<?>l HOIITUS JAMAICENSIS, MANcrnoNKia 



>reuienil)cr a negro wlio conliiiucd ill for three ('.iiys, from a meal lie had made on these 

 crabs, but, wiiiiout recourse to uiedicine, was reiieved by natural evacuations down- 

 wards, -and was penetlly well alter them. 



Sir Hans Sloane gives us an example of a tiu'ncr, whose eye became extremely in- 

 ^flamed and swelled with some of the juice, which spurted into it as he was felling one 

 of these trees. Sir Hans orderea iiiiii to be bled, gave bim a purge of ^c/r. 7-(^r/. and 

 ordered him to wet his eye very oficn in cold w;;ter, and apply wet brown jiaper conti- 

 .iiuallv, to cool ihe pare. \ViLli these aj^plications he was cured in three liays. He 

 likewise socaiis of a man .who ate four of the ajjplcs, yet was not much hurt. 



It is plain from heiice, that the trunk and lairijie fruit contain an iicrid juice, which 

 operates like. other materials of tiie like nature, exciting heat, irritation, and thirst, 

 when swallowed and received into the stomach, producing such a pungency on the 

 .throat, and tender nervous coals exposed to its action, as greatly to disonler the vaIioIc 

 i'rame, and bring. on very bad .symptoms, and sometmies death ; but that the jnire, 

 when mr.tured and concocted, as we find it m the ripe fruit, loses much of this acri- 

 iiionv, and, tiiuugh still unpleasant in its operation upon the bowels, does not produce 

 mortal effects, unless ]jerhaps in very weak and delicate liabits ; but, as. to these latter, 

 1 sj^eak only from conjecture. 



That. the fruit should sometijnes produce violent irritation, and at other times be 

 chewed, and even swallowed, without any disagreeable consequence, can only be ac- 

 counted for by supposing, that jiersons of stronger or weaker habits are differently af- 

 fected by it ; and liiat the juices of the iruit may possibly vary much in the diflerent 

 stages of its advance to maturation, and until the exact time of its being thoroughly 

 ripe, when, by a perfect fermentation, and concoction, their aorimony is ahiiost sub- 

 dued. It is not unlikely also, that the juices of this tree may be more poignant and 

 caustic in the hot months than during the cooler seasons of the year, because the sap in 

 those months is more redundant and active.* 



It is well known, that goats, and even sheep, (Tertre adds macaws) feed very gree- 

 dily upon the fallen fruit, when it is in a state of perfect maturity, and doubtless re- 

 solve it into wholesome nourishment. 



Instinct, which determines the choice of these animals, points out this as an aliment 

 not baneful (at least to them) ; for they suffer no injury from it. Barham observes on 

 its virtues as a substitute for gum guaiacum. 



The gui of this tree is mostly of a light reddish or yellowish cast ; the guaiacum 

 riost commonly of a deep green, when held up to the light. The tincture of the latter 

 cives a milky appearance, when a few drops are Jet fall into a glass of water fsce 

 lionum vitse). 1 believe the one has very often been ignorantly substituted for the 

 ijther ; yet, if Barham' s veracity is to be relied on, which 1 think it is, there is not 

 much room for apprehensions from the consequence. The gum is most plentiful upon 

 these trees in the month of February ; and it. is to be wished its nature could be more 

 .accurately examined and put to the test. 



The odour of the ripe fruit is faint, and far from being inviting. Zon^, p. 838. 



Barham -says he has experienced, that if you lay these apples jn a press where cock- 

 roaches are, they will soon forsake it. He used it in the room of gum guaiacum, by 



dissolving 



* The juice and tender buds of the b'giwnia leucoiylonr-'See vfLite cedar are said to be an aDtidoteto tliis 

 poison. 



