68 CRUCIFER^. 



oil of white mustard and of rape, and is homologous with oleic acid. 

 Darby (1849) has pointed out the existence of another body, Sinapoleic 

 Acid, C""H^^O^ which occurs in the fixed oil of both black and white 

 mustard. Goldschmiedt, in 1874, ascertained the ])resence also of 

 Behenic Acid. C^'H**0^ in black mustard. Sinigrin being not altered 

 by the extraction of the fatty oil, either by pressure or by means 

 of bisulphide of carbon, the powdered seed, deprived of fatty oil, still 

 yields the whole amount of the irritating " essential " oil. This 

 important fact has been ingeniously used by RigoUot^ for the pre- 

 paration of his mustard paper. 



Mustard seed when ripe is devoid of starch ; the mucilage which its 

 epidermis affords amounts to 19 per cent, of the seed (Hoffmann). The 

 ash-constituents amounting to 4 per cent, consist chiefly of the phos- 

 phates of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. 



Uses — Black mustard is employed in the form of poultice as a power- 

 ful external stimulant ; but it is rarely used in its pure state, as the 

 Flour of Mustard prepared for the table, which contains in addition 

 white mustard, answers perfectly well and is at hand in every house.^ 



The essential oil of mustard dissolved in spirit of wine is occasionally 

 prescribed as a liniment. 



Substitute — Brassica juncea Hook. f. et Th. (Sinapis juncea L.) is 

 extensively cultivated throughout India (where B. nigra is rarely grown). 

 Central Africa, and generally in warm countries where it replaces B. 

 nigra and is applied to the same uses. Its seeds constitute a portion of 

 the mustard of Europe, as we may infer from the fact that British India 

 exported in the year 1871-72, of "Mustard seed,'' 1418 tons, of which 

 790 tons were shipped to the United Kingdom, and 516 tons to France.^ 

 B. juncea is largely grown in the south of Russia and in the steppes 

 north-east of the Caspian where it appears to flourish particularly well 

 in the saline soil. At Sarepta in the Government of Saratov, an esta- 

 blishment has existed since the beginning of the present century where 

 this sort of mustard is prepared for use to the extent of 800 tons of seed 

 annually. The seeds make a fine yellow powder employed both for 

 culinary and medicinal purposes. By pressure they yield more than 

 20 per cent, of fixed oil which is used in Russia like the best olive oil. 

 The seeds closely resemble those of B. nigra and afford when distilled 

 the same essential oil ; it is largely made at Kiew. 



SEMEN SINAPIS ALBiE. 



White Mustard ; F. Moutarde blanche ou Anglaise ; G. Weisser Sen/. 



Botanical Origin — Brassica alba Hook. f. et Th. (Sinapis alba L.) 

 This plant appears to belong to the more southern countries of Europe 

 and Western Asia. According to Chinese authors * it was introduced 



^ Joum. de Pharm. vi. (1867) 269. tard is however kept for those who care to 



- The best Flour of Mustard such as is purchase it. 



made by the large manufacturers, contains * Annual Statement of the Trade and J^ai-i- 



nothing butbrownand white mustardseeds. (jation of British India, Calcutta, 1872. 62. 



But the lower and cheaper qualities made by * Bretschneider, Study of Chinese Botan. 



the same firms contain flour, turmeric, and Works, 1870. 17. 

 capsicum. Unmixed flour of Black Mus- 



