THE QUINCE. 



[Cydonia vulgaris, Pers., or Pyrus Cydonia, L.) 



BY DR. ALBERT SCHNEIDER, 

 Northwestern University School of Pharmacy. 



T 



Of ripened quinces such the mellow hue. 



— Congreve Translation, of Ovid^s Art of Love 



HE quince is the pear-like fruit 

 of a bush or small tree resem- 

 bling the pear tree. The 



pear 

 branches are spreading and of a 

 grayish green or brownish green color. 

 The leaves are simple, entire, ovate, 

 with short petioles and distinct stipules. 

 The lower surface of leaves and stipules 

 as well as the young twigs and the 

 sepals are densely covered with hair- 

 cells producing a woolly appearance. 

 The flowers develop in May and June 

 and are usually solitary upon terminal 

 branches. Calyx green with five foli- 

 aceous, serrate, reflexed lobes. Corolla 

 of five separate ovate, rather large, pink 

 petals. Stamens yellow, numerous (20) ; 

 five styles and a five-celled ovary. The 

 matured fruit is a pome. That is, the 

 greater bulk consists of the thickened 

 calyx enclosing the ovary. The form, size 

 and color of the ripe fruit are shown in 

 the illustration. Each cell of the ovary 

 bears from six to fifteen seeds which 

 resemble apple seeds very closel}' as to 

 form and color. 



The name Cydonia is derived from 

 the name of the Greek city Cydon, now 

 Canea, of Crete. The Cydonian apple 

 of the Greeks was emblematic of for- 

 tune, love and fertility, and was dedi- 

 cated to thegoddess Aphrodite (Venus). 

 It is a question whether Crete was the 

 original home of the quince. Some au- 

 thorities maintain that it found its way 

 into Greece from upper Asia, Persia, 

 or India. Wherever its first home may 

 have been this plant was known in 

 Greece 700 years B. C. From Greece 

 the tree was introduced into Italy and 

 Spain, from which countries it finally 

 spread over central Europe. Charle- 

 magne, Karl der . Grosse — 812, was 

 largely instrumental in spreading the 

 quince in Germany. 



The ancient Greeks made extensive 

 medicinal use of the fruit. On account 

 of its astrineencv it has been used in 



dysentery, hemorrhage, and other con- 

 ditions requiring an astringent sub- 

 stance. At present it is little used, the 

 seeds excepted. 



The pulp is fibrous and tough; it is 

 not edible in the raw state on account 

 of its acrid, astringent taste. As a 

 whole it is a discouraging and disagree- 

 able fruit in spite of its beautiful yellow 

 color and pleasantly aromatic odor. 

 Mixed with apples it makes excellent 

 pies and tarts. A marmalade is made 

 from the pulp, also a delicious jelly. It 

 is stated that the word marmalade is 

 derived from marmelo, the Portuguese 

 name for quince. 



The seeds are extensively used on ac- 

 count of the mucilage of the outer sur- 

 face (epidermal cells). A decoction 

 commonly known as mucilage of quince 

 seed is much used as a demulcent in 

 certain diseases — in erysipelas, inflam- 

 mator)' conditions of the eyes and in 

 other affections where mucilaginous 

 applications are found useful. The 

 Mohammedans of India value the 

 seeds very highly as a restorative and 

 demulcent tonic. European physicians 

 have used them with much success in 

 dysentery. The mucilage is also one 

 of the substances used by hair-dressers 

 under the name of bandoline. 



Chemically the mucilage is simply a 

 modification of cellulose. Pereira con- 

 sidered it a special chemical substance 

 which he designated cydoni?i. The seed, 

 about 20 per cent, of which is muci- 

 lage, will make a sticky emulsion with 

 forcy times its weight of water. As to 

 its physical properties it closely resem- 

 bles gum arabic and agar. There are, 

 however, simple tests b}- means of which 

 it is possible to distinguish them. The 

 seeds rubbed or crushed emit an odor 

 resembling almonds, due to the pres- 

 ence of hydrocyanic acid. 



Most of the quince seed of the mar- 

 ket comes from southern Russia, south- 



