CORTEX AURANTII. 



12^ 



to the Arabian physicians, one of whom, Avicenna/ employed its juice 



in medicine. 



There is strong- evidence to show that the orange first cultivated in 

 Europe was the Bitter Orange or Bigarade, The orange tree at Rome, 

 said to have been planted by St. Dominic about a.d. 1200, and which 

 still exists at the monastery of St. Sabina, bears a bitter fruit; and the 

 ancient trees standino- in the o;arden of the Alcazar at Seville are also 



of this variety. 



Syr 



minciqxiti) described by Jacques de Vitri, Bishop of Aeon (06. A.D. 

 1214) were acidi sen j)ontici saporis?' 



The Sweet Orange began to be cultivated about the middle of the 

 15th century, having been introduced from the East by the Portuguese. 

 It has probably long existed in Southern China, and may have been 

 taken ^thence to India. In the latter country there are but few dis- 

 tricts in which its cultivation is successful, and the Bitter Orange is 

 hardly knoAvn at all. Tlie name it has long borne of China^ or Portugal 

 Orange^ indicates what has been the usual opinion as to its origin. It 



ictly to a superior variety brought about 1C30 



more 



from China to Portugal* 



One of the first importations of oranges into England occurred in 

 A.D. 1290, in which year a Spanish ship came to Portsmouth, of the 

 cargo of which the queen of Edward I. bought one frail of Seville figs, 

 one of rasins or grapes, one bale of dates, 230 pomegranates, 15 citrons, 

 and 7 oranges {'' poma de orengey 



Description — The Bitter Orange known in London as the Seville 

 Grange is a globular fruit, resembling in size, form, and structure the 

 common Sweet Orange, but having the peel much rougher, and when 

 mature of a somewhat deeper hue. The pulp of the fruit is filled with 

 an acid bitter juice. The ripe fruit is imported into London; the peel 

 IS rnTv.^,..j i» ., ... , ^ *" " one long spiral strip, and 



It is the more esteemed 



inner 



dried 



IS removed from it with a sharp knife in ( 

 quickly dried, or it is sold in the fresh state. 



f hen cut thin, so as to include as little as possible of the white i 

 layer. ^ 



"JVell-dricd orange peel should be externally of a bright tint and 

 ^vhite on its inner surface; it should have a grateful aromatic smell 

 an-i bitter taste. The peel is also largely imported into London ready 

 . especially from Malta. We have observed it from this latter 

 place of three qualities, namely in elliptic pieces or quarters, in broad 

 curled strips, and lastly a very superior kind, almost wholly free from 

 ^iiite zest, in strips less than -J of an inch in width, cut apparently by a 

 niachine. Such needless subdivision as this last has undergone must 

 greatly favour an alteration and waste of the essential oil. Foreign- 

 "ned orange peel fetches a lower price than that dried in England. 



of iv ^^^°^^°P^^ Structure— There is no difference between the tissues 

 this drug and those of lemon peel. 



Opt 



•ct. 9. 



p. 2S9. 



sum. 1. 



follouiii,^" ^*'''^-~Tho passage, which is the 

 .. _ " g, , seems rather inconchisive :— 



tatis citrr ^'^v ^^^*^*'« citri et succi acetosi- 



V IT- 



^^P. 86.^^*'^^^' ^'^^''^' orient, et ocddent. 1597. 



3 Hence the Dutch SinaaMippel or Appel- 

 shm and the German ApfeUine. 



^ Goeze, Beiirag ziir Kemitnf.^'^ der Orau- 

 (jengetmchse, Hamburg, 1S74. 29. 



5 Manners and Household Expenses of 

 England in the \Zth and 15th centuries, 

 Loud. (Eoxburghe Club) 1841. xlviij. 



