BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 233 
The tree that bears the bitter orange is rarely 
over 16 feet in height, and adorned with smooth 
green leaves entire, with a prominent midrib, 
ovate lanceolate in shape, with many- dots or 
spots which are reservoirs of oil; flowers white, 
quite large and very fragrant, with 5 petals; 
stamens 20; style solitary, with an expanded 
stigma indistinctlylobed. The fruit is as large 
as the sweet orange; it has 18 carpels and from 
7 to 12 cells, containing many seeds; the peri- 
carp, epicarp, or rind, as it is variously termed, 
_is of a handsome yellow color, corrugated or 
puckered, which is probably due to the oil cells. 
The seed of the fruit is ovoidal in form and con- 
tains morethanoneembryo. The sweet orange 
differs from the bitter by having a smooth rind, 
lighter in color, a sweet acidulous taste and less 
fragrant flowers. The orange pulp contains 
sugar, fat, gum, muctlage and citric acid and 
the epicarp contains the o7/. 
The peel, rind or epicarp of the bitter orange 
occurs in commerce in acutely pointed pieces, 
much contorted, of fragrant odor and an aro- 
matic, bitter taste. The value of the orange 
peel seems to lie more in its agreeable flavor 
than in its therapeutic effect, although it is said 
to have some tonic, stimulant and stomachic 
properties. It contains two (2) glucosides, hes- 
peridin and aurantinarin anda bitter principle, 
a glucoside. ‘The peel enters into the follow- 
ing officinal preparations: TINCTURE OF GENTIAN 
COMPOUND, TINCTURE OF CINCHONA COMPOUND, 
COMPOUND INFUSIONS, TINCUURE and FLUID EX- 
TRACT. The volatile oil of the stores is obtained 
from the peel and procured by wiping and other 
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