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nical uses, irrespective of the value of its oil for medicinal 

 purposes. The seeds contain about 50 per cent. oil. To 

 obtain the best medicinal oil, hydraulic pressure should be 

 employed, and the seeds not be subjected to heat; the seed- 

 coat should also be removed prior to the extracting process 

 being proceeded with. A screw-press suffices however for 

 ordinary supply to obtain the oil. By decantation and some 

 process of filtration it is purified. Eor obtaining oil to be 

 used for lubrication of machinery or other technologic pur- 

 poses, the seeds may be pressed and prepared by various 

 methods under application of heat and access of water. 

 Castoroil is usually bleached simply by exposure to solar 

 light, but this procedure lessens to some extent the laxative 

 properties of the oil. It dissolves completely in waterless 

 alcohol and in ether, and will become dissolved also in spirit 

 of high strength, to the extent of three-fifths of the weight 

 of the latter. Solutions of this kind may become valuable 

 for various technic purposes, and afford some tests for the 

 pureness of the oil. If pressed under heat it will depose 

 margaritin. Heated in a retort about one-third of the oil 

 will distil over, and a substance resembling india-rubber 

 remains, which saponizes with alkalies. Other educts are 

 at the same time obtained, which will likely become of indus- 

 trial value. These facts are briefly mentioned here merely 

 to explain, that the value of this easily produced oil is far 

 more varied than is generally supposed, and this remark 

 applies with equal force to many other chemical compounds 

 from vegetable sources, briefly alluded to in this present 

 enumerative treatise. The seeds contain also a peculiar 

 alkaloid : Bicinin. The solid chemic compound of Castor- 

 oil is the crystalline Isocetin-Acid (a Grlycerid). The oil 

 contains also a non-crystalline acid peculiar to it (Bicin-acid) . 

 For the production of a particular kind of silk the Bicinus- 

 plant is also important, inasmuch as the hardy Bombyx 

 Cynthia requires for food the leaves of this bush. The 

 value of Castoroil imported last year into Victoria was 

 according to the Custom-returns not less than £23,755. 

 Even a few of the seeds if swallowed, will produce poisonous 

 effect. 



