41G 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I May 22, 1873. 



our collections than tbe previously-named kinds, and deserves 

 the attention of all growers of these plants, because no more 

 elegant flower can be used for the decoration of a lady's hair 

 at a ball or party than its lovely snow-white blossoms, which 

 are produced during midwinter. Moreover, the scape is double- 

 Howered, and if the top is noi cut off more blooms will push 

 out, after the style of Oncidium Papilio. Native of Columbia. 

 — ExPERTo Crede. 



COBYNOCARPUS LAEVIGATA. 



(Preliminary Notes on the Isolation of the Bitter Subetanee of the Nut of 

 the Karaica Tree (0. laivicatal. By W. Skey, Analyst to the tleolo^'ical 

 Survey uf Xew Zealand. Head before the Wellingtuu Philosopliical Society, 

 1st .July, 1H71.) 



A VERY interesting as well as a most important investigation 

 in any country, whether for toxioological or for scientific pur- 

 poses generally, is that which has for its object the identifi- 

 cation and examination of the particular principle to which is 

 due those poisonous or other marked efi'ects which may have 

 been observed on the administration of certain of its plants or 

 herbs, or parts of them, to the animal system. 



But especially is this the case in the country we are now 

 settling, the character of its flora being in certain respects 

 pecuUar, and in many cases greatly divergent from that of any 

 other country we are yet acquainted with. Any addition, 

 therefore, from such a quarter to the number of active prin- 

 ciples recognised can hardly fail to be of value, as enabling us 

 to attain to a more comprehensive view of the whole subject 

 of vegetable medicinals or poisons, the manner of their associ- 

 ation with other principles or with particular orders or parts 

 of plants, and, lastly, the mode in which they operate in pro- 

 ducing their individual effects ; while there is, besides, the 

 chance that any principle so isolated and identified may be 

 more useful medicinally, and more readOy adoainistered when 

 separated from the plant. 



Altogether the subject appears to be one eminently worthy 

 ot careful attention, and I have therefore from time to time 

 examined many of those plants which have come the more 

 prominently under notice by reason of their acknowledged 

 potency in respect of the characters stated. 



The last subject of these investigations has been the kernel 

 of the fruit of the Karaka tree, which, as is pretty well known, 

 is extremely poisonous to man if taken in an unprepared state ; 

 and though I have not yet completed it, sufficient knowledge 

 has, I think, been arrived at to render a statement of the 

 results so far obtained interesting. 



Not having personal acquaintance with the mode in which 

 the Karaka berry is prepared as food by the natives, nor of its 

 action as a poison, I am indebted to Mr. W. Colenso, F.L.S., 

 for the following accurate information. 



" 1. Preparation as food. — The kernels were prepared for 

 food thus : In the autumn a large party would go to the Karaka 

 woods on the seacoast, which were mostly rigidly preserved 

 (tabooed), to gather the fruit. This was generally done by 

 beating them down with a long pole (hence the term Ka hacre 

 Ixi te ta Karaka — the verb ta, to hit or strike sharp, short, 

 sudden blows with a stick ; the same verb is used in speaking 

 of the operation of tattooing) : after which they gather them 

 up into baskets. In or near the adjoining beach large pits 

 were dug for eirth-oveus, into which, when ready, the Karakas 

 were poured, and the earth banked-up in the usual way. These 

 ovens were left several hours before they were opened — gene- 

 rally till the next day, or even longer, when the Karakas were 

 taken out, put in baskets, laced up, and placed under water, 

 often at the mouth of some neighbouring stream or quasi- 

 lagoon, where also they remained some time (I believe a day or 

 two at least), for the double purpose of destroying all remains 

 of the poisonous quality, and for the loosening and getting rid 

 of the skin and flesh (sarcocarp) ot the fruit ; when they were 

 washed clean by knocking them about pretty roughly to rid 

 them of the outer skin, &c., taken out, spread in the sun on 

 mats and stage?, and carefully dried ; and when quite dry again 

 put up in new baskets for winter use, for feasts, for distin- 

 guished visitors, and for gifts to friendly chiefs and tribes 

 residing inland. 



" As the same Karaka woods did not bear alike plentifully 

 every year, the years of barrenness were to the tribe seasons 

 of calamity and want, the Karaka being one of their staple 

 vegetable articles of food. 



" 2. The symptoms attending cases of poisoning through 

 eating the raw kernel were violent spasms and convulsions of 

 the whole body, in which paroxysms the arms and legs were 



stretched violently and rigidly out, accompanied by great flush- 

 ings of heat, protrusion of the eyes and tongue, and gnashing 

 of the jaws, but unattended by vomiting — very different in 

 appearance and result from the bite of the poisonous spider 

 katipo, of which I have also seen and attended several cases, 

 which are of a much more mild type and never fatal. I mention 

 this, as both were likely to be caused in the same locality (near 

 the uninhabited seashore), and season, and at first by a tyro 

 might be mistaken. Unless speedily attended to, the poison- 

 ing by Karaka proved fatal ; and even in those few cases in 

 which I have known natives to recover, very likely it was more 

 owing to the small quantity of the poison received into the 

 system than to the means used as internal remedies. As the 

 sufferers were invariably little children, they were more easily 

 dealt with ; and to prevent the limbs becoming distorted or 

 stretched and rigid, a pit was quickly dug, into which the child 

 was placed in a standing posture, with its arms and legs bound 

 in their natural position, and the mouth gagged with a bit of 

 wood to prevent the sufferer biting its own tongue ; and there 

 the child was left, buried up to its chin, until the crisis had 

 passed by. Sometimes it was also plunged repeatedly into the 

 sea before being pitted. Fortunately the cases of Karaka 

 poisoning were but few, owing, no doubt, to the hard texture 

 and disagreeable taste of the Karaka kernel in its raw state ; 

 very much fewer than those arising from the eating of the 

 sweet fruit of the Tutu (Coriaria), which latter, however, were 

 more easily managed by the natives. 



" The writer well recollects having seen at Wangarei (Bream 

 Bay), in the years 1830 9, a fine healthy youth about twelve 

 years of age who had been recovered from poisoning by Karaka 

 kernels. He, however, had not been properly attended to as 

 to the tying of his limbs in their right position while under 

 the influence of the poison, and he was therefore now a curious 

 spectacle, reminding one of the instrument called a caltrops 

 more than anything else. One leg was curved up behind to 

 his loins, and the other bent up in front with the foot out- 

 wards ; one arm inclined behind his shoulder, and the other 

 sUghtly bent and extended forwards, and all, as to muscles, 

 inflexibly rigid. He could do nothing — not even turn himself 

 as he lay, nor even drive off the sand flies, which were there 

 in legions, from feasting on his naked body, nor scratch himself 

 when itching, nor put any food to his mouth. He was the 

 only child of his parents, who, fortunately for him, were both 

 alive, and took great care of him, turning and shifting his 

 position very often by day and night, as, from his body not 

 evenly resting, he could not possibly remain long in one 

 position. When not asleep he was laughing, if not eating, and 

 greatly enjoyed his being so placed that he could see the chil- 

 dren at play, in which he always encouraged them by his voice, 

 often seeming the merriest of the village. I frequently sat by 

 his side during my visits to talk with him and drive away the 

 tormenting sand flies, which he would beg me to do. His 

 skin was remarkably fine and ruddy — I might call it pretty — 

 being wholly without eruption, blemish, or scar ; his teeth 

 pearly white, and voice and laugh regularly strong, hearty, 

 and ringing. His eyes were very brilliant and of an intelligent 

 cast, but in conversing with him I always thought his intellect 

 was not sharp, or developed, as ordinarily that of Maori boys 

 of his age." 



This interesting account discloses the fearful nature of the 

 poison of the Karaka nut, and also that the Maories employ 

 two distinct processes — baking and washing, in their mode of 

 preparation of this article for food ; but it cannot be gathered 

 therefrom whether both processes are necessary for the removal 

 of the poison from the kernel, and if not, which is the essential 

 one. 



It will be noticed that the kernel only is spoken of as being 

 poisonous, the fruit which surrounds it in its natural and 

 ripened state being, as is well known, wholesome and pleasant, 

 though not poiverfully flavoured. In pursuance of my object, 

 therefore, I gathered a quantity of the kernels from which the 

 fruit had completely rotted off, and after removing the woody 

 husk I bruised them very finely, and put ]>art to bake at a 

 temperature of 212' for four hours, when it appeared their 

 bitter flavour was destroyed. The other part I steeped in suc- 

 cessive quantities of cold water for two days. The steep-water 

 separated from the bruised nut contained a great variety of 

 substances, those positively identified therein being approxi- 

 mately in the order of their relative abundance as follows — 

 Vegetable albumen (emulsin), casein (legumin), grape sugar, 

 gum, a bitter substance, and a tasteless essential oil, which 

 latter floated in greater part on its surface. The solid insoluble 



