CRUDE DRUGS. 575 



vated, especially in Jamaica. The panicles are collected when 

 the fruit is full grown but still green, and dried in the sun, the 

 fruit being- subsequently separated. 



Description. — Drupe dry, inferior, sub-globular, 5 to 7 mm. 

 in diameter ; externally dark brown, glandular-punctate ; apex 

 with four minute calyx teeth or forming a minute ring and sur- 

 rounding the remnants of the somewhat depressed style; base 

 with scar of pedicel or occasionally with a pedicel 4 to 6 mm. 

 long; pericarp about i mm. thick; internally light brown, 2-locu- 

 lar, 2-seeded, dissepiments thin ; seeds campylotropous, plano- 

 convex, slightly reniform, about 4 mm. long and about 3 mm. 

 thick, externally reddish-brown, smooth, somewhat wrinkled, 

 shiny, internally dark brown, reserve layer wanting, embryo spi- 

 rally curved, with a long, thick radicle and minute cotyledons ; 

 odor and taste aromatic, supposed to resemble those of a mixture 

 of cloves and other spices, whence the name " Allspice." 



Constituents. — Volatile oil (3 to 4 per cent.) consisting of 

 about 60 per cent, of eugenol ; resin ; an acrid fixed oil about 6 

 per cent. ; tannin ; starch ; calcium oxalate ; ash about 4 per cent. 



Allied Plants. — A variety of P. ofUcinalis yields a fruit 

 with large drupes known as Tobasco or Mexican Allspice. The 

 structure of this fruit resembles that of pimenta, as also does the 

 Crown Allspice obtained from P. acris, a tree of tropical America, 

 the fruits of which are 8 to 10 mm. long. 



MALTUM.— MALT.— The partially germinated and dried 

 grains of liordeum satknnn, particularly of the variety viilgare 

 (Fam. Gramineae) (p. 228). In the , preparation of malt the 

 barley grains are soaked in water for 12 to 24 hours, placed in 

 heaps, allowed to germinate, being occasionally stirred so that 

 the heat generated on germination does not become excessive. 

 After the protrusion of the caulicle and radicle the material is 

 quickly dried and deprived of these parts. 



Barley. — Narrow-ellipsoidal, somewhat 4-angled, 8 to 10 

 mm. long, 2 to 3 mm. in diameter, having an outer, readily sep- 

 arable coat consisting of the inner and outer pales, which are 

 membranous, chaff-like, pale straw-color and somewhat trans- 

 lucent; within the pales and adhering to the base of the grain, 

 two very small lodicules consisting chiefly of unicellular hairs 



