TN>;.W0M I-IORTUS JA?,IA!CF,NSIS. ir$ 



ce'leJ berry ; seet!"? raiinnjsh, kidney-shapcci (two to four). This is n]litl to 



tutus.. la the rips fru.i orte ceil om^ is ijrule, me rudi.nyiits oi die ther twoi 

 btirig rarely seen, 



AI.TJA. ^^TUTE. 



. Arhor baccifera, Litirifolh, aio.valica, fructu mriii calijcnfnio raeei 

 inoso. .'^oane, v. 2, p. i<7, t., 191, f. 2. Foliii: oblonitis ohitnis nii 

 tidis, racanis ttrniiuaUbtia. Ei-owne, p. 275, t. '2~, i. 3. 



T'ols tree is vpry common in Jamaica, one! grows sometimes to tlje heijjlit of fortj of 

 fiitv foet, sti'digbt, ijjjrigat, branching at tiie top, and making a handsoiue appt-ar- 

 ancv". Tue bai-k haS an ouuyaivt -rind, thm, -of a light grey colour, with some vvliitu 

 spots scattered over it, having also several shailavy furrows of adarker colour. The iri- 

 %varJ bark is twice as thick as Hie outer, sinool'i. and of a lighter complexion, of a 

 nincb mare biting aromatic tast<, soiiiev^-hat like that ef cioves, not glutiiious like tin- 

 naoion, bat dry, ar.d crmuliling between the teeth. The leaves come -!,>ui at the ends 

 of the twigii witnout any order, generaliy aiternate ; they are petioled, oblong, abouK 

 two inches-and a half lung and one broad, of a yellowish grssn caionr, shuiing and 

 smooth. The. flowers grow at the tups of the, branches in ciusters, but upon divided 

 pe inncles, they are small, and seldoifc open, of a purple or violet Colo-ur. Tne lobccj 

 of the calyx are divided almost to the bottom, incumbent, green, smooth, nicrnbra-. 

 naceons. permanent ; the petals are concave, upright, thick, and deciduous ; as is also 

 the nectary. The berry is about the size of a pea, fleshy, smooth, green at first, but 

 turns blue and black when ripe. Ti;e seeds are generally two, as tivo cells are coumionly 

 abortive. Sioane says ha found four seeds in those iie exrmined. The berries grovr 

 Koftan 1 pulpy when ripe, and lose tiiat heat and pungency they possess when green, 

 like those of the pimenta, and are then greedily devoured by the wild pigeons, and 

 other birds, v/ho clisperse the seeds in dilTerent places by their muting. 



This tree is common as welt in the mountains as in the lower woods and rocky hills, 

 antl frequently 'found near the coast, wiiere it seldom exceeds twelve or fifteen feet iu 

 height. A!i the parts of the tree when fresh are very hot, aromatic, and pungent, and 

 when in blossom throws a perfume all around. I'iie iio-.ters dried, and softened in 

 water, -have a fragrant odour nearly approaching to musk. 



The bark is cured without any difSculty by dr_)ing in the shade ; what is taken from 

 the bi-anches is thinner, and rather milJcr, than fron^ the body of the tree, more nearly 

 approacning to the true cinnamon The bark jields by distillation a warm aronie.tia 

 oil, which is often sold for, and generally mixed with, oil of cloves ; nor is the adul- 

 teration thought of any pre;)ud!ce to the medicine. It is reckoned a good remedy in 

 scorbutic habits ; invigorates the blood, is carminative, and stomuciiic. Powdered and 

 snuffed into ihe nostri's, it is cephalic, and produces a copious discharge of rheum. . 

 It is used by mostapoihecaries instead of the true corte.i- win/cranus, and being supe- 

 rior in qualitv, has s-uperceded it in use. Four ounces of the bark, with six ounces of 

 cassia lignea (whicn it v^ry much resembles), and one gallon of proot spirit, ( a hand- 

 iui of common salt being thrown in to dephU-gmate the spirit,) makes a cinnamon wa- 

 ter ; and the greater part of what is vended in the shops, is comjiounded in' this man- 

 ner. A quantity of the bark, mixed with badly distilled rum, is said to discharge in 

 part its nausejus empyreumatic taste and smell. This bark is a common ingredient 

 wUii eapsicums ia th; food of tlic negroes. 



Cc3 CITHON, 



