OILS AND OIL SEEDS 335 



in considerable demand for this purpose, till the more 

 useful and cheaper kerosene displaced it. It is, however, 

 still valued as a specific for skin diseases, and is applied 

 in swellings as an embrocation. The oil-cake is exported 

 from Jaffna, and appears under the title of " Arrapo." 



(10) Alenrites triloba, Forst. (1771) (" Tel-kekuna," 

 Sing.; " Candle-nut"; " Otaheite walnut"). One of the 

 Euphorbiaceae and introduced into Ceylon probably from 

 the South Pacific or Moluccas where it is natural. In 

 Ceylon it is cultivated, and becomes a large handsome 

 tree, found in some abundance in the Central Province 

 and again in the Sabaragamuwa Province up to about 

 3,000 ft. altitude. 



Its value in Ceylon as an oil-producing plant has not 

 received much attention, notwithstanding the high oil 

 content of the seeds, probably owing to the exceedingly 

 hard shell enclosing the kernel, for the rapid and cheap 

 treatment of which no machine has, so far, been intro- 

 duced. 



The fact that about 10,000 gallons of oil are annually 

 produced in the Sandwich Islands should warrant its 

 better attention in Ceylon, where, however, so little value 

 is attached to it that the " Kekuna " trees are frequently 

 felled and the timber used for making very inferior 

 packing-cases. In parts of the country, however, where 

 the seeds can be obtained in considerable quantity, the 

 oil is used as an illuminant. It burns with a bright clear 

 light, and is free from smell. 



(n) Croton Tigliwm, Lirin. (" Jaya-pala," Sing.; " Cro- 

 ton "). An introduced plant, probably brought to 

 Ceylon previous to the occupation of the country by 

 the Dutch, but at no time has it attracted much native 

 attention, probably owing to its poisonous nature. After 

 the disaster which overtook the coffee enterprise, a little 

 attention was paid by Europeans to this product, result- 

 ing in the export in 1893 reaching as much as 262 cwts., 

 valued at about Rs. n per cwt. The demand, however, 

 at no time justified any serious attention being devoted 

 to Croton as a commercial enterprise. 



In native medicine the oil is valued, not only as a 

 drastic purgative, but, in association with coconut and 



