CAsSADA IIORTUS JAMAICENSIS. i&3 



it.* The negroes boil and eat the leaves as a green. It is supposed that the action of 

 the fire carries oliits malignant qualities. What is not a little extraordinary, the mealj 

 not yet discharged of its juice, makes an excellent salve, and seldom fails to heal the 

 worst sores ; and, to improve its Cilect, it is sonietiuies mixed for this intention with 

 the fresh ieavi;s of tobacco pounded. -^-Zo^, p. 77.7. 



llochon fays its poison only acts on the nervous system, and produces no inflamma- 

 tion on the stomach j but the stomach of a man, or oliit-r animal, poisoned by it, ap- 

 pears to be contracted one half. Browne says it has been lately discovered by an inger 

 nious gentleman, who has practised many years in die warm parts of America, that a 

 little mint vvater^nd salt of worm-vvood, .mixed and taken, will calm the most violent 

 symptoms that arise on taking it, if timely administered. The poison being of a cold 

 kind, warm and active medicines are considered the best. The.Indians of Guiana give 

 a mixture of red pepper braised in nun. The common remedy in Brazil is, first, to 

 give a dose of ipecacuanha, and then the juice or powder of a plant called juibambit, 

 of which the co.upiler has notbeen able to ilisoover the generic name, (jruiiiger says 

 that warm water pouretl on toasted cassada, or on oatmeal made brown, will ulten stop 

 a vomiting; but mint-jmcc, mived .with sugar, and \yann goats milk, will generally 

 succeed when it fajis, 



2Var. Sweet Cassada. Foliis palmatis, /obis incertia., radice obbvgafwdiculo valldo 

 per centrian ducto, came nrcca. Browne, p. 350. 



This plant is very like the foregoing in habit an i appearance, and raised and culti- 

 vated in the same manner ; but the root is free from any of that deleterious quality that 

 is observed in the juices of the other sort. -It is ahvays planted in seperate places for 

 fgar of a mistake, and roasted or boiled for use ; but the latter seems to be the best 

 method of dressing it ; for, iri this state, the outward part is commonly brought ahnos't 

 to a jelly, and is extremely dela^'ate and agreeable. /iioK'/ic, p. 350. Barham says it 

 -may be eaten ravs-, or roastod like a potatoe, without any manner of prejudice or luirt, 

 teing very nourishing, and makes a very hue white tloLir, From the root of the sweet 

 scassada tapioca is made, in e-> ery respect similar to tiiat imported ; which is done by 

 ; grating them, washing and infusing them in water, and evaporating the liquor so as to 

 <i4j>btaiu a sediment like starch, which must be well dried in the sun. 



2. GOSSYPIFOLIA, COTTON I^EAVED, 



ijlicinus minor stapJiysagries folio^^Jiorc penfapetalo purpurro. Sloane, 

 V. 1, p. 129, t. 84. Humilior sefis rainosis ornata ; foliis trilobis 

 vd quinquelobis, levissime denticidaiis. Browne, p. 348. 



' Leaves five^parted ; lobes ovate, entire, ciliate ; bristles glajidular, branched, 

 on the petioles. 



The leaves of the f^ossT/pifabia, cotton-leaved jafrophet, -dnld cnssmLi, ov belly-ache 



hu^h, .are quinquepartite, with lobes ovate and entire, and glandular branchy bristles. 



fhe stem, which is covered witli light greyish bark, grows to about three or foin-rfeet 



high, soon dividing into several wide-extended branches. These are neither decorated 



with leaves nor flowers till near the top, which is then surrounded by the former ; their 



Y 2 foots,talk% 



f A 80W, pojeeced with cassada root, was preserved hy giving he some of the antidote cocoon. 



