23 



Leaves : In the East Indies the young shoots and leaves are cooked 

 as a vegetable They are administered in pulmonic complaints, and 

 mixed with castor oil, are internally employed in rheumatism and lum- 

 bago. They are also applied externally. 



Seeds : " Bruised in water and applied externally, they relieve the 

 pain in gout, and are useful in chronic affections of the joints ; and 

 mixed with sugar they may be given for cough." (Macfadyen.) 



CARICA PAPAYA, Linn. 



Pa paw. 



Native of W. Indies and Central America. Naturalised throughout 

 tropics. A small tree, with milky juice, generally branchless ; leaves 

 large, lobed ; flowers small ; fruit yellow, size of a small melon. (Pas- 

 sifloracece.) 



Fruit: Juice of unripe fruit possesses anthelmintic properties, ex- 

 pelling lumbrici. It is useful in dyspepsia as a vegetable substitute 

 for pepsine. Juice also applied in psoriasis and skin affections of like 

 character ; in ring worm. The unripe fruit is cooked as a vegetable 

 and the ripe fruit as dessert has the same effect, and acts as a mild 

 chologogue and purgative ; hence its use for piles, enlarged liver and 

 spleen. {Watt.) The active principle, papaine, has been separated in 

 the form of a dry white powder by Mr. J. J. Bowrey, Island Chemist 

 in Jamaica. Papaine is extensively used in France and Germanv. See 

 Bulletin, No. 9. 



The digestive property of the juice and of the fresh leaves is made 

 use of to render meat tender, and facilitate the process of cooking. 



CARYOPHYLLUS AROMATICUS, Linn. 



Clove. 



Native of Moluccas. Cultivated in Jamaica. A small tree, of which 

 the unopened flower- buds form the cloves of commerce. (Myrtaccce.) 



Flowers : Buds and stalks abound in an essential oil. Cloves are 

 aromatic, stimulant, and carminative ; used in atonic dyspepsia and in 

 gastric irritabilitv. 



CARYOTA URENS, Linn. 



Wine Palm. Kittul Fibre Palm. 



Native of East Indies. Cultivated in Botanic Gardens, Jamaica. A 

 beautiful palm with smooth ringed stem. (Palmce.) 



Leaves " give the Kittul Fibre, which is very strong and is'made 

 into ropes, brushes, brooms, baskets, and other articles ; the fibre from 

 the sheathing leaf-stalk is made into ropes and fishing-lines" (Gamble), 

 and is said to be suitable for paper manufacture. 



u This tree is highly valuable to the natives of the countries whore 

 it grows in plenty. It yields them, during the hot season, an immense 

 quantity of toddy or palm wine. I have been informed that the best 

 trees will yield at the rate of 100 pints in the 24 hours. The sap in 

 some cases continues to flow for (about a month. When fresh, k the 



