100 
ON GRAINS OP PARADISE. 
distinguish it. They are totally devoid of the acrid hot 
taste of the Mellegetta ; are not at all angular, but oblong 
or ovate, slightly inclining to cylindrical, and are so highly 
polished that they appear as if varnished. 
These seven scitamineous fruits thus briefly noticed, are, 
as far as I have been able to ascertain, the only ones to 
which the name of Mellegetta, or Grain of Paradise has 
been applied. At the present day, in England, this name 
is used to indicate the hot acrid seeds brought from the 
coast of Guinea (hence called Guinea Grains) and pro- 
duced by the A mo mum Granum Paradisi of Sir J. E. 
Smith. A very erroneous notion has long prevailed that 
they are poisonous; and, as they are employed principally 
to give a pungent flavor to spirituous liquors, &c, the very 
heavy duty of two shillings per pound was imposed on 
them, and which was intended to act as a prohibition to 
their use. I see, however, that by the new tariff, intro- 
duced by Sir Robert Peel, the duty is lowered to fifteen 
shillings per cwt. 
Pharm. Joum. and Transactions. 
