135.The COMMON RHUBARB(Rheum rhaponticum),is a plant which is cultivated in kitchen gardens, and has large, blunt and smooth leaves, and the leaf-stalks furrowed on the upper side, and rounded at the edge.
135.The COMMON RHUBARB(Rheum rhaponticum),is a plant which is cultivated in kitchen gardens, and has large, blunt and smooth leaves, and the leaf-stalks furrowed on the upper side, and rounded at the edge.
This species of rhubarb grows wild on the mountains of Rhodope, in Thrace, whence it was first propagated in other parts of Europe, about the year 1630. It is chiefly in request for thefootstalks of the leaves, which are used, (in the early part of the year, when there is little fruit) for pies and tarts. Theroothas some of the qualities of the true rhubarb, and has occasionally been imposed upon purchasers for that drug.
136.SENNA is a drug, the dried leaves of an annual plant(Cassia senna)which grows in various parts of Africa and Asia.The stems of this plant are woody, and not unlike those of a shrub. The leaves are winged, and the leaflets oval, smooth, and pointed. The flowers, which grow in lengthened clusters, and are of pale yellow colour, are succeeded by oblong, compressed, and kidney-shaped pods.
136.SENNA is a drug, the dried leaves of an annual plant(Cassia senna)which grows in various parts of Africa and Asia.
The stems of this plant are woody, and not unlike those of a shrub. The leaves are winged, and the leaflets oval, smooth, and pointed. The flowers, which grow in lengthened clusters, and are of pale yellow colour, are succeeded by oblong, compressed, and kidney-shaped pods.
The cultivation of senna is carried on to considerable extent in Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and Upper Egypt, from several of which countries it has, from timeimmemorial, been brought by the caravans to Alexandria, as the most convenient port whence it could be shipped or sold into Europe. From this circumstance, it is sometimes denominatedAlexandrian senna. The process of stripping and drying the leaves is perfectly simple. When dried, they are of a yellowish green colour, have a faint, though not unpleasant smell, and a somewhat acrid, bitterish, and nauseous taste.
These leaves have long been in use in Eastern countries as a medicine; and their repute, though not so great as in the East, is very considerable in Europe. They are administered in various ways; and thepodshave the same effect as the leaves.
A kind of senna has of late been cultivated, with success, in Italy and some of the southern parts of France.
137.The OFFICINAL CASSIA is a somewhat cylindrical pod, about an inch in diameter, and a foot or more in length, the fruit of a tree(Cassia fistula)which is cultivated in Egypt, the East and West Indies, and South America.This tree is forty or fifty feet high, and much branched. Its leaves are winged, with five pair of leaflets, somewhat oval, pointed, smooth, and of pale green colour. The flowers are large, yellow, and grow in oblong clusters. The pods are divided, by transverse partitions, into numerous cells, each containing one seed.
137.The OFFICINAL CASSIA is a somewhat cylindrical pod, about an inch in diameter, and a foot or more in length, the fruit of a tree(Cassia fistula)which is cultivated in Egypt, the East and West Indies, and South America.
This tree is forty or fifty feet high, and much branched. Its leaves are winged, with five pair of leaflets, somewhat oval, pointed, smooth, and of pale green colour. The flowers are large, yellow, and grow in oblong clusters. The pods are divided, by transverse partitions, into numerous cells, each containing one seed.
These pods are in request on account of the black, sweetish, but somewhat acidpulp, which is contained in their cells, and which is used, in many cases, as a mild opening medicine. It is customary in Egypt to pluck the pods before they are quite ripe, and to place them in a house, from which the external air is, as much as possible, excluded. They are then laid in beds about six inches deep, having palm leaves interposed betwixt them. On the two following days the whole are sprinkled with water; and, in the course of about six weeks, they are in a fit state to be packed for sale.
The East Indian and West Indian cassia somewhat differ, both in appearance and qualities. Of the former the pods are smoother, smaller, and have a thinnerrind; and the pulp is of a deeper shining black colour, sweeter, and more agreeable to the taste. In choosing cassia, those pods should be selected which are the heaviest, and in which the seeds do not rattle on being shaken.
138.LIGNUM VITÆ and GUIACUM are the wood and resin of a large West Indian tree(Guiacum officinale, Fig. 77)which has winged leaves in two sets upon one footstalk, and regular flowers of five petals.The usual height of this tree is between thirty and forty feet. The leaves consist of two, three, and sometimes four pairs of leaflets, which are somewhat oval, and of shining dark green colour. The flowers spring, in clusters, from the division of the smaller branches; the petals are of a rich blue colour, and the stamens are crowned with yellowish anthers.
138.LIGNUM VITÆ and GUIACUM are the wood and resin of a large West Indian tree(Guiacum officinale, Fig. 77)which has winged leaves in two sets upon one footstalk, and regular flowers of five petals.
The usual height of this tree is between thirty and forty feet. The leaves consist of two, three, and sometimes four pairs of leaflets, which are somewhat oval, and of shining dark green colour. The flowers spring, in clusters, from the division of the smaller branches; the petals are of a rich blue colour, and the stamens are crowned with yellowish anthers.
Thewood, resin, bark, and even the flowers of this tree, are all of use either in the mechanical arts or in medicine. The former, which is yellow towards the outside, of deep blackish brown colour in the centre, and so compact and heavy as to sink, when immersed in water, is chiefly employed in the West Indies for the wheels and cogs of sugar mills. It is also formed into mortars, bowls, and domestic utensils of various kinds, for which, on account of its hardness, and not being liable to warp, it is peculiarly valuable. Lignum vitae is chiefly imported into this country from Jamaica, in logs or pieces of four or five hundred pounds' weight each, and is in great request for school-boys' rulers, and numerous articles of turnery ware. A decoction of the wood, when rasped, is occasionally administered as a medicine in rheumatic and gouty affections.
Theresinof this tree is sometimes obtained by wounding the bark in different parts. It exudes through the wounds; and, when sufficiently hardened by exposure to the sun, is taken off, and packed in small kegs for exportation. Sometimes it is obtained by sawing the wood into billets, each about three feet in length, which are then bored with an augur longitudinally, and laid upon a fire, in such position that themelted resin, which flows through the hole as the wood burns, may be received into a vessel placed for the purpose of containing it. This resin, which is frequently calledgum guiacum, is of a greenish colour, but has sometimes a reddish hue. Its taste is pungent and acrid. From the bark of the tree there is frequently a spontaneous exudation: this has the name ofnative gum, and is imported in small, irregular, bright pieces, which are much more pure than the gum obtained in any other way. Guiacum is used as a strengthening medicine, and a warm aromatic; it is employed as a remedy against rheumatic and other pains, and as an ingredient in many officinal preparations. On its first introduction, which was soon after the discovery of America, it was in such repute as to have been sold for seven crowns a pound.
In the West Indies, thebark,flowers, andfruit, are each employed in medicine; and of these the former is frequently used instead of soap for washing, in which process it gives a good lather.
139.BALSAM OF TOLU is a reddish yellow, thick, and pellucid substance, of fragrant odour, which is obtained from a tree(Toluifera balsamum)which grows in South America.This tree is of considerable height; and has somewhat oval leaves, each on a short foot-stalk. The flowers are numerous, and in lateral branches; and the fruit is a round berry.
139.BALSAM OF TOLU is a reddish yellow, thick, and pellucid substance, of fragrant odour, which is obtained from a tree(Toluifera balsamum)which grows in South America.
This tree is of considerable height; and has somewhat oval leaves, each on a short foot-stalk. The flowers are numerous, and in lateral branches; and the fruit is a round berry.
The name of this balsam has been obtained from its being chiefly procured from the province of Tolu, on the north coast of South America, near the isthmus of Panama. Incisions are made in the bark of the trees, at a particular season of the year, and a resinous fluid of yellowish white colour oozes out. This is collected in small gourd shells. At first it is about the consistence of treacle, but it thickens by being kept; and by age it becomes hard and brittle. Its smell is peculiarly grateful, somewhat resembling that of lemons; and its taste is warm and sweetish. On being chewed, it adheres to the teeth.
This balsam is used in medicine both in the form of a tincture, and a syrup; and, in its medicinal virtues, it agrees with most other balsams. The syrup of Tolu is used in several medicines; and is also made into lozenges, which may be procured of almost any chemist, and which are considered serviceable in appeasing the irritation occasioned by severe coughing.
140.BENZOIN or GUM BENJAMIN, is a concrete or solid and fragrant balsamic substance, the produce of a tree(Styrax benzoe)which grows chiefly in the island of Sumatra.This tree has oblong leaves which taper to a pointy and are smooth on the upper surface, and downy beneath. The flowers are in loose bunches; they usually hang all on the same side; and are generally closed, which gives them the appearance of buds.
140.BENZOIN or GUM BENJAMIN, is a concrete or solid and fragrant balsamic substance, the produce of a tree(Styrax benzoe)which grows chiefly in the island of Sumatra.
This tree has oblong leaves which taper to a pointy and are smooth on the upper surface, and downy beneath. The flowers are in loose bunches; they usually hang all on the same side; and are generally closed, which gives them the appearance of buds.
In some of the northern parts of Sumatra, particularly near the sea coast, there are several extensive plantations of Benzoin trees. The seeds or nuts are sown in the rice fields, and they afterwards require no other attention than that the surrounding shrubs should be cleared away from about the young plants.
When the trees have attained the age of six or seven years, incisions are made into the bark; and from these the balsam exudes, in the form of a thick, whitish, resinous juice. By exposure to the air, this juice soon hardens; it is then pared from the bark with a knife or chisel. For the first three years the trees yield the purest resins: this is of a white colour inclining to yellow, is soft and fragrant. Afterwards, for the next seven or eight years, an inferior sort is yielded; this is of reddish yellow colour, degenerating to brown. At length the trees, unable to bear a repetition of the process, are cut down, and split into pieces. From these is procured by scraping, a still worse sort of benzoin, which is dark-coloured, hard, and mixed, more or less, with parings of the wood and other impurities.
The inferior sorts of benzoin are exported to Arabia, Persia, and some parts of India, where they are burned, to perfume, with their smoke, the temples and the housesof the inhabitants; to expel troublesome insects, and obviate the pernicious effects of unwholesome air or noxious exhalations.
Benzoin is brought for sale to the mercantile parts of Sumatra, in large cakes, covered with mats. In order to pack it in chests, it is necessary to break these cakes, and to expose it to the heat of the sun. The greater part of the benzoin which is brought to England is re-exported to countries where the Roman Catholic and Mahometan religions prevail; to be there burned as incense in the churches and temples. The annual exportation of benzoin from London to Mogadore only has been estimated at 30,000 pounds' weight per annum.
That which is consumed in England is chiefly employed in medicine, in perfumes, and as cosmetics. It constitutes the basis of what are calledTurlington'sorFriar's balsam, andJesuit's drops; the salutary effects of which, particularly in healing recent wounds, is well known. This balsam is composed of benzoin, balsam of Tolu (139), Socotrine aloes (107), and rectified spirit of wine. Benzoin is also used in the preparation of what is calledladies' court plaster; but in this it is supposed to be unnecessary if not prejudicial; not only as it renders the plaster more difficult to be moistened, previously to its application, but as the irritating quality of the benzoin may in some instances dispose a fresh wound to fester. The mode of making court plaster is very simple. Five ounces of isinglass are dissolved in a pint of water. A quantity of thin black sarsnet being then stretched on a frame, a warm solution of the isinglass is applied with a brush equally over the surface; and, when dry, this is repeated a second or third time. It is finally brushed over with a weak solution of benzoin in spirits of wine, which communicates to it a pleasant aromatic smell.
If powdered benzoin be put into an earthen vessel over a slow fire, and the fumes of it be made to sublime into a paper cone fixed to the top of the pot, thesubstance thus formed is theflowers of benzoinof the shops, orBenzoic acid, as it is termed, by chemists.
141.STORAX is a fragrant, concrete, or solid balsam, that is obtained from a tree(Styrax officinalis)which grows in the Levant, and in some parts of Italy.This tree grows to the height of twenty feet and upwards: it is much branched, and has broad, alternate, oval leaves, somewhat pointed, smooth above, and downy beneath. The flowers are large, white, in clusters on short footstalks, and terminate the branches.
141.STORAX is a fragrant, concrete, or solid balsam, that is obtained from a tree(Styrax officinalis)which grows in the Levant, and in some parts of Italy.
This tree grows to the height of twenty feet and upwards: it is much branched, and has broad, alternate, oval leaves, somewhat pointed, smooth above, and downy beneath. The flowers are large, white, in clusters on short footstalks, and terminate the branches.
The best storax is obtained from Asiatic Turkey, in small transparent masses, of pale red or yellowish colour, and generally abounding in whitish tears, resembling those of benzoin. The drug, however, which is commonly sold in the shops as storax, consists of large, light pieces, very impure, from the saw-dust with which it is mixed.
The mode of obtaining this balsam is similar to that employed for benzoin (140): incisions are made in the trees, and, on its oozing from the wound, it is scraped off, and collected together to be packed for sale. It was formerly customary to enclose it in reeds.
Storax is one of the most fragrant of the balsams, and is much used in some countries in perfumes, and for fumigation. It is also compounded in various ways with other substances, for medicinal use.
142.LOG-WOOD is a dark red wood, chiefly used in dyeing; and imported from Honduras, and some of the islands of the West Indies.The log-wood tree(Hæmatoxylon campechianum, Fig. 43)is from sixteen to twenty-four feet high, and, both in the trunk and branches, is extremely crooked. The branches are spinous, and the leaves winged, with, in general, four or five pair of leaflets, which are somewhat heart-shaped. The flowers are if a reddish yellow colour, small, and numerous.
142.LOG-WOOD is a dark red wood, chiefly used in dyeing; and imported from Honduras, and some of the islands of the West Indies.
The log-wood tree(Hæmatoxylon campechianum, Fig. 43)is from sixteen to twenty-four feet high, and, both in the trunk and branches, is extremely crooked. The branches are spinous, and the leaves winged, with, in general, four or five pair of leaflets, which are somewhat heart-shaped. The flowers are if a reddish yellow colour, small, and numerous.
The district of Honduras in North America has long been celebrated for the production of log-wood, which grows wild chiefly in forests where the soil is moist, or near the banks of rivers and lakes. The cutting of itoccupies a great number of hands, and is an unpleasant and very unhealthy pursuit.
In the year 1715 some seeds of the log-wood tree were introduced into the island of Jamaica; and this wood is now chiefly employed in that island as a fence against cattle. As an article of commercial export, it does not appear to answer so fully as could have been wished; yet, in morassy parts of the island, it grows in considerable luxuriance.
Few kinds of wood are of more solid texture than this. Hence arises its weight, which is so great that it will sink in water. Its predominant colour is red, tinged with orange and black; and its hardness such that it is capable of being polished, and is scarcely susceptible of decay. For exportation to Europe, it is cut into billets or logs, each about three feet in length.
The chief use of log-wood in this country is for dyeing green, purple, blue, and black colours, according to the different ingredients with which it is employed. It gives a purplish tinge to watery and spirituous infusions; but all the colours which can be prepared from it are fugitive, and cannot, by any art, be rendered so durable as those prepared from other materials.
Independently of its use as a dyeing drug, log-wood possesses considerable utility as an astringent medicine, chiefly under the form of a decoction, or of an extract boiled down to a proper consistence.
The price of logwood at Honduras is so low as not usually to exceed 12l.or 14l.Jamaica currency per ton.
143.MAHOGANY is the wood of a well-known tree(Swietenia mahagoni, Fig. 44)of large dimensions, with winged leaves, and small white flowers, which grows in Jamaica and Honduras.The branches of this tree are numerous and spreading. Its leaves are alternate and winged, with four or five pair of leaflets, which are somewhat spear-shaped. The flowers are numerous, small, white, and in spikes or clusters, which arise at the junction of the leaves with the branches.
143.MAHOGANY is the wood of a well-known tree(Swietenia mahagoni, Fig. 44)of large dimensions, with winged leaves, and small white flowers, which grows in Jamaica and Honduras.
The branches of this tree are numerous and spreading. Its leaves are alternate and winged, with four or five pair of leaflets, which are somewhat spear-shaped. The flowers are numerous, small, white, and in spikes or clusters, which arise at the junction of the leaves with the branches.
The cutting of mahogany constitutes a principal occupation of the British settlers in the vicinity of Honduras. The gangs of negroes employed in this work consist of from ten to fifty each, one of whom is styled the "huntsman." He is generally selected from the most intelligent of his companions, and his chief employment is to search for these trees in the woods, the principal of which lie adjacent to the river Balize. About the beginning of August, the huntsman is despatched into the woods, and he cuts his way through the thickest parts, to the highest spots he can find. Here he climbs the loftiest tree, and thence attentively surveys the surrounding forest. At this season the leaves of the mahogany trees are of a yellow reddish hue, and an eye accustomed to them can discover, at a great distance, the places where they are most abundant. He now descends, and to such places directs his steps; and, having well marked the way, returns to his companions, to point out the places to them.
Here they assemble, and erect, against each tree to be felled, a stage so high as to allow of the tree being cut down at the height of about twelve feet from the ground. The last day of felling the trees is appropriated to festivity; and these people have then a short interval of leisure for comforts in which they seldom can indulge at any other time.
After the branches are lopped, and the useless parts of the wood are cut off, the operation commences of conveying the trees, by cattle and trucks, to the water's side, a task of infinite and laborious difficulty. A sufficient number of pieces to form a raft being here collected, they are shoved from the bank into the water, and suffered to float singly upon the current to large cables which are placed across the river at some distance below. As numerous gangs of mahogany cutters are usually employed near the banks of the same river, their trees also float to the same spot. Here therefore the whole are collected, amountingsometimes to more than a thousand immense logs; and, each party claiming his own, the trees are formed into separate rafts for their final destinations.
In some instances the profit of cutting mahogany at this settlement has been very great. A single tree has occasionally been known to contain 12,000 superficial feet, and to have produced upwards of 1000l.sterling.
The body of the tree is of course the most valuable; but, for ornamental purposes, the limbs or large branches, are generally preferred, their grain being much closer, and their veins being more rich and variegated than those of the other parts.
The Honduras mahogany is considered inferior to that produced in Jamaica. In this island mahogany was formerly much more abundant, and consequently much less expensive than it is now, because the low lands have gradually been thinned of such trees as could readily be carried to market, or conveyed on board vessels for exportation.
The date of the introduction of mahogany wood into England is 1724. Since this period it has been in very general request for making the more valuable kinds of household furniture. It admits of a high polish, and is excellently adapted for tables, chairs, desks, and other similar articles. In Jamaica, mahogany is employed as a strong and durable timber for beams, joists, planks, boards, &c. Many attempts have been made to stain other kinds of wood so as to resemble it, but none of these have been attended with success.
It has been lately discovered that thebarkof the mahogany tree may be advantageously employed in medicine, as a substitute for Peruvian bark (62).
144.QUASSIA is a drug, the root of a tree(Quassia amara, Fig. 78)which grows in the West Indies and South America, but particularly in the colony of Surinam.The leaves of the quassia tree are winged, with two pair of oval and somewhat pointed leaflets, and an odd one at the end: these are smooth, deep green above and pale below; and thecommon footstalk is edged on each side with a leafy membrane. The flowers are bright red, and terminate the branches in long clusters.
144.QUASSIA is a drug, the root of a tree(Quassia amara, Fig. 78)which grows in the West Indies and South America, but particularly in the colony of Surinam.
The leaves of the quassia tree are winged, with two pair of oval and somewhat pointed leaflets, and an odd one at the end: these are smooth, deep green above and pale below; and thecommon footstalk is edged on each side with a leafy membrane. The flowers are bright red, and terminate the branches in long clusters.
This drug was first brought into use in Surinam, by a negro whose name was Quassia, and who employed it with great success in the cure of intermittent and other malignant fevers, which prevail in that flat and marshy country. The offer of a valuable consideration induced him to reveal the secret to Daniel Rolander, a Swede, who carried specimens of the wood, together with a branch of the tree, the flower, and fruit, to Stockholm, in 1756.
Since this period the drug has been generally employed in Europe; and its efficacy in the removal of many diseases has been perfectly ascertained. Dr. Cullen, however, observes, that though it is an excellent bitter, and that it will do all that any pure or simple bitter can do, yet his experience of it had not led him to think it would do more. Quassia is said to possess antiseptic properties, and consequently to have considerable influence in retarding a tendency to putrefaction. It is also sometimes used instead of hops in the brewing of malt liquor.
Theroot,wood, andbarkof the quassia tree are all occasionally employed in medicine, and the bark is said to be more intensely bitter than either of the other two.
145.GAMBOGE is a yellow resinous gum obtained from a tree(Garcinia cambogia)which grows in several parts of Camboga or Camboya in the empire of Tunkin.The leaves of this tree are oval, but acute. The flowers have each five petals, and fifteen stamens: they are solitary, terminatethe branches, and have scarcely any stalks. The fruit is a berry about the size of an orange.
145.GAMBOGE is a yellow resinous gum obtained from a tree(Garcinia cambogia)which grows in several parts of Camboga or Camboya in the empire of Tunkin.
The leaves of this tree are oval, but acute. The flowers have each five petals, and fifteen stamens: they are solitary, terminatethe branches, and have scarcely any stalks. The fruit is a berry about the size of an orange.
The name of this gum has been derived from that of the country whence it is brought. The mode of obtaining it is by puncturing or cutting the branches of the trees. It issues from the wounds in a fluid state, but soon becomes hardened by the heat of the sun. After this it is formed into large cakes or rolls, in which state we receive it.
Gamboge is chiefly used as a pigment. When good, it is of a fine orange colour; and on being softened with water, is bright yellow, requiring no preparation previously to being used. It is also given as a medicine; but its operations being very violent, it should be administered with great caution.
The dried fruit of the gamboge tree is not unfrequently sent to our colonies in the East Indies, where it is used in sauces, and with several kinds of food.
146.WELD(Reseda luteola)is a plant of the mignionette tribe, used in dyeing: it grows wild, in barren and uncultivated places, particularly on coal-pit banks, in several parts of England.The leaves are spear-shaped, and entire, with a tooth-like process on each side of the base. The flowers are yellow, and in long spikes; and the calyx is divided into four segments.
146.WELD(Reseda luteola)is a plant of the mignionette tribe, used in dyeing: it grows wild, in barren and uncultivated places, particularly on coal-pit banks, in several parts of England.
The leaves are spear-shaped, and entire, with a tooth-like process on each side of the base. The flowers are yellow, and in long spikes; and the calyx is divided into four segments.
In some parts of England, particularly in the clothing counties, weld is cultivated to great extent; and it flourishes in sandy soils that could be turned to little advantage in any other way. When the plants are ripe, they are pulled up by the roots, dried, and tied into bundles for use.
The tinging quality of weld resides both in the stems and roots. This imparts to wool, cotton, mohair, and silk, a very bright and beautiful yellow colour; and blue cloths, dipped in a decoction of it, become green. The yellow colour of the paint calledDutch pinkis obtained from this plant.
147.The GUAVA, or BAY PLUM, is a West Indian fruit, of which there are two kinds, one white and round, and the other red and pear-shaped. The former is produced by a tree(Psidium pomiferum)which has sharp-pointed and highly ribbed leaves, and flowers three on each stalk; and the latter by a tree(Psidium pyriferum)with oval leaves and single-stalked flowers.
147.The GUAVA, or BAY PLUM, is a West Indian fruit, of which there are two kinds, one white and round, and the other red and pear-shaped. The former is produced by a tree(Psidium pomiferum)which has sharp-pointed and highly ribbed leaves, and flowers three on each stalk; and the latter by a tree(Psidium pyriferum)with oval leaves and single-stalked flowers.
Equally delicious and wholesome, thesefruitsare in the highest estimation in the countries where they are produced. The rind or skin is lined with an apple-like substance, which is used for tarts and other sweet preparations. It is also stewed and eaten with milk; and, in this form, is generally thought better than any other stewed fruit; from the same part a marmalade is made. This rind encloses an agreeable pulp, mixed with innumerable small seeds. The whole fruit is eaten raw, or prepared as a sweetmeat in various ways; the most common form in which we see it is that of a jelly.
Thewoodis used for fuel, and also makes excellent charcoal.
148.The COMMON MYRTLE(Myrtus communis)is a well-known ornamental evergreen shrub, which is cultivated chiefly in greenhouses in this country, but grows wild in the countries of the South of Europe.
148.The COMMON MYRTLE(Myrtus communis)is a well-known ornamental evergreen shrub, which is cultivated chiefly in greenhouses in this country, but grows wild in the countries of the South of Europe.
Although this shrub is cultivated with us chiefly for ornament, it is of considerable utility to the inhabitants of the South of Europe. Itsyoung shootsare used for tanning leather; and both itsleavesandberriesare employed in medicine. From the former a distilled water is obtained, which is sometimes used in gargles. The berries are likewise distilled; and an oil prepared from them has considerable repute as a means of thickening the hair.
149.ALL-SPICE, or PIMENTO, is the dried berry of a West Indian species of myrtle(Myrtus pimenta, Fig. 45.)This tree grows to the height of twenty feet and upwards, and has somewhat oval leaves about four inches long, of deep shining green colour, and numerous bunches of white flowers, each with four small petals.
149.ALL-SPICE, or PIMENTO, is the dried berry of a West Indian species of myrtle(Myrtus pimenta, Fig. 45.)
This tree grows to the height of twenty feet and upwards, and has somewhat oval leaves about four inches long, of deep shining green colour, and numerous bunches of white flowers, each with four small petals.
In the whole vegetable creation there is scarcely any tree more beautiful or more fragrant than a young pimento about the month of July. Branched on all sides, richly clad with deep green leaves, which are relieved by an exuberance of white and strongly aromatic flowers, it attracts the notice of all who approach it.
Pimento trees grow spontaneously, and in great abundance, in many parts of Jamaica; but they cannot be propagated without great difficulty. The usual method of making a new pimento walk, or plantation, is to appropriate for this purpose a piece of woody ground in the neighbourhood of an already existing walk, or in a part of the country where the scattered trees are found in a native state. The other trees are cut down; and, in a year or two, young pimento plants are found to spring up in all parts, supposed to have been produced from berries scattered there by birds, which eagerly devour them.
About the month of September, and not long after the blossoms have fallen, the berries are in a fit state to be gathered. At this time, though not quite ripe, they are full grown, and about the size of pepper-corns.
They are gathered by the hand; and one labourer on a tree will strip them off so quickly as to employ three below in picking them up; and an industrious picker will fill a bag of seventy pounds' weight in a day. The berries are then spread on a terrace, in the sun, for about seven days, to be dried; but this is an operation which requires great care, from the necessity of keeping them perfectly free from moisture. By the drying they lose their green colour, and become reddish brown; and the process is known to be completed by theircolour, and by the rattling of the seeds within the berries. They are then packed into bags or hogsheads for the market. When the berries are quite ripe, they are of a dark purple colour, and filled with a sweet pulp.
Pimento is thought to resemble in flavour a mixture of cinnamon, nutmegs, and cloves, whence it has obtained the name of "all-spice." It is much employed in cookery; and is chiefly used in whole grains. It is also employed in medicine, as an agreeable aromatic; and forms the basis of a distilled water, a spirit, and an essential oil. Theleavesof the pimento trees yield in distillation an odoriferous oil, which is not unfrequently used in medicinal preparations, instead of oil of cloves.
150.The PEACH is a large, downy, and well-known garden fruit(Amygdalus Persica),which is supposed to have been originally introduced into Europe from Persia, and was first brought into England about the year 1562.
150.The PEACH is a large, downy, and well-known garden fruit(Amygdalus Persica),which is supposed to have been originally introduced into Europe from Persia, and was first brought into England about the year 1562.
This rich and delicious fruit is highly and deservedly esteemed at table, as an article in our desserts; and, when ripe and fresh, is grateful and wholesome, seldom disagreeing with the stomach, unless this organ be not in an healthy state, or the fruit be eaten to excess. When preserved in wine, brandy, or sugar, it loses its good properties. Thekernelsyield a salubrious bitter. Theflowers, which are very beautiful, and appear early in the spring, emit an agreeable odour, have a bitterish taste, and are used for medical purposes. Theleavesare occasionally employed in cookery, but they ought not to be used without great caution, on account of their injurious properties.
There are many varieties of the peach, some of which are much more esteemed than others. The mode in which the trees are usually propagated is by a process termed budding, or grafting upon the stock of some other tree (see p.147); and, by this process, those of any favourite kind may be exactly obtained.
151. TheNectarineis a smooth-skinned variety of the peach, but of richer and more delicious flavour. The culture and management of the two kinds are exactly the same; and in all the circumstances of their growth, wood, leaves, and flowers, they precisely resemble each other.
152.The COMMON or SWEET ALMOND is a soft and pleasant-flavoured kernel, contained in a nut which is of flattish shape, and has a tender shell with numerous small holes on the outside.The almond tree(Amygdalus communis, Fig. 46)is usually twelve or fourteen feet high. Its beautiful pink flowers of five petals grow in pairs, and appear early in the spring. The leaves are somewhat oval, pointed, and delicately serrated at the edges.
152.The COMMON or SWEET ALMOND is a soft and pleasant-flavoured kernel, contained in a nut which is of flattish shape, and has a tender shell with numerous small holes on the outside.
The almond tree(Amygdalus communis, Fig. 46)is usually twelve or fourteen feet high. Its beautiful pink flowers of five petals grow in pairs, and appear early in the spring. The leaves are somewhat oval, pointed, and delicately serrated at the edges.
Our shrubberies contain no tree the flowers of which are more beautiful than those of the almond; and these flowers appear in March and April, a season when few other parts of the vegetable creation have recovered from their wintry state. Though known to the ancients from the most remote periods of antiquity, the almond tree has only been cultivated in England since the year 1562, and this almost wholly on account of the elegant appearance of its flowers; as the climate of Great Britain is not sufficiently warm for the fruit to be perfected with us.
The almonds that are consumed in this country are imported, sometimes in the shell, but much more commonly without, from France, Spain, Italy, and the Levant; and they are packed in casks, boxes, and bales. The province of Valencia had formerly great celebrity for its almonds; but the cultivation of the trees in that part of Spain has for several years been much neglected.
The chief uses of sweet almonds are in confectionary and cooking. They are also eaten with raisins in desserts after dinner; but they should be well chewed, as every piece that is swallowed entire is indigestible. By pressure, they yield a considerable proportion,sometimes nearly half their weight, ofoil. Indeed this is so plentiful that it may even be squeezed out of the kernel with the fingers. Some preparations of almonds are used in medicine, particularly that calledmilk of almonds, which is formed of pounded almonds, loaf-sugar, and water, well mixed together. In some parts of the East Indies, it is said that almonds supply the place of small money.
153.BITTER ALMONDS are in no respect different from sweet almonds, either as to the appearance of the kernels themselves, or the trees which produce them, except somewhat in the size of the flowers and fruit.
153.BITTER ALMONDS are in no respect different from sweet almonds, either as to the appearance of the kernels themselves, or the trees which produce them, except somewhat in the size of the flowers and fruit.
Like sweet almonds, they yield a large portion ofoil. This has no bitterness; but the substance which remains after the pressure is intensely bitter. If these almonds be eaten freely, they occasion sickness and vomiting; and, to many quadrupeds and birds, they are a fatal poison. There was formerly a notion, but it is an erroneous one, that the eating of them would prevent the intoxicating effects of wine. They are frequently used, instead of apricot kernels, in ratafia, and sometimes are employed in making a counterfeit cherry-brandy. The oil and emulsions of bitter almonds are used in medicine: and a powder and paste, for washing the hands is made both from them and from sweet almonds. By confectioners they are much in request for flavouring biscuits and other articles.
154.The POMEGRANATE is an apple-shaped fruit with thick rind, and crowned with the leaves or teeth of the calyx. It is the produce of an evergreen shrub(Punica granatum, Fig. 47)which grows wild in the southern parts of Europe.This shrub is usually from fifteen to twenty feet high. The branches are armed with spines; and the leaves are oblong, pointed, and dark green. The flowers, which are of a rich scarlet colour, have five rounded petals.
154.The POMEGRANATE is an apple-shaped fruit with thick rind, and crowned with the leaves or teeth of the calyx. It is the produce of an evergreen shrub(Punica granatum, Fig. 47)which grows wild in the southern parts of Europe.
This shrub is usually from fifteen to twenty feet high. The branches are armed with spines; and the leaves are oblong, pointed, and dark green. The flowers, which are of a rich scarlet colour, have five rounded petals.
By the Greeks and Romans almost every part of the pomegranate tree (the root, leaves, flowers, and fruit)was considered to possess medical properties of a very remarkable and even marvellous description; and the country then chiefly celebrated for the production of it was that adjacent to the city of Carthage. The pomegranate is now, however, in little esteem, except on account of its fruit; the pulp or juice of which is pleasant to the palate, and, in common with other summer fruits, allays heat and mitigates thirst, but has a slightly astringent flavour. This pulp is red, is contained in transparent membranes, and included in nine distinct cells. The toughrindof the fruit, which is of a bitter and astringent nature, was employed by the ancients in the dressing of leather; and it is still used in some parts of Germany, together with thebarkof the tree, in the preparation and dyeing of red leather in imitation of what is called Morocco leather.
Pomegranates were first cultivated in England about the year 1596; but the fruit grown in this country seldom attains a delicacy of flavour equal to that which is imported from Spain, Italy, and other warm climates.
155.The CHERRY is a fruit of the prune or plum tribe, the original stock of which is the wild cherry(Prunus cerasus)of our woods.
155.The CHERRY is a fruit of the prune or plum tribe, the original stock of which is the wild cherry(Prunus cerasus)of our woods.
The gradual effects of cultivation, as they regard the cherry, have been the production of several kinds, which, both in size and flavour, infinitely exceed the fruit of the parent stock, or wild cherry of the woods. The kinds that are best known are theMay Duke, Early Kentish Cherry, White Heart, and Black Heart Cherries. The trees are propagated by grafting (see p. 147) them usually upon the stocks of wild black and red cherry trees, which are reared for that purpose.
This agreeablefruitis eaten either fresh or dried. It is sometimes preserved with sugar as a sweetmeat; is made into jam; used in preparations of the liqueur called cherry-brandy: and made into wine. From wild black cherries the Swiss distil an ardent spirit, by thesale of which to the French and Germans they derive considerable profit.
Thewoodof the cherry-tree, which is hard and tough, is much used, particularly by turners and cabinet-makers on the Continent, for the manufacture of chairs and other furniture. Thegumthat exudes from the bark is, in many respects, equal to gum arabic (273); and is considered very nutritive. Hasselquist informs us that, during a siege, more than 100 men were kept alive for nearly two months, without any other sustenance than a little of this gum, which they occasionally took into their mouths and suffered gradually to dissolve.
156.The APRICOT(Prunus Armeniaca)is a fruit of the plum tribe, which grows wild in several parts of Armenia and was first introduced into this country about the middle of the sixteenth century.
156.The APRICOT(Prunus Armeniaca)is a fruit of the plum tribe, which grows wild in several parts of Armenia and was first introduced into this country about the middle of the sixteenth century.
Some persons are inclined to consider the apricot as the most delicate of all our hardy fruits. For pastry certainly none is more excellent. It is used for tarts, both green and when ripe; it is also preserved with sugar in both these states, and is sometimes dried as a sweetmeat. Care, however, should be taken to gather it before it becomes soft and mealy. Thekernelsof apricots have a pleasantly bitter flavour, and answer much better for several purposes in confectionary than bitter almonds, which are usually applied. They likewise contain a sweet oil, which, like that of almonds, was formerly used in emulsions.
Thegumthat issues from the apricot tree is nearly similar to that of the cherry (152). Thewoodis coarse-grained and soft, and consequently is seldom used in carpentry.
Apricot trees are chiefly grown against walls, and are propagated by grafting upon plum-tree stocks.
157.The COMMON or DOMESTIC PLUM, in all its varieties, has been derived from a wild species of plum-tree(Prunus domestica),which grows in hedge-rows and thickets inseveral parts of England; and is distinguished by its branches being without thorns, and its fruit-stalks being single.
157.The COMMON or DOMESTIC PLUM, in all its varieties, has been derived from a wild species of plum-tree(Prunus domestica),which grows in hedge-rows and thickets inseveral parts of England; and is distinguished by its branches being without thorns, and its fruit-stalks being single.
Were it not a well-established fact, few persons would suppose that themagnum bonum, oregg plum, thegreen gage, and several others, which are now common in our gardens, are indebted, for their parent stock, to the wild plum above-mentioned. These are all used at table; and, when sufficiently ripe, and eaten in moderate quantity, are pleasant and wholesome fruits, but, in an immature state, they are very unwholesome.
PrunesandFrench plumsare the dried fruit of different kinds of plum-trees. They are usually packed in boxes, and are imported from the Continent, but particularly from the neighbourhood of Marseilles.—Brignolles, a town of Provence, about thirty miles from Marseilles, is one of the most famous places in France for dried prunes.PrunesorSt. Catherine's plums, constitute a lucrative branch of traffic, which is almost exclusively carried on in Tours and Chatelherault. Prunes are sometimes employed in medicine, but French plums are chiefly used at table.
Thewoodof the plum-tree is of little value; but thebarkis in occasional request as affording a yellow dye.
158.The BULLACE PLUM is a small violet-coloured fruit of globular shape, produced by a shrub(Prunus insititia)which grows wild in our hedges, and is known by its branches being thorny, and its fruit-stalks in pairs.
158.The BULLACE PLUM is a small violet-coloured fruit of globular shape, produced by a shrub(Prunus insititia)which grows wild in our hedges, and is known by its branches being thorny, and its fruit-stalks in pairs.
The plum has a rough, but not unpleasantly acid taste, especially after it has been mellowed by the frost. A conserve, calledbullace cheese, is sometimes prepared by mixture of the pulp of the bullace with about thrice its weight of sugar. In several parts of Germany this fruit is preserved in vinegar and spice; and is occasionally used, in the manner of cherries, for the flavouring of brandy. An infusion of theflowers, sweetened with sugar, is sometimes used medicinally forchildren. Thewoodis pleasingly veined, and is much valued by turners.
159.The SLOE is a small, round, and nearly black kind of plum(Prunus spinosa),of extremely austere taste, which is common in thickets and hedges throughout nearly every part of England.The shrub that produces it has thorny branches, and the fruit-stalks are single.
159.The SLOE is a small, round, and nearly black kind of plum(Prunus spinosa),of extremely austere taste, which is common in thickets and hedges throughout nearly every part of England.
The shrub that produces it has thorny branches, and the fruit-stalks are single.
The harshness and austerity of the sloe are proverbial. Itsjuice, if mixed with British made wines, communicates to them a red colour, and an astringent flavour, somewhat resembling that of port wine; a fact too well known to some of the dealers in that favourite liquor. The juice of unripe sloes, dried over a gentle fire, so nearly resembles the Egyptian acacia (273), that it has in many instances been substituted for that substance; it is, however, harder, heavier, of darker colour, and somewhat sharper taste than the genuine kind. A conserve of this fruit, made with three times its weight of double-refined sugar, has been used with success as a gargle for sore throats.
An infusion of theflowersin water, or the flowers boiled in milk, are sometimes employed medicinally; and thebark, reduced to powder, has been efficaciously administered in agues. If boiled in ley, the bark yields a red dye. The young and tenderleavesof the sloe afford a substitute for tea, but some persons consider them unwholesome. The juice of the fruit, mixed with green vitriol, becomes an indelible black fluid, either for dyeing linen, or as writing-ink. Thewood, being extremely tough, is converted into walking-sticks, and made into the teeth of rakes; it is also sometimes used by turners. Dr. Withering has remarked, that, from certain effects which he observed to follow the prick of thethornsof the sloe, he was inclined to consider they had some poisonous quality, especially in autumn.