vegetable; kingdom. 89 



CANARIUM.— :^ If (Kan-Ian), 578, ^; ^ (Ch'ing-kuo), 

 .H Si (Wu-lan). This is the so-called "Chinese olive," 

 which has, however, no affinity with the true olive, belong- 

 ing to the natural order BiirscracecB^ instead of to that of 

 the Olcacccc^ as does the latter. The first two Chinese names 

 given above apply to Canai'ium album {Pimcla alba)^ while 

 the last is Canariinn pimela (Pinicia nigra). The first is 

 also distinguished in the Pentsao as |^ |^ (Lu-lan), "green 

 pimela." These fruits grow upon a small tree or shrub in the 

 south-eastern provinces of China and in Cochinchina. The 

 tree is said to be something above ten feet in height, and to 

 yield good timber. The fruits are oblong and pointed, either 

 green or shriveled, being often preserved in salt, or added to 

 wine to medicate it, or to counteract its effects. They vary 

 from one inch and a quarter to an inch and a half in length. 

 When the pulp of the drupe is removed, there remains the large, 

 dark, pointed, polygonal, or triangular stones, having three 

 apertures at the upper end, where they often show a tendency to 

 split into three portions, disclosing the three celled interior. 

 These hard stones are frequently beautifully carved into beads 

 and other ornaments. The fruits are said to be stomachic, 

 sialagogue, antiphlogistic, alexipharmic, anti-vinous, and astrin- 

 gent. The pits, incinerated and reduced to powder, are thought 

 to have the power of dissolving fish bones accidentally swal- 

 lowed, and are used in a similar way in the treatment of fluxes 

 and the e^ruptive diseases of children. The bruised kernels are 

 used as a poultice in herpes labialis. This latter appears in com- 

 merce (692), as do also the leaves of Cafiarium pimela (1462). 

 The appendix of the Pentsao also speaks of the kernels of this 

 species, assigning to them stimulant, tonic, and corrective 

 properties. Two other kinds of Chinese olive are mentioned 

 in the Pentsao under the names of ^ ^|f |^ ^ (P'o-s.su-kan-lan), 

 "Persian pimela," and 'jz f^ (Fang-Ian), "square pimela." 

 What these are is uncertain. The former may indeed be the 

 Syrian olive. It is not native of China, but is said to now be 

 grown in Kuangsi. 



A soft, sticky, dark, resinous mass, compared to cow-glue, 

 and having a strong aromatic odor, is prepared from the 

 Canarium pimcla. It is mentioned in the Pentsao., but no 



