jiz JAMAICA. 



The inward fpongy fubftance of the decayed ftalk takes fire very 

 readily when quite dry ; and, for this quality, is often ufed by fiflier- 

 men, and others, inftead of tinder. 



The Indians, on the South American continent, feparate the fibres of 

 the leaves, by bruifing and fteeping them for fome time in water, and 

 afterwards "beating them till they are entirely difen tangled .; thefe fibres 

 make an excellent flrong thread for their common ufes, of clothing, 

 fifhing lines, and nets, &c. 



The crude juice, mixed with fugar, has been adminillered inter- 

 nally, for provoking the menfes ; it is a great diuretic, and cleanfer of 

 the gravel and ftone. 



The infpifikted juice, or extraft, well boiled, and fpread upon lea- 

 ther, or white paper, may be ufed as a plaifter upon parts aflfefted with 

 the gout. At the firft application it feems to increale the pain ; for it 

 draws ftrongly a fort of dew or moifture from the part ; but in three 

 or four hours the pain ceafes ; and the part afFeded grows ftronger 

 every day, the plaifter being left till it drops off. If the extraft is 

 not well boiled, it will be apt to occafion a violent itching. 



n. Oil-nut-tree, Palma-christi, Agnus-castus. — Ricinus 



Amer'icanus. 



It is not a part of my plan, to define all the varieties of the plants 

 exhibited in this catalogue. Botanifts reckon eight fpecies of this 

 plant; I need fay only, once for all, that, for general comprehenfion, J 

 have conceived it fufficient to recite, firft, the popular names, and op- 

 pofite to them, the common general term given by botanifts. A 

 difplay of fclence is not requifite nor expedient, where the princi- 

 pal objed: has refped to the ufeful qualities of each plant, whether 

 for manufacture, food, medicine, or commerce ; defcriptions at large are 

 added where they were fuppofed abfolutely necefl[ary. The oil-nut 

 plant is now much cultivated in Jamaica ; it is raifed from the nut 

 or feed, grows with a furprizing rapidity to the height of fifteen or 

 fixteen feet, and feems to flourifti moft in gullies, or near running 

 water, in cool fhady fpots. The feeds being freed from the hufks or 

 pods (which are gathered upon their turning brown, and when be- 

 ginning to burft open), are firft bruifed in a mortar, afterwards tied 

 .up in a linen bag, and then thrown into a large pot, with a fufficient 



quantity 



