*74 ^ Treatise on 
a Cuftom of laying this Commodity in Wine-Cellars 
and fuch like Places, or covering it with Sand* 
where they fprinkle Water upon it to make the 
Pods appear fuller and frefher ; whence it either 
grows lour or mouldy very foon. To prepare it 
for Ufe, the Bark, Seeds, and woody Partitions are 
thrown away, and the Pulp is paHed through a 
Sieve ; after which it takes the Name of Flos Cajfice i 
or Cajfia Mundata. 
The Tree which bears it is called Cajfia Fiflula 
Alexandria , C. B. P. 403. Cajfia purgatrix , J. B. 
T. S. 416. Cajfia Nigra , Dodon. Pemptad. 787. 
Arbor Cajjiam Solutivam ferens , Bont. Conna , H. 
Malabo T. S. Quauhayohualli 2 d five Cajfia jiftula y 
Flermnd . Father Plumier gives an accurate Defcrip- 
tion of this Tree in his Manufcript Hiltory of Ame- 
rican Plants, Vol. vii. Fol. 103. though it does not 
feem to be properly a Native of America , but to 
have been tranfpl anted thither out of Africa , or 
elfe from the Raft Indies . It grows in Egypt and 
almoft all the hot Provinces in the Indies . 
In a chymical Analyfis , two Pounds, five Ounces 
and three Drachms of the Pulp of Alexandrian Caf- 
fia, diftilled in B. V. yielded fix Ounces, five Drachms 
and twelve Grains of Phlegm, which was clear, al- 
moft infipid, and had but very little Smell of Caf- 
fia, yet afforded Marks of an acid Salt by chang- 
ing the Tincture of Turnfole red : Then one Ounce, 
feven Drachms and an Half of Phlegm entirely 
void both of Smell and Tafte. The dry indurated 
Mafs remaining weighed twenty eight Ounces and 
four Drachms : Which in Diftillation from a Re- 
tort, gave up ten Ounces and four Drachms of 
reddifh acid Spirit ^ nine Drachms of Spirit, which 
was both acid and urinous ; four Drachms and fixty 
Grains of Spirit purely urinous ; and four Drachms 
and forty feven Grains of thick eropyreumatick 
1 Oil. 
