82 COMMERCIAL BOTANY. 



on account of its ornamental appearance to all the more 

 temperate parts of Europe. The leaves, cut up and distilled 

 with water, yield a volatile oil like bitter almond oil, which 

 contains hydrocyanic acid. They are also used for making 

 cherry laurel water, and were introduced to the British 

 Pharmacopoeia for this purpose in 1839. 



CAJUPUT OIL (Melaleuca Leucadendron, var. minor). 

 This is a large myrtaceous tree, abundant and widely spread 

 in the Indian Archipelago and Malay Peninsula. The oil, 

 which is obtained from the leaves by distillation, is chiefly 

 prepared in the island of Bouro, one of the Moluccas. It 

 first made its appearance at Amsterdam about 1727, was 

 admitted to the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia in 1788, but 

 does not appear to have become an article of commerce with 

 us until 1813. It is used externally as a rubefacient 

 and occasionally given internally as a stimulant and dia- 

 phoretic. 



GASIBIER or TERRA JAPONICA (Uncaria Gambler). 

 The plant yielding this substance is a strong-growing 

 climber, belonging to the natural order Eubiacese, and 

 native of the countries bordering on the Straits of Malacca. 

 It is also grown in Ceylon. For commercial purposes plan- 

 tations were formed for its cultivation in Singapore so far 

 back as 1819, and at the present time it is grown there on a 

 very large scale. Gambier is prepared by boiling the leaves 

 and young shoots in water in an iron pan, after which the 

 decoction is evaporated to the consistence of a thin syrup, 

 when it is poured into buckets and submitted to a kind of 

 churning action, when it becomes thick, and sets into a mass 

 resembling a soft yellowish clay, which is put into square 

 boxes and cut into cubes, and dried, when it is ready for ex- 

 portation. It was first brought to notice in this country 

 about the year 1807, and is used medicinally as an astringent. 

 It is also largely used in dyeing and tanning. 



INDIAN TOBACCO (Lobelia inflata). An erect annual or 



