MONOCHLAMYDE^. 631 



fuge, and astringent. Several have edible fruits, and many 

 yield valuable timber. 



AcrodicUdium Gamara yields the false nutmeg, which is called in Guiana 

 the Ackawa or Cainara Nutmeg. Its use is similar to that of the other 

 false nutmegs derived from plants of this order. (See Agathophyllum and 

 Cryptocainja.) 



Agathophyllum aromaticum yields a kind of false nutmeg, which is the 

 Clove-Nutmeg of Madagascar or Ratensara nut. It is used as a spice. 



Camphora officinarum, the Camphor tree, is a native of China, Japan, 

 and Cochin China, and has been introduced into Java. Camphor is obtained 

 by boiling pieces of the roots, wood, and branches of the tree in water until 

 the camphor begins to adhere to the stirring-rod, the liquid is then strained 

 and allowed to stand till the camphor concretes, after which it is sublimed, 

 and the camphor which is thus obtained is termed crude camphor, in which 

 condition it is exported to Europe, &c., where it is afterwards purified by 

 subliming again with a certain amount of lime, after which process it is 

 called refined camphor. Camphor is a, stearoptene or solid volatile oil. This 

 kind of camphor is commonly distinguished from other camphors by the 

 name of Laurel, Common, or Officinal camphor (see Dryobalanops, p. 46-5). 

 In pi'oper doses, camphor produces exhilarating and anodyne effects, for 

 which purposes it is principally employed in medicine. In large doses it is 

 narcotic and poisonous. 



Cinnamomum,—Gi\ixia.vaon, which is so much employed as a condiment, 

 and medicinally as a cordial, stimulant, tonic, astringent, carminative, anti- 

 spasmodic, and as an adjimct to other medicmes, is the inner bark of C. 

 zeylanicum. The best comes fi-om Cejion. It owes its properties essentially 

 to the presence of a volatile oil. This volatile oil is the oil of cinnamon 

 of commerce. A concrete fatty substance is obtained in Ceylon by ex- 

 pression from the ripe fruits, which is called Cinnamon Suet. Royle sup- 

 poses this to be the Comacum of Theophrastus. From the leaves of the 

 Cinnamon tree a volatile oil is also distilled in Ceylon. It has an analogous 

 odour and taste to that of oil of cloves. The Cinnamon tree is the Kinnemon 

 or Kinman of the Bible. C. Cassia of Blume, C. aromaticum of Nees, a 

 native of China, yields Cassia-lignea or the Cassia bark of commerce ; this 

 possesses analogous properties to Cinnamon, and like that bark yields by 

 distillation a volatile oil, called 0/7 of Cassia, to the px-esence of which its 

 properties are essentially due. Cassia-buds of commerce, which are brought 

 from China and occasionaUy used as a condiment and in medicine, are 

 reputed to be the flower-buds of the same plant. C. dulce, C, Loureiri, and 

 C. iners have also been mentioned as the source from whence they are 

 derived. Cassia-.buds possess somewhat similar properties to Cassia lignea. 

 The Cassia tree is the Kiddah or Cassia of the Bible. The inner bark of 

 C. iners is vei-y similar in its nature and properties to that of Cassia bark. 

 The bark called Indian clove bark is obtained from C. Culilawan. It 

 possesses properties resembling Cassia. Sintoc bark, which has analogous 

 properties, is the produce of C. sintoc. C. nitidum (eucalyptoides) and C. 

 Tamala were probably the source of the folia malabathri of the old phar- 

 macologists, which were formerly so higlily esteemed for their stomachic 

 and suclorific properties. The roots of C. parthenoxylon and C. glanduliferum 

 resemble the officinal sassafras in their properties. The latter is the 

 " Sassafi-as of Nepal." 



Cryptocarya moschata yields a kind of false or wild nutmeg termed the 

 Brazilian Nutmeg. 



Dicypellium caryophyllatum yields Brazilian Clove-Bark or Clove Cassia 

 Bark. It is occasionaUy imported, and used for mixing with other spices. 



Laurus nobilis, the Sweet Bay, is said to be the Ezrach or Green Bay-tree 

 of the Bible. It is the classic Laurel which was used by the ancients to 

 make crowns for their heroes, hence it is frequently knoAvn as the Victor's 

 Laurel. The fruit, which was fomierly officinal, is kno\vn under the name 

 of Bay or Laurel berries. Bay berries are reputed to be aromatic, stimu- 

 lant, and narcotic, but they are very rarely used in medicine. By distilla- 

 tion with water they yield a volatile oil, commonly known as the volatile oil 



