VII 



'-' The plant is of some interest not only from its being 



largely employed in what are called West India Pickles, 

 together with ripe and unripe capsicums and slices of the 

 fruit and portion of the exflorescense of the Papaw; 

 besides being ascertained at Paris to be a useful vegetable 

 when dressed before the integuments of the seeds have 

 become hardened, but also from being the representative 

 in the Antilles of an African form of the Genus." 



A very serious accident happened at the Asylum of the 

 " Dames de Bon Secours." Several of the young inmates 

 were poisoned after having eaten a vegetable commonly 

 known under the name of "Pois d'Achery/' Some reco- 

 vered after intense sufferings, but others were unable to 

 resist the effects of the poison. 



Great excitement was caused throughout the town by 

 this case of poisoning, not the first occasioned by the 

 '' Pois d'Achery," The Royal Society, sharing the serious 

 anxiety of the public, appointed a Committee to report on 

 this subject. 



The Committee consisting of all the members of the 

 medical profession, belonging to the Society, and of the 

 Secretary applied for information from planters, gardeners 

 and others. Numerous specimens of the ' Pois d'Achery ' 

 were obtained from various parts of the Island, accom- 

 panied with detailed notes on their uses and their pro- 

 perties. 



The Secretary also communicated with the members of 

 the Medical profession at Reunion, who are correspond- 

 ing members of our Society. The observations relative to 

 the plant, the cases of poisoning by it under certain cir- 

 cumstances, when at others it was perfectly innocuous, 

 all attested by persons worthy of credit, are very peculiar, 

 and present characteristics both curious and exceptional. 



The plant which has been known in Mauritius for more 

 than a century, was introduced by a planter of the name 



