Pulse or Leguminous Seeds. 



135 



the cheapest and most abundant pulse. Many cases of sudden 

 and incurable paralysis have been undoubtedly traced to the. 

 large and continuous use of this seed. It formed, by a series 

 of accidents, the chief food, during the years 1829-33, of some 

 of the eastern villages of Oudh. Many cases of sudden paralysis 

 of the lower extremities occurred during that period, the persons 

 attacked being generally under thirty years of age. 



This is a coarse kind of pulse, hard and difficult to cook. It is 

 used in Behar and Patna in curries. It is also made into paste- 

 balls which are fried in ghi and eaten with boiled rice ; it is also 

 eaten as dal. 



The Pea. 

 Pisum sativum, L. 



Z?iW.— Mattar, Gol-mattar, Buttani-chola. .5^^.— Bura-mattar, Kuda. Tamil— 



Pattanie. 

 Sanskrit — Harenso. 



The garden pea, a familiar annual herb, the leaves having three 

 pairs of entire glaucous leaflets, and large leafy stipules. Pisum 

 belongs to the tribe Viciese. As a wild plant P. sativum is 

 regarded as a native of the South Caucasus to Persia. It has 

 been long cultivated in India. 



The pea prefers heavy ground, and generally receives little 



cultivation, manure or irrigation. The produce of ripe seeds varies 



from 7 to 8 maunds per acre, without irrigation ; on irrigated land 



the yield is increased to 10 up to 16 maunds. The green pods 



are largely eaten before the general crop is cut in February, 



March, or April ; the sowing takes place in October and 



November. 



Composition of Peas. 



Water ... 



Albuminoids 



Starch ... 



Oil 



Fibre ... 



Ash 



In I lb. 



2 oz. o grs. 



3 » 340 H 

 8 „ 31S .. 

 o » 91 l> 



399 

 168 



* I -o of phosphoric acid. t o'8 of phosphoric acid. 



