Emily Dickinson Lexicon

JA-PAN'-EARTH, n.

Catechu, a combination of gummy and resinous matter, obtained from the juice of a species of palm tree. – Nicholson. Japan-earth or catechu, is obtained by decoction and evaporation from the Acacia Catechu. It consists chiefly of tannin combined with a peculiar species of extractive. – Thomson.