12i AURAJNTIACE^. 



bisulphide of carbon; the alcoholic solution is not altered by ferric 

 salts. 



Commerce — Essence of bergamot, as it is always termed in trade, 

 is chiefly shipped from Messina and Palermo in the same kind of bottles 

 as are used for essence of lemon. 



Uses — Much employed in perfumery, but in medicine only occa- 

 sionally for the sake of imparting, an agreeable odour to ointments. 



Adulteration — Essence of bergamot, like that of lemon, is exten- 

 sively and systematically adulterated, and very little is sent into the 

 market entirely pure. It is often mixed with oil of turpentine, but a 

 finer adulteration is to dilute it with essential oil of the leaves or with 

 that obtained by distillation of the peel or of the residual fruits. Some 

 has of late been adulterated with petroleum. 



The optical properties, as already mentioned, may afford some assist- 

 ance in detecting fraudulent admixtures, though as regards oil of tur- 

 pentine it must be borne in mind that there are levogyre as well as 

 dextrogyre varieties. This latter oil and likewise that of lemon is less 

 soluble in spirit of wine than that of bergamot. 



CORTEX AURANTII. 



Bitter Orange Peel; F. Ecorce ou Zestes d'Oranges ameres; 

 G. Pomeranzenschale. 



Botanical Origin — Citrus vulgaris Risso (C. Aurantium var. a 

 amara Linn., C. Bigaradia Duhamel). 



The Bitter or Seville or Bigarade Orange, Bigaradier^ of the 

 French, is a small tree extensively cultivated in the warmer parts of 

 the Mediterranean region, especially in Spain, and existing under 

 many varieties. 



Northern India is the native country of the orange tree. In 

 Gurhwal, Sikkim, and Khasia there occurs a wild orange which is 

 the supposed parent of the cultivated orange, whether Sweet or 

 Bitter. 



The Bitter Orange reproduces itself from seed, and is regarded, at 

 least by cultivators, as quite distinct from the Sweet Orange, from which 

 however it cannot be distinguished by any important botanical char- 

 acters. Generally speaking, it differs from the latter in having the 

 fruit rugged on the surface, of a more deep or reddish-orange hue, 

 with the pulp very sour and bitter. The peel, as well as the flowers 

 and leaves, are more aromatic than the corresponding parts of the 

 Sweet Orange, and the petiole is more broadly winged. 



History — The orange was unknown to the ancient Greeks and 

 Romans; and its introduction to Europe is due to the Arabs, who, 

 according to Gallesio,^ appear to have established the tree first in Eastern 

 Africa, Arabia, and Syria, whence it was gradually conveyed to Italy, 

 Sicily, and Spain. In the opinion of the writer just quoted, the bitter 

 orange was certainly known at the commencement of the 10th century 



^ From the Basque " bizarra " = beard the Sanskrit Bijouri (?). 

 (Rice, JSTew Remedies, 1878. 231), or from ^ TraU6 du Citrus, Paris, 1811. 222. 



