30 PEDALINE^. 



reasons : — The rolls of Sesame oil plaster soften in hot weather. 

 The plaster has a disagreeable odour. It darkens in colour 

 when kept for any time. For liniments and ointments, except 

 Ung. Hydr. Nitratis, it appears to be a perfectly satisfactory 

 substitute for olive oil. F. H. Alcock {Pharm.. Jotirn. [3], xv., 

 282) recommends its use in making Lin. Ammonite B. P. Sesame 

 or Benne leaves, preferably in the fresh state, are much used 

 in America as a demulcent in disorders of the bowels ; they 

 yield an abundant mucilage. 



Description.' — Annual, 2 to 3 feet; leaves opposite or 

 upper ones alternate, ovate, oblong or lanceolate, the lower odos 

 often 3-lobed, or 3 -divided, feather-nerved ; at the base of the 

 peduncles are remarkable yellow glands ; flowers solitary in the 

 axils, resembling those of the fox-glove, from dirty white to 

 rose-coloured, capsule velvetty and pubescent, mucronate, at 

 first 2-celled, afterwards 4-celled; seeds numerous, without 



wings, ovoid, flat, white, brown, or black, rather smaller than 

 linseed. 



Chemical composition. —The following table shows the relative 

 composition of the brown or Levantine, and yellowish or Indian, 

 seeds : — 



Levantine. Indian. 



Oil , 55-63 50-84 



Organic matter 30-95 35-25 



Ash 7*52 6-85 



Water 3.9O 706 



the albuminoids being equal to 21-42 and 22-30 per cent, 

 respectively in the two varieties. 



In the manufacture of the oil the seeds are generally 

 pressed three times: twice cold and the third time warm. In 

 Calcutta, where the seeds are only pressed twice, the average 



yield is 



Ut pressing of fine oil 36 per cent. 



2iid. ^ /, ordinary oil H 



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