242 THE ORDEAL BEAN OF CALABAR. 
it is produced. Dr. Christison states upon the authority of the Rev. 
H. M. Waddell of Old Calabar, that “ the plant is everywhere destroyed 
by order of the King, except when it is preserved for supplying the 
wants of justice,—and that the only store of seeds is in the King’s 
custody.” Whether this remains to be the fact, I know not; but Mr. 
Gustav Mann, Collector to the Royal Gardens, Kew, to whom T wrote 
some time ago requesting a* supply of the beans, remarked in a letter 
under date November 24, 1861, that he had been able to procure but 
few, “as the people do not like to give them to Europeans. There is 
no reason, however, to suppose that this reluctance will continue if a 
good money-value become attached to them.” pec 
Some difficulties have occurred in devising a preparation of the 
Calabar Bean which should be conveniently applicable to the eye. 
These difficulties have arisen from the fact that the alcoholic extract 
which contains the whole of the poisonous principle of the bean - 
only be imperfectly dissolved in water, and that its alcoholic solution 1$ 
inadmissible. There is also another difficulty which occurs with all 
liquids that are required to be dropped into the eye, and that is, that 
the flow of tears which instantly follows such an application greatly re- 
duces the amount placed in contact with the membrane,—or at any rate 
renders it very uncertain. 4 
These considerations have suggested other expedients for applying 
the remedy, one of which is to use the extraet by itself; another is to 
employ it diffused through paper, after the manner recommended by 
Mr. J. F. Streatfeild for the application of atropine ;* and a third is to 
use a solution of the extract in glycerine. Each of these methods has 
j 
certain advantages. The extract, which is prepared by exhausting the E 
finely powdered bean with alcohol sp. gr. ‘838 and evaporating 
solution, is not a homogeneous body, but contains a small amount of 
greenish fatty oil which separates as the solution is concentrated. we 
action upon the eye is rapid and powerful. The best means of using 
is to moisten a camel’s hair pencil with water and then with its tip ii 
rub off a minute quantity of extract and apply it to the palpebral con 
junctiva of the lower lid :—so applied, its specific action ensues in s 
course of a few minutes. This method of the direct application of 3! 
extract would probably be hardly advisable in any other tham PP" — 
fessional hands. 
* Ophthalmie Hospital Report, Jan. - 310; also Pharm. Journ. 
1803, p. 329. p port, Jan. 1862, p. 310; also 
i 
Jan. 
H 
