436 
Oils  of  Chinese  Pharmacy. 
<  Am.  Jour.  Pharm- 
\     Sept.  1,1874. 
Oil  of  Sunflower. — This  oil  is  known  to  the  Chinese,  but  is  not 
extensively  used  or  known  to  be  employed  in  pharmacy. 
Oil  of  Spike. — A  fine  drying  oil,  is  used  in  painting  on  porcelain 
and  for  varnishing.    It  is  obtained  from  the  Lavandula  or  an  Ocy- 
v  mum.    The  Labiates  do  not  abound  in  China,  but  they  are  held  in 
great  repute  medicinally. 
Oil  of  Tallow  Seeds. — This  oil,  made  from  the  albumen  of  the  seeds 
of  the  tallow  tree,  or  Exccecaria  sebifera,  is  clear,  but  of  a  dark  color. 
It  is  obtained,  in  the  proportion  of  from  15  to  16  lbs.  from  one  hun- 
dred weight  of  the  berries,  by  grinding,  steaming,  and  pressing  the 
refuse  which  results  from  the  preparation  of  the  vegetable  tallow. 
The  oil  is  used  to  varnish  umbrellas,  to  dress  the  hair,  and  to  mix 
with  the  tallow  to  make  the  candles  which  form  so  effective  a  part  of 
the  religious  ceremonies  of  Buddhism,  the  Ritualism  of  China.  It 
has  emetic  and  purgative  properties.  It  is  one  of  the  few  remedies 
given  by  the  Chinese  in  cases  of  poisoning.  Efforts  are  seldom  made 
to  rescue  those  suffering  from  opium-poisoning,  a  common  mode  of 
suicide  in  China. 
It  will  be  observed  that  the  oils  of  Chinese  commerce  are  almost 
exclusively  taken  from  vegetable  sources.  This  is  one  of  the  effects- 
of  Buddhism  on  their  national  life  and  economy.  As  Buddhism 
teaches  that  mercy  and  pity  are  noble  sentiments,  it  forbids  the 
destruction  of  animal  life.  The  flesh  of  the  cow  and  the  sheep  is- 
never  eaten  by  orthodox  Chinese  members  of  the  Buddhist  Church. 
Their  wax  is,  therefore,  vegetable^  their  tallow  is  vegetable,  and  their 
oils  are  vegetable.  Their  gelatines  are  made  from  sea-weed.  Their 
daily  diet  is  fish,  oil  and  rice,  with  an  occasional  treat  of  pork. 
There  are  many  other  vegetable  substances,  such  as  gourd  seeds,, 
the  fruit  of  the  Aleurites  triloba,  etc.,  from  which  the  Chinese  might 
prepare,  or  formerly  have  prepared,  vegetable  fats,  in  obedience  to> 
their  strong  religious  teachings  and  highly  economic  tendencies. 
Mineral  or  rock  oils  are  met  with  in  Shansi,  Sechuen,  and  Formosa,, 
and  in  Corea.  They  are  not  used  for  illuminating  purposes,  as  they 
are  very  inflammable,  and  are  said  to  have  been  employed  in  warfare 
in  the  composition  of  a  sort  of  Greek  ^re.^Pharm.  Journ.  [Lond.^, 
July  25,  1874. 
