FAMILY HERBAL. 29 



_ 



sfance within^ as sweet as an almond. Between 



the two coats of this shelly as between those of 



the anacardiura, there is a sharp and caustic oi], 



which serves in the same manner as the other 



to take off freckles^ but it must be used with 



great caution. It actually burns the skin^ so that 



it must be suffered to lie on only a few moments ; 



and even when used eyer so cautiouslj^ it some- 

 times causes mischief. 



The Bengal Bean-treb. Fala. Bengalensis. 



A LARGE tree, native of the East^ and not 

 unlike our plum-tree. It is thirty or forty feet 

 high ; the leaves are roundish^ but sharp-pointed, 

 and of a deep green ; they arc finely indented^ and 

 of a firm texture. The flowers are large and 

 white ; they resemble, in all respects^ the blossoms 

 of our plum-trees. The fruit is a kind of plum, 

 of a long shape, with a small quantity of fleshy 

 matter^ and a very large stone. It is a kind of 

 myrobolan^ but is not' exactly the same with any 

 that we use. 



The Bengal bcan^ as it is called^ is an irregu- 

 lar production of this tree : it is very ill-named 

 a bean ; it is truly a gall like those of the oak; 

 but it does not rise like them from the wood or 

 leaves^ but-frora the fruit of this particular plum^ 

 It is as broad as a walnut, but flatted, and 

 hollowed in the center ; its original is this : 

 There is a little black fly frequent in that coun- 

 try, which lodges its eggs in the unripe fruit of 

 this particular plum, as we have insects in Eng- 

 land, which always choose a particular plants 

 and a particular part for that purpose. The fly 

 aUvays stfltes the frnit while it is green, and h^s 



but the rudimciits of the stone. It grows dis- 



