‘Male’ Balsam Apple; b. absurdly, given also to the common garden Balsam (‘Female’ Balsam Apple) because both were called by early herbalists Balsamina: see BALSAMINE. Balsam-mint, Balsamint (or Balsam-tansy): ALECOST or Costmary (Tanacetum Balsamita).
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 441. The one is called the Male Balsem, or Balme apple. The other is called the female Balsem apple.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. lxx. (1633), 362. Balme apple or apple of Hierusalem grows but in hot countries.
1598. Florio, Caranza, the herb called the Balsam apple.
1611. Cotgr., Balsamine, the balsam apple (whose oyle doth close up wounds like Balme).
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v., Balm, or Balsam-Apple, (Female), a Plant … a Foot and a half high, of a reddish Colour at the bottom, [etc.].
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., in Wright, Voc. (W.), /136. Sisimbrium, balsminte.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 250. Balsamynte floureth in July and August.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 419. The herb called Baltsamint or Costmary.
1865. Intell. Observ., No. 36. 466. Balsam-tansy acted still more powerfully.
† B. as adj. Balmy, deliciously fragrant.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. ii. IV. i. 530. She will adventure all her estate … for a Nectarean, a balsome kiss alone.
