THALAMlFLORiE. 483 



aperient; and some are valuable timber-trees. A few of the 

 more important plants are the following : — 



Cardiospermutn Halicacabum.- The root is described as diuretic, diapho- 

 retic, and aperient. Its leaves when boiled, are eaten as a vegetable in the 

 Moluccas. 



Paullinia sorbilis. Guarana, or Brazilian Cocoa — The seeds of this plant 

 are used in Brazil in the preparation of a kind of food, and in the cure of 

 many diseases. The food is known as Guarana bread, and is prepared by 

 taking the dried seeds deprived of their aril, and pounding and kneading 

 them into a mass, which is afterwards made into oblong or rounded cakes. 

 These cakes are used in the same manner as we use cocoa and chocolate,— that 

 is, they are mixed with water, and the mixture sweetened and drank. This 

 beverage is largely consumed in Brazil, both on account of its nutritive 

 qualities, and for its stomachic, febrifugal, and aphrodisiac effects. It contains 

 a bitter crystalline principle called Guaranine, which appears to be identical 

 with theine and caffeine (see p. 476), the active principles of tea and coffee, 

 and hence, Guarana breaii has asimilar effect upon the system to that produced 

 by those two beverages. ( See Tea and Coffee.) In many species of PauUhiia, 

 the narcotic property, which is but slightly evident in P. sorbilis, is very evident. 

 Thus, the leaves, bark, and fruit of P. piymata are very dangerous, and are 

 used in the preparation of a poison by the Brazilians, which slowly but surely 

 destroys life. Martins suggests, that this poison might be efficacious in 

 hydrophobia and insanity. P. cururu and P. australis have similar poisonous 

 properties. 



Sapindus Saponaria, — The fruits of this species, as well as those of S. irue- 

 qualis and others, contain a saponaceous principle, so that when mixed with 

 water, they form an abundant lather ; hence they are used in the West Indies 

 instead of soap. It is said, that " a few of them will cleanse more linen than 

 sixty times their weight of soap." These plants also contain a narcotico acrid 

 principle, as the pounded fruits when thrown into water in which fish are 

 contained, will produce upon them a kind of intoxication. The pericarp of 

 S. senegalensis, is eaten, but tlie seeds act as a narcotico-acrid poison. The 

 fruit of Sapindus esculcntus and others are also edible. 



Schmidelia serraia has an astringent root, which has been used in India 

 for diarrhoea. 



Cupania (Blighia) sapida, — The distilled water of the flowers is used by 

 negro-women as a cosmetic. The succulent, slightly acid arillus of the seeds 

 is eaten, and much esteemed in the West Indies and elsewhere. The fruit in 

 which the seeds are contained is commonly known under the name of the 

 Akee-fruit. A decoction of these has be'-n used in diarrhoea. 



Nep/ieiiuvt {Euphoria). — This genus yields the delicious fruits of China and 

 the Indian Archipelago, known under the names of Litchi, Longan, and Ram- 

 butan. Nephelium i/fcA2 produces the Litchi; iV. Longan, the Longan-. 

 and NepheliuTU Ranibutan, the Rambutan-fruit. A few of the Litchi fruits 

 are occasionally imported. It should be noticed, that the seeds of all these 

 fruits are very bitter, and are probably poisonous. 



jEscuIus Hippocastanum. The Horse-chestnut. — The bark is febrifugal. 

 Its young leaves are somewhat aromatic, and Endlicher says that they have been 

 used as a substitute for Hops. The seeds have been long employed as an excel- 

 lent food for sheep in Switzerland, and have been also recommended as a sub- 

 stitute for Coffee. They also contain a saponaceou.s principle like the fruits of 

 certain species of Sapindus, already noticed. They contain, moreover, a large 

 quantity of starch, and they are now much used in France, instead of potatoes 

 and cereals, for the production of that substance. This must be regarded as 

 a most important application of a seed hitherto generally considered in most 

 parts ot Euiope as useless, as by its employment m the manufacture of starch, 

 a large amount of food will be rendered available from potatoes and cereals, 

 which was formerly lost to man &c., to the extent in which these substances 

 were used for that purpose. The roots, leaves, and fruits of the Msculus 

 ohiotensis, the Buck-eye or American Horse-chestnut, are generally regarded 

 as poisonous, both to man and animals. 



Di'doncea Some of the species of this genus are aromatic. The wood of 



/>. dioica is carminative. Others are reputed slightly purgative and 

 febrifugal 



Ophiocaryon paradoxum. The Snake-nut Tree of Demerara.— This is so 

 I I 2 



