162 MUSTARD. 



This plant is cultivated to a great extent in Durham. It is 

 sown in the fields in a rich, well-pulverized soil in March and 

 April, and affords a crop of ripe seed in July and August, when 

 it is stacked and threshed like other grain. In common with 

 other cruciferous plants it is exhausting to the soil, and the 

 seed will remain for years buried at the depth of three or four 

 inches without germinating until it is brought to the surface. 



Qualities and general Uses. — The well-known salad called 

 Mustard is commonly raised from the S. alba, but it may also 

 be procured from S. nigra ; and the tender leaves of the latter 

 are sometimes used as greens early in the spring. This species 

 is almost exclusively used for grinding into flour of mustard *, 

 and the black husks of the seeds are separated by very delicate 

 machinery. Mr. Neill observes that, " in preparing mustard 

 powder for the table, it makes the best appearance when rich 

 milk is used ; but the mixture in this case does not keep good 

 for more than two days." 



The seeds in their entire state are nearly inodorous, but 

 when bruised they have a pungent, penetrating odour, and a 

 warm, bitterish, acrimonious taste. The unbruised seeds mace- 

 rated in boiling water, yield only an insipid mucilage, which, 

 like that of linseed, resides in the integuments ; but when 

 bruised water takes up the whole of their active matter, though 

 it is scarcely imparted to alcohol. The acrimony appears to 

 reside in a volatile oil, which may be obtained by distillation ; 

 they also afford by expression a bland fixed oil, of a sweetish 

 taste, which is purgative in large doses ; and the cake or marc 

 left after expression is considerably more pungent and acrid 

 than the unpressed seeds. Dr. Cullen observed that by steeping 

 the powdered seeds in vinegar their activity is much increased. 

 " When the seeds are triturated with lime and a few drops of 



* Several other plants of the same natural order may be used as substi- 

 tutes for the Common Black Mustard. The Wild Radish, or Jointed Char- 

 lock, (Raphanus Raphanistrum,) often separated in the process of clearing 

 grain by farmers, is said to be frequently disposed of as Durham Mus- 

 tard. Professor Brande (Man. Pharm.) observes that the bright yellow 

 powder sold under the name of flour of Mustard, for the table, is a com- 

 pound of black and pale Mustard seed, cayenne pepper, wheat flour, and 

 turmeric. 



