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

 Cwt. . 1 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 Qr3. or 21,606 tons from 

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



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



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 lj 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.— The seer in use bere is more than three times the weight of the Ma- 

 dras seer. It weighs 32a ounces, that of Bombay being 11^ oz., and Madras 10 

 ounces. 



