21: 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



.lu.i 3, 1915. 



FRUIT. 



PAPAW AND PAPAIN. 



A verj interesting article appears in Tlu Tropical 

 Agriculturist ioi March L915, dealing with the papaw tree 

 (Carica papaya), and the production, properties, uses, and 

 commercial value of the drug papain, which is extracted 

 from the fruit. From this the following useful and valuable 

 information is abstracted. 



The papaw tree is a familiar object in many parts of 

 the tropics, being commonly grown in gardens and ai I 

 native houses, or occasionally cultivated in small areas near 

 towns n.i' supplying the fruit to local markets. Much has 

 been written regarding the well-known fermentive properties 

 of the tree and it-- capacity foi rendering tough meat tender. 



The tree is a native of tropical \iuerica and the West Indies 



and was introduced into Ceylon probably early in the 

 seventeenth century. It is propagated invariably from seed, 

 but it-- propagation by cuttings and graftings is possible, 

 though seldom practised. 



In recent years the papaw has come into prominence on 



it nt the drug papain obtained from the fruit. As t" 



the properties of papain, its peptouising or digestive power is 



well known, and it is < sidered a good substitute fur animal 



pepsin; hut, unlike the latter, it requires neither the aid of 

 an acid nor an akali to convert the contents of the stomach 

 into .i peptone. The celebrated chemist Varequelin compared 

 papain to 'blood deprived "I its colouring matter'. The 

 material has nut, however, come into extensive use in medi- 

 cine, its consumption at present being cheifly confined to 

 America, where it is much used in the treatment of 

 chronic dyspepsia, gastritis, diphtheria, etc., and it is also 

 recommended for ecxema. In Ceylon it is said not to 

 be used medicinally, except perhaps in native medicine. It 

 is described, however, in Waring's Indian pharmacopoeia 

 and Dymock's Materia Medica oj Western India. Papain has 

 the effect of curdling milk, like rennet, ami might be used 

 as a substitute for the latter. The demand for papain is, 

 of course, limited, and the present supply appears to come 

 almost entirely from Ceylon and the West Indies, more 

 especially the island of Montserrat. 



As regards the trade in the drug, it is mentioned that 

 the export of papain from Ceylon is in the hands of a few 

 firms who buy from the villagers in the interior, mostly in 

 the districts of Kurunegala and Kvgalle, and pay from about 



Rs. 5 to Rs. 7 per lb. The purified commercial papain 



fetches round about 12*. (Us. '.)) per lb. in the European 

 markets. According to a tabular statement of the exports 

 from Ceylon, it is seen that the following were, in quantities 



and value, exported to the countries nai I. in 1913: United 



Kingdom 12,705 tt>., value Rs. 14*1*5 =£2,945 13s.; Belgium 

 376 It'., value Rs. 1,181=^150 8«. Germany 2,555 tt>., 

 value Rs. 12,705 = £847; United State- of America 2,912 lh., 

 value Rs. 13,078 = £871 17*. The United State- is said to 

 be the largest consumer, importing annually, it is estimated, 

 to the value of 615,000 to 616,000. The price paid in the 



States for papain varies from 7s. 6(£. to 15s. per Hi., according 



to quality, a- tested to determine its digestive properties. 

 According to The Chemist and firvgfiisi, the demand for 



papain at present exceeds the Supply, as the American 



importers insist on a high colon red papain, which is difficult 



tO plocllle. 



Tie- fa.i is recalled that some time ago Jamaica main- 



i an industry ot some importance in Collecting and 

 preparing the juice for the market, but it has now shrunk to 



igible proportions. Later, from L 889, the business grew 

 up in the Island of Montserrat, which became the chief 

 producer in the West Indie-. Doubt is expressed, however, 

 whether the trade is likely to increase. Prices have fallen 

 iily ii, I.,. ni years, but within the past six months, 

 according i" Tht Chemist and Druggist, for January 1915, 



they have shown a distinct advance. 



Opinion among large consumers appears to be divided 

 on the present question ol supply and demand, some stating 



that the consumption of the drug is on the increase and 



prospects are good for marketing target quantities, while 



Others affirm that the only mean- of extending the market 

 would he in the production of a more carefully prepared 



product which would replace the cheaper and adulterated 

 grades, of which considerable quantities are -old. Attention 

 is directed to an article on papain in the Journal of the Royal 

 Society of Arts (September 1913), in the course of which the 

 statement was made; 'that the United States prefer the inferior 

 qualities from the West Indies, and also desire a white or 

 bleached papain, which the Ceylon natives are not always 

 in a position to supply. Importers, however, could, without 

 much difficulty, procure an almost unlimited supply of the 

 best unadulterated Ceylon papain, if they were willing to 

 pay a slightly better price for it than for the West Indian 

 product, and would accept it in its natural state.' It 

 should be mentioned here that the Montserrat papain, when 



rapidly prepared, is of a light colour, without the employment 

 of any bleaching agent. 



Dr. Huyberts/, of Candy, who has devoted some atten- 

 tion to the preparation of papain, is quoted as stating that 

 'European and American importers object to papain in its 



natural colour, and insist that it be white, or at least, light.' 

 This, he says, is a great mistake, a- it can Only be obtained 



by bleaching -a process which sacrifices therapeutic efficiency 

 for pharmaceutical appearance. ( Senuine papain is slightly 

 saltish and somewhat acrid. It has a peculiar, unmistakable 



smell, and the 'feel' of granular papain should be crisp, like 

 biscuit, and easily crushed between the lingers. When it is 

 doughy or sticky, it has been adulterated or badly prepared. 



It has also slight escharotic action, and collectors of the 

 fresh juice frequently blister their lingers. When mixed with 

 water it has a soapy 'feel'. I'p to a comparatively few years 

 ago the value of papain was little understoqd, and it was 

 mostly used in making mucilaginous product- and chewing 

 gums. Smce then, the United States, Germany, and Great 

 Britain have taken considerable quantities, and it enters into 

 many preparations. Recently, it is stated, America has 

 found a new use for the drug, but what this is, has not yet 



transpired. 



INDIAN CORN. 



MAIZE IN RHODESIA. 



It is estimated that from 350,000 to 4O0.Q00 bags p/ 



mai/.'- w ill be available for export from Southern Rhodesia 

 this season. In addition, abonj 50,000 bag.- will most 



likely be exported from Northern Rhodesia. The work of 

 grading will be undertaken by the Government of Southern 

 Rhodesia, and this year the bulk of the maize will be graded 

 at the siding to which it is conveyed by the tanner, and not 



at Salisbury, as was d last year. This will enable farmers 



to avoid the consigning of mojsjl or jveevjjly grain, and the 



