THE COMMERCIAL QUASSIA, OR BITTERWOOD. 253 



times a foot in diameter, and several feet in length), covered externally with 

 a smooth brittle bark. This wood contains a bitter principle called Qnassite. 

 Bitterwood is principally employed as a bitter tonic in cases of dyspepsia 

 and other stomach disorders of a functional kind ; besides its tonie pro- 

 perties, it seems also, from reeent experiments, to act on animals as a 

 narcotic poison. It has been long known that an aqueous infusion forms an 

 excellent fly poison, but more recently, larger animals as rabbits have been 

 destroyed by it ; in fact, Kurtz mentions that complete paralysis of the hind 

 extremities of a dog affected with mange, was brought on by washing the 

 ulcers with decoction of Quassia ; in seven hours, however, it disappeared. 



Mr. Simmonds (' Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom ') tells 

 us that 23 tons of Bitterwood were shipped from Montego Bay in Jamaica 

 in 1851. Although prohibited by law, it is frequently employed by brewers 

 as a substitute for hops. The duty of 81. 17s. 6d. per cwt. levied on Quassia, 

 was intended to restrict its use for such purposes. This however, in 1842, 

 was reduced by Sir Robt. Peel to 10s. 6d. (10 + 5 per cent.), it was 

 further reduced in 1853 to Is. a cwt., and is now imported duty free. 



In ' M'Culloch's Commercial Dictionary ' it is stated — " Its price in bond 

 varies from 20s. to 30s. a cwt." In 1852 the imports and exports of the 

 article amounted respectively to 675 and 516 cwt. 



In the last edition of Dr. Pereira's work on the Materia Medica, published 

 in 1853, we read — " Quassia wood has recently been somewhat scarce, and 

 in consequence, its chips have been adulterated with the chips of other 

 woods, but the intense bitterness of the genuine wood readily distinguishes 

 it." 



Were its quality of not being attacked by any insect, and the ease with 

 which it is worked up, generally known, we think there is little doubt that 

 it would be much used for cabinet making, &c. 



Messrs. Turnbull and Lee, of this city, have for some time past been turn- 

 ing cups or goblets out of this wood, which, being filled with water, and 

 allowed to stand for a few hours, impart their bitterness to it ; thus afford- 

 ing an efficient and easily made infusion. 



[We have received by the last overland mail from a correspondent in 

 Ceylon, a sample of rasped quassia wood, the produce of that island, 

 which, it is stated, could be furnished at half the current selling prices of 

 quassia at the present time, if there was any market for it. Upon submitting 

 it to Dr. Phipson for examination, he reports it to be very much richer in 

 quassia than the ordinary quassia of commerce. — Editor.] 

 Kingston, Jamaica. 



