croTon cascaniztaA. ORD. XXXIX. Tricocce. 631 
racter of the Croton, as the plate itself must evince: we are 
therefore under no difficulty in assigning it to that genus. Whether 
the Cascarilla then is really a Croton or a Clutia, depends upon 
the fidelity and precision with which the synonyma have been 
respectively applied.* According to Lewis, the Cortex Cascarille 
is imported into Europe “ from the Bahama islands, particularly 
from that which is called Elatheria, in curled pieces, or rolled up 
into short quills about an inch in width; covered on the outside 
with a rough whitish matter, and brownish on the inner side, 
exhibiting, when broken, a smooth close blackish brown surface. 
This bark, freed from the outer whitish coat, which is insipid and 
inodorous, has a light agreeable smell, and a moderately bitter 
taste, accompanied with a considerable aromatic warmth; it is | 
very inflammable, and yields, whilst burning, a remarkably fragrant 
smell, somewhat resembling that of musk. Its virtues are partially 
extracted by. water, and totally by rectified spirit. Distilled with 
water it yields a greenish essential oil, of a very pungent taste, 
and of a fragrant penetrating smell, more grateful than that of the 
Cascarilla itself, and obtained in the proportion of one dram from 
sixteen ounces of the bark.”’* The agreeable odour which this 
bark produces during its burning, induced many to smoke it 
mixed with tobacco,’ before it became known as a medicine in 
Europe, which was not till towards the latter end of the last 
century;_when oe ag races Sones enlonwer “StIMEE who 
found it to o be ; a power ul diuretic and carminative, and who used 
it with success in calcalous, asthmatic, phthisical, scorbutic, and 
arthritic complaints. After this it was sold at Brunswick as a 
_* Murray, Bergius, Spiclman, the Edinburgh and most of the foreign Pharm. 
make it a Croton 
* The analysis, given by Bohmer, differs from this; for which see Diss. de cort. 
cascar. p. 29. 
* When used in a considerable quantity in this way, it is said to produce 
intoxication. 
* Anno 1690. Vide Act. laborat. chym. specim. cap. 9. 
