248 



ON THE EFFECTS OF THE 



paw, (a practice commonly followed by the negroes 

 of the colony), on account of the flesh not being suf- 

 ficiently firm for salting ; or, at least, because they 

 find, by experience, that, after having undergone the 

 process of salting, it will not keep as long, or as well 

 as flesh of hogs which have been fattened on any 

 other aliment. What is remarkable, this effect is 

 observable, although the flesh of a recently killed 

 animal, fed on the boiled papaw fruit, is not sensi- 

 bly intenerated : For a society of gentlemen, who 

 were in the habit of dining periodically with the late 

 Governor of Barbadoes, Sir George Beckwith, fed 

 several animals in this way, with a view to ascer- 

 tain the effect on the flesh. We found, that when 

 the animals so fattened, were served up, their flesh 

 was not, to the taste, more tender than that of other 

 animals at the table, fed in the common mode. 



The health of animals fed on the papaw, is not 

 injured by that diet. 



I may add, that the juice of the papaw has been, 

 by some, administered as a vermifuge to children, 

 whether with marked success I am doubtful. 



The chemical analysis of the juice of the Carica 

 Papaya has given, in the hands of Vauquelin, some 

 very curious results : from them, he draws the fol- 

 lowing conclusions. 



" I think," says he, " that there cannot be any 

 doubt that the juice of the papaw is a highly ani- 

 malized substance ; at least it possesses all the cha- 

 racters, and yields all the products of one. I con- 



