^20 JAMAICA. 



have an agreeably bitter tafte, not unlike that of the orange-feed, 

 and would probably be found excellent medicines, if they were 

 brougiit into ufe. The wild pigeons feed on the berries, and owe 

 all that delicate, flightly-bitterifh flavour, fo peculiar to them in the 

 feafon, wholly to this part of their food. Frefh gathered, they are 

 agreeable to the palate, and fit well on the ftomach. The bark is 

 alfo richly impregnated with the fame juice as well as the wood; 

 and both yield a very pleafant bitter in the mouth, while frefti. 



The facility, with which this quality is communicated, is very 

 furprizing. An handful of the (havings, butjuft immerfed in water, 

 and inftantly taken out again, will render it of a very bitter tafte. 

 A trough happening to be made of the wood, for watering hogs, 

 it was obferved thofe animals refufed to drink at it. 



This effedl was firil: difcovered in Jamaica by a fingular accident. 

 A planter, ignorant of the property of the wood, but imagining 

 it to be very convenient for his purpofe, caufed a number of 

 hogfhead-ftaves to be made from one, and remitted his fugars to 

 England packed in the cafks. Some time afterwards, he received 

 advice from his correfpondent, that his fugars were fo intolerably 

 bitter, no perfon would buy them. At firft, he thought this piece 

 of intelligence a meer banter ; but, upon further confirmation of 

 the fa£l, he applied himfelf to difcover the caufe, and upon dili- 

 gent enquiry found it out. 



Bedfteads and prefles, made of this wood, are proof againft the 

 invafion of cockroaches, and all other infefts ; none of whom will 

 venture near it. The effluvia, emitted from it, are extremely vo- 

 latile. Carpenters and others, who are employed to work the wood, 

 perceive a bitterifh tafte in their mouths and throats. I have been 

 very fenfible of the fame effeft only from iitting a little while in a 

 roon) that was floored with it. The decodlicn is ftiid to be of 

 fervice in colics, and to create appetite. The leaves of this tree 

 refemble thofe of the Englifti afti. Browne clafles it among the 

 polyandria. 



i88. QuASSi. — StuaJJJa arbor. An Ciiharexyhn [pedes} 



The quafti, quaftiec, or Surinam bitter-wood, was firft noticed 



at Demarara, the Dutch fcttlemcnt ou the South-American con- 



5 tincnt; 



