682 



LILIACE^. 



Malaya 



Its wood constituted a drug^ which was, down to 



the beginning of the present century, generally valued for use as incense, 

 but now esteemed only in the East. 



Structure of the Leaf — The stout fleshy leaves of an aloe have 

 a strong cuticle and thick-walled epidermis. Their interior substance 

 is formed of very loose, large-celled, colourless pulp, traversed by 

 vascular bundles, which, on transverse section, are seen to be accom- 

 panied by a group of large thin-walled cells" containing the bitter juice 

 which constitutes the drug under notice. These cells, on a lougitudinal 

 section, are seen to be considerably elongated, adjoining a single row of 

 smaller, prismatic, truncated cells,^ by which the former are separated 

 from the cortical layer. The prismatic cells contain a yellow juice, 

 apparently different from that which jdelds aloes. The cortical tissue 

 is filled with granules of chlorophyll, and exhibits between the cells 

 groups of needles of calcium oxalate. Similar crystals are also found 

 sparingly in the pulp. 



The transparent pulp-tissue^ is rich in mucilage, which after dilution 

 with water is precipitated by neutral acetate of lead^ but is not coagu- 

 lated by boiling. 



The amount of bitter principles in the leaf probably varies with the 

 age of the latter and with the season of the year. Haaxman mentions 

 that, in Curasao, the maximum is found when the leaves are changing 

 from green to brown. 



Cultivation and Manufacture— In Barbados,^ yvhere Aloe vulgaris 



IS systematically cultivated for the production of the drug, the plants 



are set 6 inches apart, in rows which are 1 to 1| foot asunder, the 



ground having heen carefully prepared and manured. They are kept 



"" f— ^ -T^-ass and weeds, but yams or pulse are frequently grown 



-iu. The plants are always dwarf, never in the least degree 

 arborescent ; almost all of those above a year old bear flowers, which 

 being bright yellow, have a beautiful effect. The leaves are 1-2 feet 

 long ; they are cut annually, but this does not destroy the plant, which, 

 under good cultivation, lasts for several years. 



The cutting takes place in March and April, and is performed in the 

 heat of the day. The leaves are cut off close to the plant, and placed 

 very q^i^icUy, the cut end downwards, in a V-shaped wooden trough, 

 about 4 feet long and 12 to 18 inches deep. This is set on a sharp 

 mchne so that the juice which trickles from the leaves very rapidly 

 flows down its sides, and finally escapes by a hole at its lower end into 



sel nlnnpfl l^Q»ir.r.4-i, "nt^ n . • i:„,l fo f.ne 



free from gi 

 between them 



a vessel placed beneath. No pressure of any sort is applied to the 



It takes about a quarter of an hour to cut leaves enough to hll 



.re so distributed as to be easily accessibl 



■• fifth 



leaves. 

 a trough. 



Tlie trouofhs ai 



tne cutters. Their number is generally five ; and by the time i^Q 



J 



e 



to 



■vU^v'^^V' ^'"'^'Jf^ Paper,, 1876. 263; 

 Sn ^Ic^o'^'^'"' ^'^ Frankfurter Li,te, 



llejd Levantehon.lel, ii. (1879), 559. 



Ihc cells lettered e in Bern's fitmre P 



4T ;1 I'^S'^'^^^g^figi^'-e- 

 llns central pulpy tissue is ^iulte ta,t.e. 



k>ss, ami is actually used as food m t""^^ ? 

 scarcity in some parts of India.— bteuari,, 



Punjab Plants, \^m. 2'i2. . 



5 For the particulars n\c here give re 

 specting Barbados aloes, we have cor. n a > 

 fA. +i,.,.,i, a;.. T7 "R..«-<.lif>r Clarke, unt-^ 



to thank Sir R. Bowclier Clarke, twei 

 Justice of Barbados, and also Major 

 General Munro, stationed (1874) at w 

 bados in command of troops. 



