92 



S. Nigeria, all Provinces. N. Nigeria, Labosbi, Fashi, Yakudi, 

 Gbaki, Patchiko, Kimbokuin, Bete, Bitagi. Koda, &c. — Native 

 of West Africa. Introduced to most tropical countries, and 

 naturalized in tbe West Indies. From 1880 onwards tbe plant 

 bas been propagated at Kew and distributed to Botanic Gardens 

 in tbose parts of tbe Empire where its cultivation is likely to meet 

 with success (Kew Bull. 1890, p. 254). 



The seed of this tree is the Kola nut of commerce. The nuts of 

 some other species have also been used for the same purposes, 

 viz., Cola verticillata, Stapf, C. Johnsonii, Stapf (Trop. Life, 

 June, 1907, p. 84), C. lepidota, G. anomala (Year Book Pharm. 

 1900, p. 136), and G. Ballayi (Bull. Imp. Inst. 1903, p. 93). The 

 seed of the true Kola may be usually distinguished by having 

 only two divisions or cotyledons, whereas in other species there 

 are generally more. Johnson has found two cotyledons in 68*18 

 per cent, of the seeds of G. acuminata ; in 2*95 per cent, of those 

 of C. verticillata y and in 6*97 per cent, of those of G. Johnsonii 

 (Trop. Life, I.e.). 



The Kola nut is used chiefly as a stimulant. It forms an 

 important item in the daily life of the West African socially and 

 dietetically. In Europe preparations of the nut are efficient sub- 

 stitutes for tea or coffee. 



The seeds vary in colour, usually white or red, or sometimes an 

 intermediate shade. 



The Kola nut contains 2*348 per cent, of caffeine, 0*023 per 

 cent, of theobromine, and 1*618 per cent, of tannin (Heckel, Kolas 

 Afr. 1893, p. 206). The proportion of caffeine in samples examined 

 at the Imperial Institute was found to be a little higher in the 

 dry than in the fresh seeds ; the different coloured seeds showed 

 but little difference in the amount of caffeine present (Bull. Imp. 

 Inst. 1907, p. 22). 



Goris and Arnould have stated that the therapeutical value of 

 fresh seeds is much superior to that of the dried seeds. They 

 have proposed the following method of preparing a powdered 

 Kola from the fresh seeds suitable for use in Pharmacy. The 

 fresh seeds entire or separated into their cotyledons, are spread 

 in thin layers on wire baskets ; these are introduced into an 

 autoclave previously heated to 100° ; the temperature is then 

 raised to 105°-110° for 5 to 10 minutes ; the seeds are then 

 taken out, cut into small pieces and dried either by exposure to 

 the air or in a drying cupboard. White seeds remain white with 

 the exception of a slight pink tinge on the surface, but red seeds 

 turn violet. It is essential that the temperature of the seeds is 

 rapidly raised from 15° to 100°. The powder thus obtained gave 

 an excellent yield of Kolatin, and may be employed for the 

 preparation of tablets, cachets, &c. (Pharm. Journ. [4] xxiv. 1907, 

 p. 527). 



Carles in 1900 suggested a process of beating the fresh nuts to 

 pulp with an equal weight of lump sugar, by which it was main- 

 tained that all the constituents of the nut were preserved in an 

 unaltered condition (I.e. p. 837). For export to countries out- 

 side Africa the nuts, after being skinned, are usually carefully and 



