272 
Story  of  the  Pap  aw. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1901. 
CH0 
II 
CH 
I 
CHO, 
and  crotonic  aldehyde  (CH3  —  CH  =  CH  —  CHO)  are  all  more 
toxic  than  the  corresponding  saturated  groups. 
{To  be  continued.)  . 
THE  STORY  OF  THE  PAPAW. 
By  F.  B.  Kilmer. 
"  The  slim  papaya  ripens  its  yellow  fruit  for  thee." — Bryant. 
Grant  Allen  tells  us  that  no  plant  can  be  properly  understood 
apart  from  its  native  place.  Therefore,  we  begin  our  study  of  the 
Catica  Papaya  in  its  tropical  home. 
The  Carica  Papaya  is  accredited  as  indigenous  in  Central 
America.  Observations  and  correspondence  lead  me  to  conclude 
that  it  has  become  acclimated  in  the  hot  regions  of  three  continents. 
The  zone  of  most  abundant  growth  seems  to  lie  between  the  iso- 
thermal lines  of  770,  wherever  soil  and  rainfall  are  favorable.  It  is 
grown  by  cultivation  north  and  south  of  these  lines.  (The  papaw 
is  seen  as  far  north  as  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  and  in  Southern  California.) 
In  these  tropical  lands,  where  every  tree  or  plant  has  its  peculiar 
legends  and  myths,  the  views  of  the  natives  upon  plant  life  are  con- 
sidered unscientific  and  valueless,  but  I  have  found  that,  when 
stripped  of  the  terms  of  superstition,  some  of  their  observations, 
compared  with  our  scientific  knowledge,  are  not  far  apart.  Their 
apparent  veneration  for  trees  and  plants  is  based  upon  intimate 
association,  wherein  they  have  come  to  a  knowledge  that  plants  eat, 
drink,  marry,  propagate,  care  for  their  offspring  and  bestow  bless- 
ings or  curses  upon  all  living  things,  including  man.  This  is  about 
all  that  anybody  can  know  about  them. 
Many  trees  are  famous  in  these  lands,  none  more  so  than  the  papaw. 
Conflicting  stories  as  to  its  powers  and  properties  are  due  somewhat 
largely  to  the  fact  that  different  species,  or  variations  in  species 
possessing  varying  characteristics,  are  found  in  these  localities. 
Quite  universal  is  the  knowledge  of  the  unique  property  that  has 
given  to  this  tree  its  world-wide  lame,  viz.:  the  power  of  its  milky 
