34 



bundles, surrounded with sheet lead, or enclosed in small tin 

 boxes, and sent to market. Vanilla is an aromatic substance, 

 facilitates digestion, and is one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs, 

 if taken in a large dose. It is used by perfumers, rectifiers, and 

 distillers ; but it is principally employed in flavouring ices, 

 sherbets, bonbons, pastry, creams, and other articles of the 

 dessert, and particularly chocolate, to which it imparts a sweet- 

 ness and a beautiful delicacy, which assists in its digestion, and 

 makes it useful in restoring the gastric forces when they are im- 

 paired. It thus strengthens the stomach, intestines, and heart ; 

 gives strength and activity to the brain and the mental powers, 

 and is therefore recommended to hypochondriacs and others 

 whose intellect is impaired. It is almost constantly used by the 

 people of South America. 



It may be added in reference to Vanilla that the powerful odour 

 produced by the ripe fruit is said to have an intoxicating effect 

 upon the men employed in gathering them. 



Of the Bourbon Isle Faham, Angraecum fragrans, the leaves 

 are termed Bourbon Tea, and are said to "taste like bittei 

 almonds and smell like Tonquin beans," being employed to stimu- 

 late digestion, and in cases of pulmonary consumption. Helle- 

 borine root, Epipactis latifolia, has been employed for inflamma- 

 tion of the joints, the roots of an Himantoglossum and Spiranthes 

 autumnalis are reputed aphrodisiac, those of Gymnadenia 

 conopsea are said to be useful in dysentery, and of an Arethusa 

 for humours and toothache, of Spiranthes diuretica for purposes 

 implied by its name, of Cypripedum pubescens as an anti- 

 spasmodic, of Bletia verecunda as a stomachic, of the Putty-root, 

 Aplectrum hyemale, as a cement, the native Tasmanian potato, 

 Gastrodia sesamoides is eaten like a potato, while the juice of 

 some Catasetums, thickened by boiling, is employed in Brazil as 

 a glue. There are others which owe various qualities of a similar 

 character to the tubers, in which the most active properties of the 

 plants are contained. 



