PALM  OILS  OF  COMMERCE. 
459 
to  be  higher  than  the  patient's  stomach,  and  I  observed  while 
the  syringe  was  not  being  used,  that  the  liquid  continued  to  flow 
into  the  stomach- — the  action  being  that  of  a  syphon.  I  at  once, 
to  test  the  syphon,  substituted  a  simple  elastic  tube  for  the 
syringe,  and  found  the  stomach  could  be  as  readily  emptied  as 
filled.  Thus  I  conceived  the  idea  of  using  a  syphon  instead  of 
a  stomach  pump,  and  have  used  the  same  in  a  case  of  poisoning 
recently  with  the  most  complete  success. 
I  attach  four  feet  of  india  rubber  tubing  to  a  stomach  tube, 
fill  both  with  water  by  simply  dipping  it  in  the  liquid  end  first, 
then  compressing  the  elastic  tube  between  the  thumb  and  finger 
to  keep  the  fluid  from  running  out,  introduce  the  stomach  tube, 
lower  the  outer  end  of  the  elastic  tube,  and  the  contents  of  the 
stomach  pour  out  as  readily  as  if  from  an  open  vessel.  When 
the  fluid  ceases  to  flow,  I  dip  the  outer  end  of  the  tube  beneath 
the  surface  of  water,  elevate  the  vessel  containing  it,  and  the 
stomach  is  soon  filled  ;  lower  again  the  outer  end  of  the  tube  and 
the  stomach  is  emptied.  This  can,  of  course,  be  repeated  as 
often  as  is  necessary. 
The  advantages  claimed  for  this  simple  contrivance  are,  that 
it  may  be  almost  always  improvised,  is  of  speedy  and  easy  ap- 
plication, has  no  valves  to  become  obstructed  or  deranged,  and 
is  less  expensive  than  a  stomach  pump. 
The  same  principle  may  be  applied  in  injecting  fluids  into  the 
bowels,  as  indeed  it  has  been  for  injecting  into  the  bladder, 
uterus  and  vagina. — Bost.  3fed.  and  Surg.  Journ.,  August  11, 
1870, /row  aS'^.  Louis  Med.  and  Surg.  Journ. 
PALM  OILS  OF  COMMERCE. 
By  p.  Guyot. 
Palm  oil  is  obtained  from  the  fruit  of  the  Avoira  or  Crocro 
palm-tree,  growing  on  the  coast,  and  also  in  the  interior  of 
Guinea.  It  yields  two  kinds  of  oil — viz.,  a  white-colored,  but- 
ter-like substance,  extracted  from  the  kernel  of  the  fruit,  and 
chiefly  used  by  the  natives  as  food;  the  point  of  fusion  of  this 
oil  is  stated  to  be  rather  high.  The  other  kind  is  extracted  from 
the  fibrous  sarcocarpon  surrounding  the  fruit ;  at  the  prevailing 
