108 COMMERCIAL BOTANY. 



OIL. The first, it is well known, is the produce of Cocoa 

 nucifera, a widely-spread tropical palm ; and the second, the 

 produce of Elceis guhieensis, a palm confined to West Africa. 

 The trade in both these oils has been largely developed since 

 1840, and is due, to a great extent, to the energy of Price's 

 Patent Candle Company, which had its beginnings some fifty 

 years or more since. For some time the oil alone was im- 

 ported, the cocoa-nut kernel being crushed in Ceylon, whence 

 the bulk came. Of late years, however, both oil and dried 

 kernel have been imported, the latter known as " copi-a," 

 whjch is submitted to pressure in this country. So rapid 

 did the utilisation of cocoa-nut oil become after the estab- 

 lishment of the company just referred to, that they turned 

 out in the month of October, 1840, twenty tons of cocoa-nut 

 candles, of the value of .1,590, and about twelve tons of 

 stearic and composite candles, valued at ,1,227. In October, 

 1855, the quantity of stearic and composite candles 

 made by the firm amounted to 707 tons, of the value 

 of 79,500. For the purpose of the general illumi- 

 nation on the occasion of Her Majesty's marriage in 

 1840, Price's Candle Company introduced a cheap candle 

 that should require no snuffing, composed of a mixture 

 of stearic acid and cocoa-nut stearine. " The public, con- 

 trary to the general opinion of the candle-dealers, proved 

 wise enough not to mind the candles being greasy, but as 

 the light was good, the candles comparatively cheap, and 

 the nuisance of having to snuff done away with, they 

 received the new composite candles with great favour, and 

 the manufacture rapidly grew." 



In the development of the PALM OIL industry from Elceia 

 guineensis a very important substance, namely GLYCERINE, 

 was discovered ; it was first used in one of the hospitals for 

 skin diseases in 1844. Its uses at the present time are 

 very numerous, and are well known. About the year 1848 

 night-lights were introduced, and in the following year the 



