THE POISONOUS PLANTS OF BOMBAY. 103 



exception seems to be made by Gaertner in either his General Intro- 

 duction or his particular description of the Kajn plant. As a matter 

 of fact the plumule does exist, although I quite admit it is likely to 

 be absent from ill-developed seeds. Such a contingency is very likely 

 to occur where exotic plants are considered and examined in all stages 

 of development, possibly non- development of special organs, under 

 skies where they do not grow, and where the examiner has to trust to 

 dried specimens, in all stages of decay, and ravages of insects. 



POISONOUS PROPERTIES. 



The poisonous properties of the plant exist in the acrid oleo-resin 

 found in the mesocarp of the nut. Its composition is said to be the 

 same as that of the oleo-resin found in a mesocarp of its congener— 

 Semecarpus anacardium descril^ed in a former contribution to this 

 Journal.* It contains cardol and a fatty acid called anacardic acid. 

 Dr. DragendoriF, Professor of Pharmacy in the University of Dorpat, 

 Russia, distinctly observes that cardol possesses powerful vesicant 

 properties which are not shared by aDacardic acid. *' Cardol is a 

 colourless oil, accompanying anacardic acid," says Dr. DragendorfF.f 

 " It is soluble in alcohol and ether, but not in water. It can be removed 

 from suspension in water by agitation with chloroform. Contact with 

 dilute potash for a short time does not result in the loss of the vesicant 

 property of cardol, as is the case, when the alkali is concentrated, and 

 the action prolonged. The observation of the Rev. Mr. Nairne that 

 the shell of the nut contains a very acrid oil, from which anacardic acid 

 is made, is not sufficiently accurate. In the article communicated by 

 Mrs. Ida R. Brigham to the " London Pharmaceutical Journal and 

 Transactions/ 'I I find that, according to Professor Staedler, in addition 

 to cardol and anacardic acid, the oleo=resin of the Cashew-nut contains 

 " a little of an ammonium compound." What this compound is, is not 

 mentioned. Staedler, however, assures us that it is not irritant ; nor is 

 anacardic acid irritant according to him. Cardol has a " faint pleasant 

 odour when warmed." It is, in my opinion, anything but pleasant. 

 It is positively irritating — a fact which will be easily remembered by 



' Vide Vol. IX, pp. 235-258. 



t Plant Analysis— Qualitative and Quantitative. Translated; from the German by H. G. 

 Greenish, F.I. c, London, p. 146, 1884, 

 X p. 708, vol. Xn, 1881-82, Srd Series. 



