o;i, H'ORTUS JAMAICENSlSs ft 



free] from the husks or pods (which are gathered upon their turning brown, and when 

 beginning to burst open), arc first bruised in a mortar, afterwards tied up in a linen 

 bag, and then thrown into a large pot, with a sufficient quantity of water ' ibout eight 

 gallons tt> one gallon of the seeds), ajid boiled tiil their on is risen to the surfeee; this 

 is carefully skimmeel, strained, and kept for use.* Thus prepared it is entirely free 

 from all acrimony, and will freely stay upon the stomach, when it rejects most other 

 medicines. This oil is consumed n many of the plantation in the boiling and stiH 

 houses, during crop, and much preferable to the filthy stinking lamp-oil imporl id 

 from North America and Britain ; for it affords a clear lively light, emits no disagreea- 

 ble smell, is obtained ..; less than one half the expence, and may be kept many years 

 without growing foetid. When intended for medicinal use, the oil is more frequently 

 cold-drawn, or extracted from tke braised- seeds, by means of a hand-press. But this 

 is thought more acrimonious than what is procured from coction. 



The cold-drawn. oil at first is perfectly limpid; but, after being kept for some time, 

 acquires a pale tincture, resembling Lisbon wine, probably caused by the membrane 

 which covers tha kernels. It is administered with the greatest success in-the belly-ache, 

 and all obsi mate constipations of the bowels, given from one to even four or five ounces. 

 It is likewise taken, with perfect safety, by infants afflicted- with worms, which it both 

 destroysand sweeps away ; and therefore much superior to calomel or tin powder. Ft 

 is given to new-born children, within nine days, in a dose of one tea-spoonful every 

 morning, mixed with a little molasses, or any other syrup, to purge off the meconium; 

 which purpose it effectually answers, and has saved the lives of many thousand negro 

 children. The retention of this excrement has been fatal to multitudes, by bringing on 

 mortal convulsions, generally known here by the name of jaw-falling. + 



The oil,, externally used, is excellent in removing cramps, and pains arising from 

 colds, and kills lice in the heads of children. 



It is but of late that this article has made an article of the Jamaica exportation, and 

 that- only in. very small quantities; it now forms part of the British materia med'ica, but 

 is most usually obtained there from the seeds imported in barrels ; the oil drawn in the 

 West Indies not being encouraged, because it is a manufacture. What is intended fdr 

 exportation should be packed in jars, well stopped with corks or plugs, covered with 

 waxed cloth, and properly tied or wired, orin small tight casks. The oil is not subject 

 to contract rancidity, unless it is made from parched or roasted seeds, which are im- 

 pregnated with an enipyreuma. Long, p. 712. 



OiliNuts. These are so called from the great quantity of oil got out of them ; and 

 also vulgarly, but very erroneously, called aguus castits, they having no relation to that 



species ; 



* One gallon of mils will yield about one quart of oil. Tiie oil seperates sooner if, towards the end of the 

 boiling, a handful of sea salt is thrown into the cauldron, 11 the nuts be kept a few weeks the) 1 yield little 

 or no oil. 



t Some of the ablest physicians have concurred in preferring the oil obtained from nuts to olive oil, in ver. 

 micular cases ; the reason of which is, that, as the worms have their bodies overspread with extremely minute 

 pipes, which ate necessary to their respiration; and which being plugged up or stopped, they immediately 

 die; so oils are found to answer this effect; and nut-oil much sooner, and with more certainty, than any 

 other ; as its parts are less porous, and therefore better qualified to exclude the air, the want of which de. 

 Stroys them. 



It is mentioned by some writers, that, in certain parts of Italy, it is a common practice for mothers te give 

 their infants, once or twice a week fasting, pieces of toasted bread dipped in nut-oil ; and that what they 

 use for this purpose is extracted from the beech nut, andseltrom fail3 to clear their bowels of these dangerous 

 animalcules ; the ricinus oil is equally powerful, and might be administered after the same manner. 



