122 NAT. ORDER. MVRISTICACEiE. 



Penang, and many other parts of the East Indies ; it has also been 

 introduced into the Isle of France and Bourbon, the French colony 

 of Cayenne, and some of the West India Islands. It commences 

 to flower about the eighth or ninth year, after which it continues in 

 blossom, and bears fruit of all ages at the same time, which is said 

 to continue without intermission for seventy or eighty years, and 

 the leaves fall in so small a proportion that their loss is almost insen- 

 sible. 



By distillation with water nutmegs yield nearly one third of 

 their weight of a limped essential oil, which is very fragrant, and 

 of a pale straw color, possessing all the properties of the nutmec;; a 

 fatty substance floats on the surface of the water, which has scarcely 

 any taste or smell. Alcohol by infusion extracts all its active pro- 

 perties. 



Medical Properties mid Uses. Nutmeg is an aromatic, to most 

 persons of a grateful odor and taste. By its volatile parts it is a 

 medicine of considerable power, possessing all the virtues of the 

 other aromatics, both with respect to the alimentary canal, and to 

 the whole system. Given in large doses it proves a powerful nar- 

 cotic, from two to three drachms of the powdered nutmeg has in 

 many instances been known to produce stupor, delerium, and dan- 

 gerous if not fatal consequences would follow its free use. Dr. 

 Cullen mentions a case where he was an eye witness, of a person 

 who by mistake took two drachms of the powdered nutmeg; "he 

 felt it warm in his stomach without any uneasiness, but in about an 

 hour after, he was seized with a drowsiness, which gradually 

 increased to a complete stupor and insensibility; he soon fell from 

 his chair on the floor ; being laid in bed he fell asleep, but on wak- 

 ing was quite delerious, and thus continued alternately sleeping and 

 delerious, for several hours together, after which he recovered." It 

 is employed to cover the taste, or correct the operation of other 

 medicines, but more frequently as an agreeable addition to farina- 

 ceous articles of diet, and to various kinds of drink. 



