382 WALNUT. 



in cabinet work, as it is beautifully veined and admits of a fine polish. 

 The rind of the fruit, in its green state, is a common article for pickling, 

 and as an adulteration of soy sauce. The kernel of the ripe fruit * is well 

 known at the dessert ; it also affords, by expression, an oil resembling that 

 of almonds, useful to painters ; and the marc left after expression is a nu- 

 tritive food for animals. The unripe fruit is used on the continent as an 

 ingredient in various dishes, and is made into a confection with sugar and 

 aromatics. Moreover, the root, leaves, and rind of the fruit afford a yel- 

 lowish colour in dyeing, and the infusion of the leaves is useful for destroy- 

 ing worms and various insects. The trunk, by incisions made in the 

 spring, yields a saccharine and mucilaginous sap, which, by fermentation, 

 constitutes a pleasant wine, and on evaporation affords a sugar equal to 

 that from beet-root, and which will crystallize, it is said, as well as that 

 from the cane. 



Qualities. — The rind or exterior fleshy covering of the recent unripe 

 fruit has an acid, bitterish, and then styptic taste ; it tinges the saliva 

 green, and when bruised between the fingers imparts to the cuticle a deep 

 blackish colour. The aqueous infusion is acid, bitter, styptic, and unplea- 

 sant, becoming of a brownish black colour by the addition of sulphate of 

 iron ; and precipitating with solution of isinglass ; hence it appears to con- 

 tain much tannin and gallic acid. The extract prepared from it is green- 

 ish-black, shining, of rather a pleasant odour, and an acidulous, rough, 

 styptic taste. The yellowish pellicle or skin of the kernel is also astringent 

 and styptic, but the kernel itself has a sweetish agreeable taste, and beaten up 

 with water forms an emulsion ; it contains a portion of amylaceous foecula, 

 and about half its weight of a sweet, yellowish oil, which does not congeal 

 with cold, and is of a drying nature. 



The emanations of this tree are injurious to some plants, and have 

 been known to cause headache in persons who have been long exposed to 

 its influence ; but the popular opinion that it is capable of producing stu- 

 por and fever needs to be confirmed. 



Medicinal Properties and Uses. — The fleshy covering or 

 rind of the fruit is manifestly endued with tonic and astringent 

 properties. The excitation it produces upon the stomach is 

 sometimes sufficient to produce vomiting, as observed by Ray f , 

 Schroeder J, and Biichner§. In general it acts upon the in- 

 * Walnuts are generally beaten down by means of long poles, and al- 

 though this practice is injurious to the trees, it is by some considered in- 

 dispensable, and the notion is prevalent among the peasantry that it ren- 

 ders the tree more productive the next year ; Ray quotes two lines on this 

 subject : — 



" Nux, asinus, mulier simili sunt lege ligata : 

 Haec tria nil fructus faciunt si verbera cessant." 

 f Hist. PI. p. 246. 

 \ Thes. Pharm. p. 608. 

 § Diss, de nuce Juglande, p. 24. 



