ORDINARY MEETING * 

 D. Howard, Esq., D.L., in the Chair. 



The ]\Iiiivites of tlie last Meeting were read and confirmed, and after 

 the announcement of the receipt of a letter from Her Majesty the 

 Queen accepting' the last issued vohmies of the Transactions of the 

 Institute, the following elections were announced : — 



Associates :— D. B. Hewitt, Esq., B.A., L.E.C.P.D., L.RC.S. ; J. P. 

 Cheshire ; Rev. J. Hartley, D.D., United States ; Eev. P. H. Cole, 

 B.D., United States. 



The following paper was then read by the Author : — 



HERODOTUS. II.— .4^ A BOTANIST. (Viewed in 

 THE Light of Recent Travel and Investigation of 

 Plants and Trees of Egypt.) Bj the Rev. F. A. 

 Walker, D.D., F.L.S. 



Herodotus on Castor Oil. 



THE Egyptians who live in the marshes use for the anoint- 

 ing* of their bodies an oil made from the fruit of the 

 sillicyprium, which is known among them by the name of hiki. 

 To obtain this they plant the sillicyprium (which grows wild 

 in Greece) along the banks of the rivers and by the sides 

 of the lakes, where it produces fruit in great abundance, 

 but with a very disagreeable smell. This fruit is gathered, 

 and then bruised and pressed, or else boiled down after 

 washing. The liquid which comes from it is collected, and 

 found to be imctuous, and as well suited as olive oil for 

 lamps, oithj that it r/ices out a grievous odour. 



Herodotus, Lib. II, c. 94. 



■* Subject introduced 4 Jan., 1897. 



t Paper and discussion finally corrected by the Authors 1899. 



G 



