280 EUPHORBIACE^. [Diclinous Exogens. 



Tiglium, and Pavaua, two East Indian trees, whose seeds were formerly called Grana 

 molueca, stand at the head of this class of medicines ; their oil is so acrid as to bUster the 

 skin, and it will even act when externally applied to the abdomen. Next to these comes 

 Ricinus communis, the castor oil plant, an annual in Europe, a tree in Africa, conspi- 

 cuous with its broad palmate leaves, which have given it the name of Palma Christi, 

 and spmy capsules, whose use is traceable into remote antiquity, under the name of 

 Semma cataputise majoris ; it is fomid that the albumen of this plant has httle activity, 

 but that the viinilence resides mainly in the embryo and seed-coats ; so that the 

 acti\nty of the oil will depend upon the amount of pressure, «&c. to which the seeds may 

 have been subjected ; when long boiled then* oil is found poisonous. In hke manner 

 the seeds of Omphalea are said to be eatable if the embryo is extracted, but if this is 

 not done, to be too cathartic for food. Mr. W. Macleay calls this nut " most delicious 

 and wholesome," and speaks of it as the Cobnut or Hognut of Jamaica. Similar qua- 

 lities reside in the seeds of Hura crepitans, the Sand Box tree, and Curcas pm'gans 

 ( Jatropha purgans, Z.) ; the latter plant is remarkable for the fierce acridity of its seeds, 

 which are commonly called Piu'ging-nuts. An expressed oil is obtained from them, 

 which is reckoned a valuable external application in itch and herpes ; it is also used, a 

 little diluted, in chronic rheumatism. The varnish used by the Chinese for covering 

 boxes is made by boiling this oil with oxide of iron. The leaves are considered as rube- 

 facient and discutient ; the milky juice is supposed to have a detergent and healing 

 quality, and dyes hnen black. In hke manner Curcas multifidus produces a purgative 

 oil called Pinlioen, under which name it reaches Europe from South America. From 

 the seeds of Jatropha glauca the Hindoos prepare, by careful expression, an oil which, 

 from its stimulating quahty, they recommend as an external application in cases of 

 chronic rheumatism and paralytic affections. Euphorbia Lathyris, called in English 

 gardens the Caper-bush, to which it has no resemblance, was one of the plants which 

 Charlemagne in his Capitularies commanded to be cultivated in aU monastic gardens, for 

 the sake of its purgative seeds, which were called Semina Cataputiae minoris ; they are 

 acrid hke Tiglium, and not mild hke those of Ricinus. The capsules of this plant are 

 I'eported to intoxicate fish. Euphorbia hibernica is extensively used by the peasantry of 

 Kerry for poisoning, or rather stupefying fish, in the same manner as the exotic E. jjis- 

 catoria. So powerful are its quahties that a small creel or basket, filled with the bruised 

 plant, suffices to poison the fish for sevei-al miles dowaa a river. — Hooker, Brit. Fl. ed. 4. p. 

 326. The Anda of Brazil is famous for the purgative qualities of its seeds, which are called 

 Purga da Paulistas, and are fully as powerful as those of the Palma Christi. The Bra- 

 zihans make use of them in cases of indigestion, in liver complaints, the j aim dice, and 

 dropsy. The bark, roasted on the fire, passes as a certain remedy for diarrhoea brought 

 on by cold. Accordmg to Marcgraaf, the fresh bark steeped in water communicates to 

 it a narcotic property which is sufficient to stupefy fish. The seeds are either eaten raw, 

 or are prepared as an electuary ; they yield an oil, which is said by M. Auguste de 

 St. Hilau'e to be drying and excellent for painting ; in short, much better than nut oil. 

 The Cape colonists collect the fruit of Hysenanche globosa, an anomalous plant of this 

 Order, and kill hysenas with mutton nibbed with the powder. The seeds of Stillingia 

 sebifera, a Chinese tree, common in most tropical countries, are enveloped in a fatty 

 matter, from which candles are prepared ; a mild oil is also fui'nished by them. Two 

 species of Eleeococca, the one E. verrucosa from Japan, the other E. vernicia from 

 China, furnish oil by pressure of their seeds ; the former for bm'iung, the latter for 

 painters' work ; both too acrid to be used as food. 



Nevertheless, some have an eatable fruit ; that of Anda and Omphalea has been ah-eady 

 mentioned, Aleurites triloba, a Molucca tree, has much reputation for its nuts, which 

 are reported to be aphrodisiac ; and the seeds of Couceveiba guianensis are said to be 

 dehcious. The succulent fruit of Cicca disticha and racemosa is sub-acid, coolmg, and 

 wholesome ; its leaves are sudorific, and its seeds cathartic. The capsules of Cluytia 

 collina are poisonous, according to Roxbm-gh. Emblica officinahs also, has an acrid fruit, 

 which in India is made mto a pickle ; when ripe and dry it is astringent, and has been 

 employed, under the name of Myrobalani Embhci, agamst diarrhoea, dysentery, and 

 cholera. 



It is not a httle remarkable, that here, as m so many other cases, we should find m 

 a very dangerous Natural Order such an abundant secretion of starch as renders certain 

 species useiul for food when the acrid matter is removed. This is most especially the 

 case with the Mandioc plant, Manihot utihssima, Polil, (Jatropha manihot, Z ,) a shrub 

 about 8 feet high, extensively cultivated for food aU over the tropical parts of the world. 

 Of this plant the large root, weighing as much as 301bs., is full of venomous juice, which 

 if taken mternally produces death. The roots are rasped, the pulp well bruised, and 

 then thoroughly washed, after which the mark is placed on iron plates to be heated. 

 Jn this Avay the venom is washed out or driven off", and the residue becomes Cassava. 



