24 THE MANGO IN PORTO RICO. 



it is known as amchur or amhckur, and is an extensive article of diet 

 in India. 



The dried and powdered ls;ernel of the seed is a vakiable astringent, 

 extensively used in eases of diarrhea and dysentery. One-half of a 

 kernel taken in the morning and the same dose repeated in the evening 

 are said to cure the most obstinate case inside of live days. 



The unripe fruit roasted and made into a sherbet is taken by the 

 natives of India to prevent sunstroke; the pulp is also rubbed over 

 the bodj^ for the same purpose. 



An extract of the bark or rind is highly recommended for its extra- 

 ordinary action in cases of hemorrhage. 



DYE, TAN, AND PIGMENT. 



In some parts of India'* the leaves of the mango are used to produce 

 a yellow dye, as is also the bark, which is frequently mixed with that 

 of other trees, among which are mentioned the pomegranate and a spe- 

 cies of Bauhinia. With the bark of some trees it yields a permanent 

 black. The juice of the bark mixed with lime is said to produce a 

 fleeting green d3^e, while the addition of tumeric to the above mixture 

 gives a bright rose-pink. 



The dry, unripe fruit is extensively used as a mordant, especially in 

 dyeing with safflower. 



The bark and even the leaves are used as a tanning material, one 

 sample of the bark jaelding, on analysis, 16.7 per cent tannin. 



Piuri, or Indian 3^ellow, a coloring matter used in water colors and 

 for painting houses in India, is indirectly the product of the mango. 

 Before August, 1883, the source of this Indian coloring matter was 

 unknown. At that time F. N. Mukhargi, at the request of Sir Joseph 

 Hooker, made a trip to Monghyr, where the dye is produced, and 

 found that it was obtained from the urine of cows fed on mango 

 leaves. His letter is published in No. 39 of the Kew bulletins. Mr. 

 Mukhargi states that the cows utilized for this purpose are kept exclu- 

 sively on a diet of mango leaves and water, which increases the bile 

 pigments and imparts to the urine a light-yellow color. The cows 

 thus treated are made to pass urine three or four times a da}^ by hav- 

 ing the urinar}' organ rubbed, and soon lose the ability to urinate vol- 

 untarily. The urine is heated and the yellow precipitate is strained 

 out andL made into balls, dried on charcoal fires and in the sun, when 

 it is read}^ for market. The price paid by the dealers is about 40 

 cents per pound. About 2 ounces a day is obtained from an average 

 cow. 



An exclusive diet of mango leaves is said to be injurious to the cows, 

 and to keep up their strength the animals are now and then allowed 

 grass or other fodder, which, however, reduces the proportion of the 

 coloring matter. 



"Watt's Dictionary of the Economic Products of India, Vol. V, p. 152. 



