392 ANACARDIACEEE. 
application of hot oil. Like the oil of the cashew-nut, this 
oil appears to have a much less injurious effect than would be 
expected, when administered internally. 
Toxicology.—The marking-nut is seldom if ever given as a 
poison internally, but is used as a local irritant to procure 
abortion, often causing much injury to the uterus and vagina; 
a case of this kind is recorded by Chevers and another by 
Burton Brown. In Bombay acase has been reported in which 
the juice was used to cause hurt toa wife by disfiguring her 
face, and Dr. Gray has observed a case in which the nut was | 
introduced into the vagina asa punishment. Marking-nuts 
have also been used by malingerers to produce ophthalmia and - 
skin eruptions, 
Description.—The marking-nut is well described by the 
Arabs as resembling the heart of an animal, the torus repre~ 
senting the auricles, and the fruit the ventricles; in the dry 
commercial article the torus is seldom present, and the fruit 
is of the size and shape ofa broad bean, of a black colour, and 
quite hard and dry externally, but upon breaking the outer 
skin with a knife, the central cellular portion of the pericarp 
will be found full of a brown oily acrid juice ; inside the peri- 
carp isathin shell conforming to it, and containing a large flat 
kernel, which has no acrid properties. ‘he root-bark is very 
thick, and contains a large quantity of acrid juice similar to that 
found in the pericarp ; it dries into a black varnish. 
Chemical composition—The almonds contain a small quan- 
tity of sweet oil; thepericarp contains 32 percent. of a vesicating 
oil of specific gravity “991, easily soluble in ether, and black- 
ening On exposure to die air. It is similar to that of Ana- ~ 
cardium occidentale, but Basiner (1881) found that it dissolves 
in potassa with a green colour, and its alcoholic solution tarns 
black with basic lead acetate. The fruit yields 2°14 per cent. 
of ash. ( Warnecke.) 
 Commerce.—Marking-nuts come from various parts of the 
- eeenty: Value, se tol Pee. me) Surat ‘maund of ah Ibs. 
ie es 
