2C- ~ iIGRTUS JAMAICENSTS, fonATCs 



are remarkably elegant and granMul in their form ; if viewed edgeways tliey form the 

 Hogiinhian line ot beauty: when the plant iy in bloom the leaves are then patent, 

 whicli ]iosiure tluy are thrown into in" their bein^r t levated by tiie b;u;e of the stem on 

 uiiic-h tliey then seem :ill to l;e phiced, :m<i also bv reason of tlieir want of nonrishment, 

 the juices Ijeing all conveyed to the support of tl;e stem and. fniclifRatiwns. When the 

 })lant is near blossominj; it emits from the centre a tew- narrow leaves, much shorter 

 than the rest, which keep their erect posture vvhea all the rest are declining-. The 

 stem measured about four feet from the ground eighteen indies in circumferenc<\ - 

 When the leaves of the coratoe are raised on the stetn, they arc then seen to grow in a 

 regular manner round it, in the following (jrder : Tliey were dispo-od or divided into 

 thirteen series or rows, in each row or series they xvere placed one above anothf-r, tlie 

 concave or upper part of the lower leaf receiving the convex cr lower part of the upper 

 one. The fioweritjg stem began to rise about Christma.s, and in the beginning of- 

 March tlie flowers began to open. The nightingales or mock birds are fond of the 

 honey found at the base of this flower, which supplies the place of a nectarinm. 7"he 

 Bai-badocs blackbirds are also fond of this honey, between winch birds happen great 

 dissentions and bickerings. If the blackbirds would liold their tongue, wiio are natu- 

 rallv very lo(]uarious, thej' might feed unraolested ; bnt their incessant chattering dis- 

 turbing the nightingales, who then had j'oung ones, they assaulted the blackbirds with 

 p'reat fierceness and vigour, and socjn obliired them to reareat to the neiohbourinir 

 bushes. 



" The coratoe of Jamaica does not appear to me to bo the agave of Linneus, the 

 flowers have no tube, the style is trigonal, and longer than the stamens, but in the 

 agave it is not so long ; the stigma is i.owever trisulcated ; the corolla of the coratoe is 

 beil-s;;ajieJ, cut almost to the base into six erect segments, broad beneath, but sharp 

 pointed or subulated above,, and ribbed oa their sides ; there is no calyx, and the co- 

 rolla is placed on the germen, which turns to a trigonal tricapsular fruit, in which last 

 circumstances it agrees with the tigave of Linneus. Other specifical differences are as 

 follow : the corolla is not above bu inch in length, whereas the agave's corolla is four. 

 The stem of the coratoe never branches, nor does the plant, ever that I have seen, emit 

 more than cne stem, nor does it ever produce any off^sets^ in all which it differs from, 

 the agave of Linneus,, or AiHeriean aloe." 



I take this name (cun-ato) to be a corruption of en ragiia, for so it is called in Brasil. 

 It is of tlie aloetic kind, and I have made an extract out of it much like aloes. Its juice,, 

 with a little sugar, will powerfully force tlie terms, is a great diuretic, and forces gravel 

 or stone ; the leaf, roasted in the fire,, takes away the pain and weakness of the limbs. 

 The extract eases the pain of the gout, and strengthens the part, if strained, stuck 

 upon leather, and applied thereto : At first applying it seems to increase the pain, 

 for it draws strongly a sort of dew from the part, but, after three or four hours, the 

 pain ceases, and the part grows stronger everv' day ; it must lie on until it drops off. 

 I always stuck it upon white paper, and applied it to myself,, and in two or three days 

 was able to walk three or four miles, &c. If the extract is not well boiled, it will draw 

 pimples, and cause a great itcliing. I ha%'e given it inwardly in pills, with good suc- 

 cess. It is also called niagulj/. Barkam, p. 49. 



The juice of the coratoe leaf is noticed in Dancer's Medical Assistant to l)e a good 

 dressing for aa uleer, by mixing it with lime juice and molasses, and boiling to a thick, 



consistence. 



