LEEDS chemists’ ASSOCIATION. 
447 
The medicinal use of the expressed oil of the seeds, dates from much more moderu 
times, so much so as to excite some surprise when we regard the firm hold in medical 
esteem it has long enjoyed, but which is somewhat on the wane in these days of “ ele¬ 
gant Pharmacy.” About a century ago, yiz. in 1769, Peter Cavane, M.D., of Bath, 
published the second edition of a ‘Dissertation on the Oleum Palrase-Christi, sive 
Oleum Eicini, or (as it is commonly called) Castor Oil,’ etc. etc. The Doctor had made 
acquaintance with the virtues of this oil, when residing in the West Indies. He traces 
its name to Agnus castus, given it by the French from its “ great efficiency ■ curing 
and temperating all febrile heats.” After describing the preparation of the oil, firstly, 
by boiling the seeds as now practised in the West Indies, and, secondly, by bruising and 
pressing them, the Doctor proceeds to laud its virtues in a long list of complaints, in¬ 
cluding colic, fevers, bilious complaints, cramp, etc. etc. Whilst using it with the Bath 
waters, in aphthie chrouicas of the West Indies, he insists that, during recovery, riding 
should be adopted. “The patient,” he says, “should now take a horse for his physi¬ 
cian, and an ass for his apothecary. Viresque acquirat eundo.” (Huxham.) 
The last few years have presented us with something new relating to castor oil, viz. 
the commercial introduction to English pharmacy of the Italian variety. Mr. H. Phillips, 
of Naples, has published in the Transactions of the British Pharmaceutical Conference, 
some account of its manufacture, by which it appears that the outer coat being removed, 
the seed is then gently pressed for some days in a press lined with filtering-paper. The 
resulting oil is paler and has less flavour and odour than the East Indian oil. Mr. Phillips 
points out that exposure to the sun is carefully avoided, since it is known to give a ten¬ 
dency to rancidity,—a fact which may usefully be recollected in England, where, I fear, 
the sale of bleached castor oil is still the practice with a majority of our brethren. The 
description of Italian castor oil just given, applies to what that article should be ; unfor¬ 
tunately much that is sent over does not reach this standard.* 
In having to give an opinion unfavourable to the quality of some samples of this 
fixed oil, I am reminded of the unsatisfactory position of our means of testing the purity 
both of fixed and volatile oils. As to the former, we have in cod-liver oil a medicine, of 
the purity of which we ought to be able to assure ourselves, and yet what guarantee does 
chemical analysis afford ? Almost the only characteristic reactions of fixed oils are those 
recorded by Dr. Grace Calvert, who uses sulphuric and other acids, and caustic alkalies as 
reagents, the colours produced being the indications of purity or the converse. Some of 
these colour tests are not very characteristic when unmixed samples are operated on, but 
woe to the analyst who has to rely upon them solely in the case of fraudulent mixtures. 
And yet we owe Dr. Calvert a debt of gratitude for even this glimmering of light in our 
darkness. But, if chemistry cannot help us, it seems as if experimental physical science 
might. The properties of essential oils in relation to the polarization of light, have been 
studied by Mr. H. Sugden Evans, and deserve more notice than they have received. We 
know-what marvellous analytical power was developed in the method of spectrum ana¬ 
lysis discovered by Kirchhoff and Bunsen, which embarrasses us by its very delicacy, since 
the dust of our rooms and bookshelves brings the soda-band of the spectrum into all our 
experiments. Still later, Mr. Sorby’s micro-spectroscopic investigations of the appear¬ 
ances of fluids, as blood, lead us to methods of research still more hopeful for pharmacy. 
Mr. Stoddart has given a striking illustration of the superiority of physical over 
chemical methods of examination in the following case. He 'was desirous of testing a 
large number of samples of barks for the presence of an alkaloid which possessed, like 
* Castor oil is as useful in the trades as it is as a medicine. It is much better to soften 
and to redeem old leather than any other oil known. When, boots and shoes are greased with 
it, the oil will not at all interfere with the polishing afterwards, as in the case with lard, olive, 
or any other oil. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the old leather hose of some of the fire compa¬ 
nies was greased with it, and it was found to become almost as soft and flexible as new leather. 
Leather belts for transmitting motion in machinery will usually last three to five years, accord¬ 
ing to the wear and tear they are exposed to; when greased with castor oil, they will last ten 
or more, as they always remain flexible and do not crack. Besides this advantage, castor oil 
will prevent slipping, so that a belt 3 inches wide impregnated with it will be equal to a belt 
4^ inches wide without castor oil. It is necessary, however, to wait twenty-four hours, till 
the oil has disappeared from the surface and penetrated the leather, otherwise the freshly- 
greased surface will cause slipping. That rats and other vermin detest anything impregnated 
with castor oil, and will not touch it, is another advantage.— Newsjpaper paragraph. 
