BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 343 
lanceolate leaves, on short petioles of a gray- 
green color on their upper surface, and hoa 
beneath. Flowers white, and in short axillary 
clusters; the calyx is four-toothed and quite 
small; corolla four-cleft and tubular, having 
two stamens; style short and the stigma double 
(bifid); has a one-celled ovary, which is two- 
seeded; fruit a drupe, about the size of a dam- 
son, and of a purple color when fully ripe, and 
contains one hard seed or nut, similar in shape 
to the fruit. The olives found in the stores for 
sale as an article of diet are subjected to an al- 
kaline treatment before ripening; they are then 
preserved in salt and water. The oil is ex- 
pressed from the ripe fruit after being bruised; 
this is called virgin oil, and is considered the 
best. The common kinds of oil are obtained 
from the pulp of the fruit already pressed, 
which is subjected to a treatment with boiling 
water, or else the over-ripe and decayed olives 
are used. There is a third grade of oil, used 
in the preparation of soaps, etc., which is ob- 
tained from the olives which have been heaped 
in piles and allowed to ferment. Pure Olive 
Oil is a pale yellow or greenish colored liquid, 
with scarcely any odor, having a smooth, sweet- 
ish taste, which is agreeable to most persons, 
Its specific gravity is about 0.90 or o.g1, and it 
-congeals a few degrees above the freezing- 
point; is only partly soluble in alcohol, but solu- 
ble in twice its volume of ether. Contains 
olein, palmitin, stearin, etc. When subjected 
to a great degree of cold, the oil is separated in- 
to solid and liquid portions, the latter being the 
olein which constitutes the bulk. The oil is 
