746 CASSAVA 



the middle. Mr. Smart observes (Trans. Soc. of Arts, vol. xlvii.) that in staves cut 

 whilst straight, the edges become chamfered at the same angle throughout, which 

 although theoretically wrong is sufficiently near for practice ; the error is avoided 

 when the staves are cut whilst bent to their true curvature. 



The necessary flexibility which is required for bending the staves of casks is 

 obtained by steaming them in suitable vessels in contact vith rigid moulds. By 

 Taylor's patent machinery for making casks, the blocks intended for the staves are 

 cut out of white Canada oak, to the size of thirty inches by five, and smaller. They 

 are well steamed and then sliced into pieces one-half or five-eighths of an inch thick, 

 at the rate of 200 a minute, by a process far more rapid and economical than sawing, 

 the instrument being a revolving iron plate, of 12 or 14 feet diameter, with two 

 radial knives arranged somewhat like the irons of an ordinary plane or spoke- 

 shave. 



CASSAREEP or CASSIREEPE. The concentrated juice of the roots of the 

 bitter cassava, flavoured by aromatics. It is used to flavour soups, and other dishes, 

 and is the basis of the West-Indian dish pepper-pot. In French Guiana, the term 

 cabion is applied to a similar condiment. Pereira. 



CASSAVA. (Cassave, Fr. ; Cassava, Ger.) Cassava, or Cassada Meal, are 

 names given to the starch of the root of the Manihot utttissima, prepared, in the fol- 

 lowing manner, in the West Indies, the tropical regions of America, and upon the 

 African coast. The tree belongs to the natural family of the EuphorbiaceeB. 



The roots are washed, and reduced to a pulp by means of a rasp or grater. The pulp 

 is put into coarse strong canvas bags, and thus submitted to the action of a powerful 

 press, by which it parts with most of its noxious juice (used by the Indians for poisoning 

 the barbs of their arrows). As the active principle of this juice is volatile, it is easily 

 dissipated by baking the squeezed cakes of pulp upon a plate of hot iron. Fifty pounds 

 of the fresh juice, when distilled, afford, at first, 3 ounces of a poisonous water, pos- 

 sessing an intolerable offensive smell ; of which 35 drops being administered to a slave 

 convicted of the crime of poisoning, caused his death in the course of 6 minutes, amid 

 horrible convulsions. 1 



The pulp, dried in the manner above described, concretes into lumps, which become 

 hard and friable as they cool. They are then broken into pieces, and laid out in the 

 sun to dry. In this state they afford a wholesome nutriment, and are habitually used 

 as such by the negroes, as also by many white people. These cakes constitute 

 the only provisions laid in by the natives, in their voyages upon the Amazon. Boiled 

 in water with a little beef or mutton, they form a kind of soup similar to that of rice. 



The Cassava cakes sent to Europe are composed almost entirely of starch, along 

 with a few fibres of the ligneous matter. It may be purified by diffusion through warm 

 water, passing the milky mixture through a linen cloth, and evaporating the strained 

 liquid over the fire, with constant agitation. The starch, dissolved by the heat, 

 thickens as the water evaporates, but, on being stirred, it becomes granulated, and 

 must be finally dried in a proper stove. Its specific gravity is 1'530 that of the 

 other species of starch. 



The product obtained by this treatment is known in commerce under the name of 

 tapioca ; and, being starch very nearly pure, is often prescribed by physicians as an 

 aliment of easy digestion. A tolerably good imitation of it is made by heating, stirring, 

 and drying potato-starch in a similar way. 



The expressed juice of the root of manioc contains in suspension a very fine fecula, 

 which it deposits slowly upon the bottom of the vessels. When freed by decantation 

 from the supernatant liquor, washed several times and dried, it forms a beautiful 

 starch, which creaks on pressure with the fingers. It is called cipipa in French Guiana ; 

 it is employed for many delicate articles of cookery, especially pastry, as also for hair- 

 powder, starching linen, &c. This is imported into England from Eio Janeiro as 

 Brazilian arrowroot. 



Cassava flour, as imported, may be distinguished from arrowroot and other kinds 

 of starch by the appearance of its particles viewed in a microscope. They are spherical, 

 all about y^jth of an inch in diameter, and associated in groups ; those of potato- 

 starch are irregular ellipsoids, varying in size from ^_th to g^th of an inch ; those 

 of arrowroot have the same shape nearly, but vary in size from g^th to g^th of an 

 inch ; those of wheat are separate spheres, ygkoth of an inch. 



The empirical formula of Cassava starch is, C 12 H 10 10 (CH 10 O 5 ), like the other 

 starches. 



Cassava has for some years been imported into France, from Martinique, as la mous- 

 sacke and la cipipa. See TAPIOCA. 



1 Memoir of Dr. Fermin, communicated to the Academy of Berlin, concerning experiments made 

 at Cayenne, upon the jnice of the Manioc. 



