VOL. LXVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 201 



green hue ; when full-grown, of a dark green colour ; and before they drop, of 

 a rusty appearance. The flower-spike is long and beautifully branched. The 

 flowers are numerous ; their calyces of a dark purple ; their petals of the colour 

 of the pale rose ; the nectaria must contain much honey, as thousands of bees, 

 beetles of various kinds, butterflies, and humming-birds, are continually feeding 

 on them. The pericarpium is a green, hard fruit, of the size of the smaller 

 plum. The skin is of the thickness of a crown piece; and tastes very austere. 

 The kernel is covered with a brown skin like that of other nuts ; it is very hard, 

 and tastes astringent. 



The wood is hard, and takes a good polish. It is however fit only for rafters 

 or other parts of small buildings ; but this tree is valued chiefly for its bark, 

 which externally is of a grey colour, and the inside black and furrowed. Fresh 

 cabbage-bark tastes mucilaginous, sweet, and insipid. Its smell however is 

 rather disagreeable, and it retains it in the decoction ; hence by some called the 

 bulge-water tree. Mr. Peter Duguid, formerly of this island, seems to have 

 been the first that gave any account of the virtues of this bark, in the Edin- 

 burgh Essays, Physical and Literary, vol. 2. The experiments he promised 

 have never yet appearetl. It is certain it has powerful effects, and its anthelmintic 

 quality is established by the experience of several ages. It is at present in gene- 

 ral use here, and begins to be known in Europe. No description having yet 

 appeared, I have supplied that defect as far as my abilities in botany reached. 

 It remains now to proceed to its exhibition, and the purposes it is meant to 

 answer as a medicine. Cabbage-bark may be given in different forms ; as in 

 decoction, syrup, powder, and extract. I have used them all, and shall speak 

 of them separately. 



The decoction. Take fresh dried or well-preserved cabbage-bark, 1 oz. Boil 

 it in a quart of water, over a slow fire, till the water is of an amber colour, or 

 rather of deep coloured Madeira wine ; strain it off', sweeten it with sugar, and 

 let it be used immediately, as it does not keep many days. — Si/rup of Cab- 

 bage-bark. To any quantity of the above decoction add a double portion of 

 sugar, and make a syrup. This will retain its virtues for years. — The extract 

 of cabbage-bark is made by evaporating the strong decoction in balneo mariae to 

 the proper consistence ; it must be continually stirred, as otherwise the resinous 

 part rises to the top, and on this probably its efficacy depends. — The powder of 

 well dried bark is easily made, and looks like jalap, though not of equal specific 

 gravity. 



This bark, like most other powerful anthelmintics, has a narcotic eff'ect ; and 

 on this account it is always proper to begin with small doses, which may be gra- 

 dually increased till a nausea is excited, when the dose for that patient is ascer- 

 tained. But by frequent use we can in common determine the dose, though we 



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