oct. — dec. 1857.] Oils of Southern India. 



31 



parts of the Presidency for the quarter ending 31st October 1854, 

 was Rs. 1-2-8 per maund of 25lbs., the maximum being Rs. 1-11-6 

 at Cannanore, and the minimum As. 10-6 at Nagpore. In Vizaga- 

 patam it costs Rs. 208 per sicca garce. 



The oil is not exported, but the seeds have been annually shipped 

 as follows : 



Years \ 1847-8. 1848-9. 1849-50. 1850 1. 1851-2. 1853-4. 1854-5. 

 Cwt. . i 5,828 6,767 9,435 9,909 16,075 — — 



Although seldom procurable in the market, this oil is neverthe- 

 less generally made, and used in cooking and in the manufacture 

 of pickles, condiments, &c. It is considered by the Natives supe- 

 rior to all other oils for anointing the body which it is supposed to 

 invigorate. 



In medicine it is sometimes given internally as a remedy for fla- 

 tulent colic, but is more frequently applied as a rubefacient, and as 

 a cure for burns and wounds. 



Rape oil (Brassica) properly so called, was imported into Eng- 

 land in 1851 to the amount of 107,029 Qrs. or 21,606 tons from 

 France and Germany, the oil is valued at £34 per ton. 



No. 10. Poppy oil. (Papaver somniferum.) 



The Poppy is largely cultivated throughout Malwa and the Opium 

 districts, where the drying oil obtained from the seed is more ex- 

 tensively used than any other, both in lamps and as food. The fol- 

 lowing statistics regarding the cultivation of the Poppy plant, are 

 furnished by C. Timmins, Esq., Sehore. 



"There are three lacs ofbeegahs under Poppy cultivation in Malwa, \ 

 the average produce of seed per beegah being two maunds,*each of 40 

 seers, or 82lbs, which gives a total of 6,00,000 maunds of seed worth 

 from Rs. 1 to If per maund. From these six lacs, deduct 1 \ seer per 

 beegah required for seed, and there remains 5,90,623 maunds of seed 

 for oil. The oil extracted from 1 maund of seed being about 13 

 seers, the above quantity of seed would yield a total of 1,91,952 



* Note.' 

 dras seer, 

 ounces. 



,— The seer in use here is more than three times the weight of the Ma- 

 It weighs 32| ounces, that of Bombay being 11-L oz., and Madras 10 



