STKRm.TACK^.. 71 



Besides the abovo-descrihed species, thore are some 10 others, all of which 

 »,^r the same description, with the exception of some slight variation in the 

 size and shape of the fruit or leaf, the most important of which are : — 



•>. T. angastifolia, DC. Narrow-leaved. 



3. T. ovatifolia, DC. A Mexican species called Soconosco, with ovate 

 leaves. 



4. T. bicolor, Humboldt. A species found in Colombia. S. A., with varie- 

 gated leaves. 



5. T. Guianensis, Aublet. A species indigenous to Guiana. S. A. 



6. T. microcarpa, Mart. A West India species, with small seeds. 



7. T. sylvestris, Martius. A species found in the selvas of Brazil. 

 As the plant is produced from seed, varieties are constantly occurring. 



Geography. — The Theobroma is a native of America, and is indigenous to 

 tropical and subtropical regions, or at least to regions of no frost. It i.s 

 found in Brazil and all parts of South America north of Brazil, the ^^ est 

 India islands, and Mexico. It has been introduced into the Philippine islands 

 and other parts of the Indian Archipelago, but the great supply is produced 

 in the new world. 



The Spaniards introduced its culture into southern Europe about the year 

 1.560. Some years ago the British introduced the cultivation of the cocoa 

 into India with success. 



Etymologii. — Theobroma \9, derived from the Greek Q^6s; God, and $pii)^la, 

 food, hence food of the gods. Cocoa is supposed to be a contraction of the 

 Portuguese word macoco, monkey, applied to the tree on account of the resem- 

 blance of the end of the fruit to the face of a monkey. 



History. — Cocoa was first brought to the notice of Europeans at the time of 

 the invasion and conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards in 1520- The Mexicans 

 prepare it with spices, as chocolate is now prepared. That prepared for the 

 emperor was flavored with vanilla. When Cortes, the conqueror of ^fexico. 

 sent the valuable products of the New World to Charles V., cocoa was .^ent a.s 

 one of the choicest. The Spaniards took it to Europe and introduced it into 

 commerce. The medical men found that it possessed curative properties, and 

 a monograph was written by Hoffman in which he entitled it Potus Chocolait. 

 He states that Cardinal Richelieu was cured of a general wasting of the body 

 bv its use. 



Though used in Spain and Portugal early in the sixteenth century, it was 

 not known in England until more than a hundred years afterwards. Tho 

 earliest mention of'its use was in a periodical known as Needliam'sMercurius 

 Politicus, 16.59. The mode of jjreparing it was introduced into England by 

 Dr. Sloane. 



A. De Candolle states that, when th(> Spaniards explored and conquered 

 Mexico, the fruit of the Theobroma was so liighly jirized that the seeds were 

 used for money. In 1674 the Spaniards carried tlie plant to the Philippine 

 Islands, where its cultivation became wonderfully successful. 



C/ifm/.sf ?•//. — Various results have been obtained by chemis^ts in the analysis 

 of the bean of the Theobroma. arising no doul)t from different conditions or 

 varieties of the bean. In one thousand part.** it yields — 



