ON  THE  MATERIA  MEDICA  OF  THE  SANDWICH  ISLANDS.  239 
Of  officinal  plants,  the  following  imperfect  list  will  serve  our 
purpose  of  exhibiting  the  admirable  adaptation  of  the  soil  and 
climate  to  the  production  of  many  choice  articles,  and  of  indi- 
cating how  independent  of  other  countries,  as  to  their  Materia 
Medica,  these  Islands  may  become. 
The  Castor  Oil  (ricinus  communis.)  This  may  be  said  to  be 
effectually  naturalized.  In  many  places  it  grows,  becoming  a 
perennial.  As  yet  no  considerable  use  is  made  of  it.  There 
may,  however,  come  a  time  when  Castor  Oil  shall  be  manufac- 
tured there,  not  only  for  home  consumption,  but  for  export  from 
the  Islands — a  rival  even  to  "the  cold-drawn  East  India  oil." 
Mustard  (sinapis)  grows  wild  over  considerable  tracts.  I  am 
not  aware  that  it  is  at  all  used,  even  as  a  condiment,  though,  no 
doubt,  possessing  requisite  strength.  Mustard  is  even  imported 
for  the  tables  of  foreign  residents. 
The  Pomegranate  (punica  granatum)  has  been  brought  to 
maturity  on  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  is,  no  doubt,  still  culti- 
vated by  those  of  horticultural  tastes.  The  rinds  of  the  fruit 
(malecorium,)  and  the  flowers  (balaustines,)  may  yet  be  valued 
among  the  rural  inhabitants  for  their  astringent  and 'tonic  pro- 
perties ;  though,  if  it  be  true,  as  before  stated,  that  verminous 
affections  are  rare,  the  famed  properties  of  the  bark  of  the  root 
may  not  be  called  into  requisition. 
The  Stramonium  (datura  stramonium,)  introduced  many  years 
since,  now  propagates  itself,  and  was,  about  Honolulu,  the  nui- 
sance of  my  boyish  days.  This  powerful  narcotic,  so  identical 
in  its  effects  with  belladonna,  though  by  no  means  to  be  employed 
as  a  popular  remedy,  may  yet  be  made  valuable  to  the  Island 
practitioner. 
Several  members  of  the  genus  Citrus — The  Orange  (c.  auran- 
tium,)  The  Citron  (c.  medica,)  The  Lemon  (c.  limonium,)  The 
Lime  (c.  acris) — which  are,  I  believe,  all  introduced,  form  an 
important  group.  The  orange  was  first  planted  on  the  Islands 
by  Capt.  Vancouver,  1792.  As  a  fruit,  they  have  already  became 
quite  an  article  of  export.  In  1849,  10,000  were  exported,  and 
in  1850,  139,500.  I  know  not  why  the  Sandwich  Islands. may 
not  produce  the  much  sought  orange  flower  water  (aurantii  floris 
aqua,)  used  both  in  the  toilet  chamber  and  the  apothecary's  shop; 
and  if  the  flowers  of  the  Seville  or  bitter  orange  (citrus  vulgaris) 
be  preferable,  it  can,  no  doubt,  be  added  to  the  Island  Flora- 
