190 ONION. 



delicious food. Hasselquist conjectures that it is the vegetable 

 for which the Israelites longed when in the wilderness. He 

 says, " whoever has tasted Onions in Egypt will allow that none 

 can be had better in any part of the world. Here they are 

 sweet, in other countries they are nauseous and strong ; here 

 they are soft, whereas in the northern and other parts they are 

 hard, and their coats so compact that they are difficult of 

 digestion." We have already mentioned, that the ancient 

 Egyptians swore by the garlic and onions in their gardens. 

 Lucian observes, " the inhabitants of Pelusium adore the Onion." 



Qualities and general Uses. — The use of the Onion as 

 a pot-herb, salad, and pickle, is extremely common. In its 

 crude state it is not adapted for bilious temperaments, delicate 

 or very irritable persons, or for those who are subject to 

 haemorrhages, cutaneous affections, &c. When eaten too freely 

 it is reported to produce flatulence, headache, thirst and turbu- 

 lent dreams. After undergoing the process of boiling it is 

 much more salubrious, and in this state it is very frequently 

 employed, but much more abundantly on the continent than 

 with us. 



The odour and taste are very analogous to garlic, but are 

 much less powerful. Its volatile particles produce a pungent 

 sensation in the nose, and irritate the eyes, causing a flow of 

 tears *. In distillation, the whole of its acrimony and peculiar 

 flavour arise with the water, which affords a small quantity of 

 acrid volatile oil combined with sulphur f . The expressed juice 

 is very odorous, and reddens on exposure to the air ; it contains 

 sugar, or rather mannitc, mucus, phosphoric acid, phosphate o^ 

 lime, and citrate of lime. Coction destroys in great measure 

 the acrimony and exciting quality of the bulb, and renders it 

 emollient, dulcescent, and relaxing. 



* Hence Lucilius calls it " fiebxle cape." And Shakspeare, adverting to 

 this property, says— 



" If the boy have not a woman's gift, 

 , To rain a shower of commanded tears, 

 An onion will do well." 



t " It is this sulphuretted oil which blackens silver plate, and which 

 occasions the disagreeable odour of the bulb in putrifying." 



