85 



"the oil vessels, cause the essence to escape, and set it free to flow out 

 by the small openings tfn the bottom of the dish. The fruits are 

 placed in the machine, 6, 8, or more at a time, according to their size, 

 and subjected to the rotatory action above described for about half a 

 minute, when the machine 'is stopped, they are removed, and fresh 

 ones substituted. About 7,000 fruits can thus be worked in one of 

 these machines in a day. 



" During some weeks after extraction it gradually deposits a quan- 

 tity of white greasy matter (bergaptene,) which, after having been ex- 

 hausted as much as possible by pressure, is finally subjected to distila- 

 tion with water in order to separate the essential oil it still contains. 



" The fruits from which the essence has been extracted are sub- 

 mitted to pressure, and the juice which is much inferior in acidity 

 to lemon juice, is concentrated and sold for the manufacture of citric 

 acid. Finally, the residue from which both essence and juice have 

 been removed, is consumed as food by oxen." 



The Director of Public Gardens and Plantations was most anxious 

 to introduce this plant into cultivation in Jamaica. Several attempts 

 were made to raise plants from seeds imported from Italy, but none 

 germinated. A few fruits have been obtained through the kindness 

 of Mr. Damman, Seed Merchants of Naples. Each fruit contains only 

 from 1 to 3 or 4 seeds, so that the number of plants available for dis- 

 tribution has been very limited. Twenty plants have lately been sent 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department for Agriculture in the W. 

 Indies ; others have been distributed to planters in Jamaica ; so that 

 it is to be hoped that this very desirable Citrus tree will soon be firmly 

 established throughout the W. Indies, and that fruits will be avail- 

 able on the spot wherever it is found that it succeeds. 



A MEDICINAL WEED. 



Creat (Andrographis paniculata). 



This is a common weed in the Liguanea plain. It is a native of 

 India and Ceylon, and was no doubt originally introduced by means of 

 the Botanic Grardens. 



Dr. "Watt's in his Dictionary of Economic Products of India states 

 that this bitter shrub is well known and forms the principal ingre- 

 dient of a household medicine extensively used in Bengal. The ex- 

 pressed juice of the leaves, together with certain spices such as car- 

 damoms, cloves, cinnamon, &c, dried in the sun, is made into little 

 globules, which are prescribed for infants to relieve griping, irreg- 

 ular stools, and loss of appetite. The medicinal properties of this 

 plant are many. The roots and leaves are febrifuge, stomachic, tonic, 

 alterative, and anthelmintic. It is used in general debility, in con- 

 valescence after fevers, and in advanced stages ox dysentery. It is 

 also used as a tonic, stimulant, and gentle aperient in the treatment 

 of several forms of dyspepsia, and in the torpidity of the alimentary 

 canal. The expressed juice of the leaves is a common domestic re- 

 medy in the bowel complaints of children. Dose : 1 to 2 ounces of the 

 infusion, and 1 to 4 drachms of the tincture. 



Creat belongs to the same family, Acanthacece, as the common blue 

 lowered " Spirit Leaf." 



