October i, 1891.] 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
The practice ofp'ociQK green boughs of the eucalyptus 
or blue gum tree iii sick-rooms as a disinfectant is grow- 
ing in AusTalia. Pr. Uurgenvon states that if placed 
under tho bed n ontea of scarlet fever they will thorough- 
ly disinfect tho conch and every article in the room. The 
volatile SCO' t has al.o a favourable iiiflii noe on oon. 
Bumptivo patients, as an antiseptic and sedativ | 
tending to promote sleep.— Qlobe. 

AKTIKICIAL liAlN. 
The manufacture of rain has, for longer than 
it is easy or pleasant to remember, ceased to be 
of the slightest praotioiil interest in this country. 
If anybody would patent an invention for tho 
manufacture of sunshine and dry weather, even 
if it were no more than the Laputans got from 
cucumbers, he woul I dee rve a statue. But we 
must not be so selfish as to close our sympathies 
to districts which actually envy the state of 
Cornwall, whore, according to the proverb (now 
apparently r quiring extension beyond the borders 
of tho Uuohj) it rains once every day except 
on Sundays — when it rains twice. In Texas, it 
Beems, they have been cloud compelling with 
startling succoes. In a diitriut where for more 
than throe years no rain has fallen save in very 
occasional small showers, and under atmospheric 
conditions 0 ( nsidored inonmpatiblo with roin 
enough to melt a pinch of salt, an explosion of 
oxygen and hydrogen from live balloons at various 
heights biought a sharp cl ip of thunder, followed 
by heavy ram within about five hours. For five 
hours the ram went on, displaying a beantiful 
rainbow at siinrisa; the first recorded instance, so 
far as wo are aware, of ihc manufacture of a 
real rainbow. The details of the whole process 
are minute; they are baaed, it need not be said,' 
on the constant experience of rain after big battles, 
and the continual aerial explosions in Texas 
no doubt cheated the spirits of the storm into 
thinking that they were called in to assist at 
a favourite and familiar human pastime. The 
question of course remains whether they will 
always consent to be tricked into thiukmg that 
there is a big fight when there is nothing of tho 
kind Meanwnile it is gratifying not to live in 
Texas if nightly boinbardinenta of dynamite and 
explosive gas are to be among the phenomena 
of practical farming. We have noise enough of 
our own, ns things arc ; and happy thorsforc is 
the land whose rain, like tlie poet, is horn, and 
not made. — Ohhe. 
PAl’AIN: THE VEGETABLE I’El’SIX. 
It is one of the concomitants of tho advance of 
human civilization, and perhaps a form of the Nemesis 
that follows nian'a nogloct of nature’s dictates, that 
as his power over the material increases and as he 
accumulates wealth and knowledge his physical being 
tends to undergo a kind of retrogression, and booomos 
less able to bear tho strain imposed upon it by an 
active and almost unwearying intellect. 
Thus it is that one of the characteristo features of 
the ago is tlie number and variety of the devices 
for remedying the defect alluded to, sought after and 
introduced, prominent among which must bo classed 
the over iucroasing array of preparations for faoilitat- 
ing digestion, and remedying the evils resulting from 
confused and sedentary habits of life, combined wth 
hurried and unuaturaJ systems of supplying tho 
severely taxed frame w-ith nutriment. 
Of artificial digestive agents few have been more 
conspicuous than the pepsins, which being natural 
pontouizing aubstauces, are apparently moat suited to 
onlianco the functional activity of an infeebled 
stomach. It is, however, well recognized that pepsin 
Is not a definite body and that, as a matter or fact, 
its nature will vary according to tho methods of pte- 
279 
paration ; it seems to be further inevitable that, by 
whatever process it is isolated, a considerable pro- 
portion of mucus and similar substances will be present. 
The fact that pepsins are of animal oripn, has 
been the source of some amount of repugnance lo 
their use, both on tho part of patients and of phy- 
sicians ; tho tendency of modern medicine has been 
to abandon tho internal employment of members, of 
tho animal materia raedica, and against this tendency 
tho introduction evidently milltatoa. Again, it has been 
pointed out, that tho excretion of ptomaines or cada- 
VTic alkaloids ceases in the animal body simulta- 
neonsly with the arrest of tho vital functions, so that 
it is not at all impossible that carelessly made 
spocimons of pepsin might bo oontaminatod with 
animal ferments ortho products of their action upon 
the devitalized tisauea. This danger is the more prob- 
able as consistently with tho preparation of an active 
substance, suliiciontly high temperatures cannot be 
employed in the isolation of the digestive agent to 
destroy the ptomaines possibly present. 
In view of these objeotioiis to pepsin and tho 
allied agent panoreatin, a good deal of interest was 
excited by the earlier accounts of the wonderful 
properitloa of the fruits of Uio papaw tree, a native 
of tropical America, which was credited with {he 
owor of diaintoOTating and more or loss coftiplotely 
iMsting flesh simply hung beneath its branches. 
Carica papaya, belonging to the natural order 
papayaceai, is a tree which grows to about 20 feet 
in height and 2 feet in diameter. It is easily and 
quickly raised from seed, attaining a thiokuoss of 
f foot by tho third year and oomineneing to decay 
during the fourth or fifth year. Tho straight and 
undivided atom is herbaceous and soft, though it de- 
velops an external layer of fibrous tissue; as might 
be expected from the rapidity with which it grows, 
tho trunk is hollow, though at irregular intervals 
it has more or less dense, imperfect septa. The 
newer parts of tho stem are green, but as they age 
become greyish; towards the top it also bears tho 
scars formed by tho falling off of loaves., which are 
arranged in a kind of nmbellato canopy. 
The large palmately cleft leaves are borne upon 
long petioles, from tho bases of which the pale 
yellow flowers originate. Like other species of the 
same order the flowers of the papaw are unisexual. 
Tho staminato flowers are borne upon a long pod- 
uucie in a racemose form, while the pistilate flowers 
are sessile. 
Tho tree contimially flowers and simultanooiisly 
bears fruit, the latter ripening at tho lower part of 
tho crown of foliage while the flowers are just 
opening at the apex. The flowers, as also some other 
parts of the plant, resemble Indian cress — tho 
nasturtinm of tho garden — in order and taste. 
Tho fruits are somewhat melon-like in form, or 
tlioy may be more ovoid and pointed at tlio apex. 
When first formed they are green, but as they mature 
they become yellow or dull orange colored. A large 
fruit is said to sometimes attain a weight of 10 
pounds. 'The rind is thin, and within It is the 
yellowish flesh, with a plca.sant sweet taste, enclosing 
a cavity containing tho dark brown or black soods. 
By tho natives of tho d striots where it grows tho 
fruit of Carica is largely consumed and regarded as 
highly nutritious. 'The milky juice of the unripe 
fruit and the powdered seeds have the reputation of 
being powerful anthelmintics, and it was further 
reported, that the tenner had the property 
of softening tho toughest meat when boiled witli it 
for a short time. Some parts of the plant were 
osteonioil as vulnearios, and tho juice of the ripened 
fruit was said to be useful in removing freckles and 
spots from the complexion. 
These reports naturally attracted considerable 
attention, and tho juice was subjected to analysis by a 
number of chemiets. Vauquelin found that the juice 
resembles animal albumen in characters, and 
Wittstoiii stated that it contained a ferment which 
had a most energetic action on nitrogenous substances. 
Tho leaves, liKo most other parts of tho plant, yield 
a neutial, yellow, milky juice, with a sharp bitter 
tkste, which by the addition of eugar, glyoeviue, ethe 
