the exterior of the dried fruit in the form 

 of a crystalline deposit, which serves as 

 a criterion of quality. This substance 

 does not pre-exist in the ripe fruit. It is 

 developed in the process of drying and 

 fermentation. In Mexico the collected 

 pods are placed in heaps under a shed un- 

 til they begin to wilt or shrivel, where- 

 upon they are subjected to the sweating 

 process conducted as follows : The pods 

 are wrapped in woolen cloth and ex- 

 posed to the sun during the day or heated 

 in an oven at 140 0 F., then enclosed in 

 air-tight boxes at night to sweat. In 

 twenty-four to thirty-six hours they as- 

 sume a chestnut-brown color. They are 

 then dried in the sun for several months. 



In Reunion the pods are first scalded 

 for a few minutes in boiling hot water, 

 then exposed to the sun for about one 

 week, wrapped in woolen blankets; then 

 spread out and dried under sheds, turning 

 frequently so as to insure uniform drying. 

 When the pods can be twisted around 

 the finger without splitting or cracking 

 the "smoothing process" begins. This 

 consists in rolling the pods between the 

 fingers to distribute the unctuous liquid, 

 which exudes during the sweating process 

 (fermentation), and to which the pods 

 owe their lustre and suppleness. 



Vanilla workers are apt to suffer from 

 an affection known as vanillism, charac- 

 terized by an itching eruption of the skin, 

 nasal catarrh, more or less headache and 

 muscular pain. By some this is said to 

 be caused by a poisonous substance in the 

 vanilla or perhaps the oil of cashew, with 

 which the pods are coated. According 

 to others the trouble, at least the itching 

 and eruption, is caused by a species of 

 acarus (itch mite) found upon the pod. 

 It must also be borne in mind that most 

 of these workers are anything but clean- 

 ly in their habits. Bacteria, dirt, etc., find 

 their way to the pods from the dirty hands 

 of the workmen. The entire process of 

 gathering, sweating, drying, smoothing 

 and packing, as carried on in Mexico and 

 South American countries is not con- 



ducted in accordance with recognized 

 sanitary rules. 



There are a number of commercial va- 

 rieties of vanilla named after the coun- 

 tries in which they are grown or after the 

 centers of export, as Mexican, Vera Cruz, 

 Bourbon, Mauritius, Java, La Guayra, 

 Honduras and Brazilian vanilla. The 

 most highly valued Mexican variety is 

 known as Vainilla de leg (leg, meaning 

 law). The pods are long, dark-brown, 

 very fragrant and coated with crystals. 

 Since vanilla is a costly article adultera- 

 tion is quite common. Useless pods are 

 coated with balsam of Peru to give them 

 a good appearance. Split, empty pods 

 are filled with some worthless material, 

 glued together and coated with balsam 

 of Peru. 



Vanillin also occurs in Siam benzoin, 

 in raw beet-sugar and in cloves. It has 

 been artificially prepared from coniferin, 

 a substance found in the sap-wood of fir- 

 trees, and from asafoetida. In Germany 

 commercial vanilla is now largely pre- 

 pared from eugenol, a constituent of oil 

 of cloves. 



Vanillin seems to have some special ac- 

 tion upon the nervous system, and has 

 been employed in the treatment of hys- 

 teria. It is also used to disguise dis- 

 agreeable tastes and odors of medicines, as 

 inlozengesandmixtures. Its principal use 

 is that of spice for flavoring chocolate, 

 confectionery, ices, ice-cream, drinks, 

 pastry ; in the preparation of perfumery, 

 sachet powders, etc. It has a very pleas- 

 ant, delicate aroma when properly diluted 

 and can be very effectively combined 

 with other odors. Vanilla, combined 

 with almonds, simulates heliotrope. 



The poisonous effects of ice creams 

 flavored with vanilla are perhaps not due 

 to vanillin, but to toxins formed by bac- 

 teria found upon vanilla pods, or the bac- 

 teria of the milk and cream used. 



Description of Plate — A, flowering 

 twig; 1, 2, 3, corolla; 4, 5, pistil; 6. 7, 

 stamen; 9, pollen; 10, 11, fruit; 12, 13, 

 seed. Albert Schneider. 



48 



