> 
i 
f 
f 
'^7^ 
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L 
prefent figui^e was taken, it grew to a ftate of great perfedion. 
oil extraded from the feeds ^ of this plant, and known by the n 
of oleum ricini; Palma Chrifti, or caftor oil, is the drug to which 
An 
a me 
the pharinacopbeias refer, and which has' lately cqme into freljuent 
life ^ as a quick, but gentle, piirgativer The London 
College 
dired: 
this oil to be expreifed^ from the feeds in the fame way as that of 
almonds,^ and without the affiftance of heat, by which th 
e oil would 
feem to be obtained in the pureft ftate : however, we have fome reafon 
to believe that this method is feldom pradifed, and that the oil ufually 
imported from the Weft-Indies, 
'^^re 
C/ 
IS 
in the following manner 
cc 
vdiere it is com- 
The feeds being freed 
employed h 
monly prepared 
from the hufks, or pods, which are gathered upon their turning brov/n, 
and when beginning to burft open, are firft bruifed in a mortar, after- 
wards tied up in a linen bag, and then thrown into a large pot, with 
a fufficient quantity of water, (about eight gallons to one gallon of 
the feeds) and boiled till the oil is rifen to the furface, when it is 
carefully fkimmed off, ftrained, and kept for ufe. Thus prepared, 
the oil is entirely free from acrimony, and will ftay upon the ftomach 
' " " other medicines." And Mr. Long remarks, that 
when it rejeds all 
J 
the oil intended for medicinal ufe is more frequently "cold-drawn, 
or extraded from the bruifed feeds .by means of a hand-prefs. 
But 
this is thouo;ht more acrimoniou 
Dr. 
than what is prepared by codion. 
55 f 
rowne is alio of this opinioiij and pr'efers the oil procured by/ 
■ ' . ■ 
^ Where the oil is rejeaed, the feeds may be carefully Teparated from their (hells and 
the inner white membrane, and formed into an emulfion, and given as an agreeable 
fubftitute for the oil. 
inis pr^via'm conquaffationem in mortario, 
:. p. 2oJ fed inde oh mucilaginis evolu-. 
-n pvnrlif nlpum i dwoA bene adlecit BonelU 
« Some objedion has been made to this manner of obtaining the oil^ as ftated m ouu 
pharmacopc^ia, v/hich we (liall here mention in the v/ords of Murray : Expreffion 
eliceatur oleum, quidam fuadent decorticati femi 
(Canvane Dtff. on the Oleum Palma Chrijtt, ^c 
tionem, quse fimul contingit crafTum & turbidum evadit oleum (quod bene adjecitB 
in wrfione Ubri cL Canvane, p. 63, , Glendenberg L c. p. 32), nee nifi difficalter eruitur* 
Prseftat igitur nucleos integros premere. Facilius quoque evocatur oleum ex feminibus, 
quse moratn al 
videtur, tuiuj^u 
^ 74- ) I- c^- 
iquam traxerunt, quam ex recentibus; mucilago enim fenfim ficclor evadere 
ie connubium. fuiun cum oleo relaxare." ( Heyer in Crells Entd. P. ^* 
r 
J 
It is well known however, that the oil obtained by boiling 
^ Long's Jamaica^ p. 713. 
becomes much fooner rancid than that by expreflion 
of tafte or fmell. In the Weft Indies it is^ ufually confumed in lamps^ and for other 
y" 
The beft oil is limpid, and defritute 
doaieftic purpofes. 
y 
y . 
GOvlion 
/ 
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