Note 16 — Substitutes for True Lignum-vitae

Castro (8, p. 47) gives the specific gravity of this wood as ranging from 1.113 to 1.811. Another leguminous wood, “guaycuruzú,” is reported by Castro to have a density of 1.655. Since the specific gravity of dry wood substance is between 1.50 and 1.56, it seems impossible for any wood to have so great a density as these larger values, even allowing for infiltrated substances.