328 



ECapayo, or Capayo (Philippines) ; Esitarne (male), Esifafine — female 

 (Samoa) Saffbrd], Papaw, Mummy Apple, Melon Tree. 



The fruits may be eaten when ripe as dessert, cooked when young 

 and green as a vegetable, or pickled in the green state. 



Papain is the dried milk or juice of the fruit. It is not official in 

 the British Pharmacopoeia though its value for medicinal purposes is 

 recognized, and some importance has recently been given to it as well 

 as to " Papayotin," in the treatment of malignant growths. Papayotin 

 is prepared from Papain by a special process of purification, and 

 its therapeutic activity is stated to be two or three times greater (see 

 Merck's Ann. Rep. xxi. 1907, p. 186, for a record of these two forms 

 of the drug applied to the cure of cancer). 



The value of Papain may vary from about 6d. to la. an ounce. In 

 the United States it has realized (1909) $4 to $6 per lb. (Philippine 

 Agric. Rev. 1909, p. 178). 



In Montserrat the peasants sell the thickened juice at the rate of fd. 

 to Id. an ounce (Agric. News, Barbados, ii. 1903, p. 35 ; Journ. Soc. 

 Arts, li. 1903, p. 690). 



It is obtained by scratching or lightly incising the green surface, 

 somewhat after the manner of extracting opium from poppy 

 heads. The receptacles in which it is collected should not be of 

 metal, and the hands of the collectors require protection. Porcelain 

 or glass-lined pans are recommended in the Philippines to evaporate 

 the juice. The product when dry should be white and well 

 granulated, in which state it is exported. (Philippine Agric. Rev. 

 1909, p. 178). 



The peasants of Montserrat collect the juice in calabashes, into 

 which a small quantity of water is first placed. As the juice falls 

 into the water it thickens to the consistency of ice-cream (Agric. 

 News, Barbados, ii. 1903, p. 35 ; Journ. Soc. Arts, li. 1903, p. 690). 

 It is often carried in this state for some miles from the place where 

 it is collected to the buyers who dry and ship the drug (Watts, 

 W. Indian, Bull. vii. 1906, p. 7). 



The best method of preparation is to mix the collected juice with 

 twice its own volume of rectified spirit, filter the mixture after 

 standing a few hours, dry at ordinary atmospheric temperature, 

 powder and keep in stoppered bottles (Kew Bull. 1897, p. 107). 



A similar method is recommended by Watt (Comm. Prod. India, 

 seq.), and without the use of spirit, by Watts (Agric. News. Barbados, 

 i. 1902, pp. 4-5), who further suggests sheets of glass or brown linen 

 stretched on light wooden frames of a convenient size for drying, 

 and an ordinary coffee grinder for reducing the substance to powder. 



Propagated by seed. The cultivation is easy ; plants flourish on 

 rubbish heaps or any out of the way corners in the neighbourhood of 

 native dwellings and farms, where they are usually self-sown. The 

 tree grows rapidly and comes to maturity in about a year, but may 

 be expected to bear green fruits before this, and to yield upwards of 

 50 fruits. A plot of 120 trees, 25 per cent, of which were males, 

 yielded after about 7 months over 10 lbs. of juice (Agric. News, 

 Barbados, ii. 1903, p. 35 ; Journ. Soc. Arts, li. 1903, p. 690). An 

 average tree it is estimated will produce J lb. of granulated juice 

 (Philippine Agric. Rev. I.e.). 



Ref. — " Carica Papaya," in Diet. Econ. Prod. India, Watt, ii. 1889, 



pp. 158-164. "Carica Papaya" in Med. Pflan. Kohler, iii. 



6 pages. " Carica Papaya" in Pharmacographia Indica, Dymock, 



