IT O 11 T U S J A M A I C E N SI 3. pk\ck& 



I ', were communicated, by Mr. "SamuelHTelsted, to theiltoyal Gazette, 



j;i which paper 11 appeared 011 the 15th of March, 17 ' ' : 



' Several ithors have treatedof the xanthoxylum ; but by comparing the doscrip- 

 '. n given by Miller, hn^its, Brownie, Linnaus, the American Philosophic;.! Trans- 

 I , and Barnaul, it wi.il appear that very different trees, are comprehend&l 

 -. I r this title. It is sufficient f< r the present purpose, that die prickly yellow wood 

 < f h maica i. mi generally known in this island, even at a distance, that no botanic; 1 

 ! . e Ige is r \u\ i to distinguish thistree from all others ; and which i he bare sight 

 of once v.i ! en ibl ever) ; rson to do ever after. Among the authors before men- 

 tioned, B'arham is the on!) original one, within the writer's knowledge, who gives any 

 account of an in the xantKo\ylum Hercutis, yellow Hercules, Her- 



cules club (.van. en I ' . ', of common prickly yellow wood of ; and that 



merely as an external tion of the root, Mr Hans Sloane frequently quotes 



Barham's m; i : \ as Written about the beginning of this centm 



' ; 'i'n shew that the xanthoxylum here spoken of possesses other valuable qualities, 

 beside the one mentioned by Barham, is the principal motive of writing this tract. 



;t In Jim.", 1790, the writer became acquainted with the valuable quality of a sub- 

 stance surrounding the roots of the xanthoxylum. 



" '1 lie ri'.i,, ; re tin kly covered with .a light, soft, po.w icry, substance, of a yellow 

 colour, and an agreeable scent. After digging away the eartfcLthat covers and sur- 

 rounds them, tbeyareto be cut off, and the dirt scperatc 1 by soaking and washing 

 them in clean water. The farinaceous covering is then to be carefully scraped off, and 

 dried by exposure to the sun. This powder, thoroughly dried, "will keep for a consi- 

 derable time, if properly secured in bottles. 



" Its antiseptic qualities have been proved by the following experiment: Two pieces 

 i f lean beef, of equal texture and weight, were provided. One piece was well rubbed 

 by the best Peruvian bark, and the other with the yellow powder from the vamhoxylum 

 roots. They were both tied up in peperate papers, and opened in fourteen days-. That 

 prepared with the pulv. xanthoxylum was perfectly sweet, and better preserve* than the 

 other prepared with the coil. Pel wo. 



" Applied to ulcers it has been attended with remarkable success, nor is it less ser- 

 viceable for the cure of recent wounds. Not to multiply instances of its good effects in 

 such cases, the following will prove it as efficacious on the diseased flesh of a living 

 subject, as it whs powerful in preventing putrescence in the animal substance before 

 stated. 



" An apothecary, in Kingston, had, for many months, on one of bis legs, such 

 deep and inveterate ulcers, extending from the ancle to the knee, that, after all at- 

 tempts to heal them had failed, he was advised to submit to amputation In this situ- 

 ation, an elderly female slave undertook to make trial of the p:i/iis.ian//i. and the cure 

 was perfei ted by the following treatment : Twice a day the limb was well sweated over 

 a bath, the steam of which was confined by a blanket, and the leg afterwards fomented 

 with the same. The bath v. a:, made by boiling the leaves ot the lime-tree, mallow, 

 wild spikenard, rosemary, &c. to which, were added some sliced limes. The ulcers 

 were then entirely covered with the pulv. .m :<//:. over which was applied the mashed 

 leaves of the eye-bright, to confine the powder, and the whole rolled up in a suitable 

 bandage. The regimen directed was abstinence from spirituous liquors, and inflam- 

 matory food ; taking every morning and evening half a pint of the decoction of lignum- 



vitsc 



