MEDICO-BOTANICAL NOTICES. 103 
Persoon, also appear to be highly poisonous. The C. thevetia, 
a native of the West Indies, has been experimented upon by 
Dr. Madianna, (Jinn. Lyceum Nat. Hist. i. 86,) who found 
the juice highly energetic, causing death in animals in a short 
time, with all the symptoms produced by the acro-narcotics. 
He is of opinion that the active principle is hydrocyanic acid, 
but it is more probable that its powers are owing to the pre- 
sence of the peculiar substance above alluded to. Descourtilz 
states that two grains of the bark are equivalent to a full dose 
of cinchona, in the treatment of paroxysmal fevers. (Flor. 
Med. des Antilles, iii. 40.) 
The C. ahouia, found in Brazil, is said by Orfila to bear 
a very poisonous nut, acting powerfully in small doses as an 
emetic, and in larger quantities producing death. The C. 
manghas, a native of several parts of the East Indies, has long 
been known as a medicinal agent. According to Ainslie, 
(Mat. Ind. ii. 260,) it is the Manghas lactescens Burmann, 
(Zeyl. 150 t. 79 f. 1,) and arbor lactaria, Rumphius, (Jim- 
boy n. ii. 243, t. 81,) who speaks of the bark being eminently 
cathartic. It also appears to be the C. salutaris, Loureiro, 
(Flor. Coch. Chin., i. 134,) and is noticed by Horsfield, 
(Asiatic Journ., March, 1819;) he states that the leaves and 
bark are considered by the Javanese as active purgatives, and 
that the fruit is externally applied as a cataplasm in diseases 
of the skin. When taken internally, this fruit produces symp- 
toms closely resembling those caused by stramonium. 
Anacardium occidentals — This tree is a native of the 
West Indies, where it attains a height of from twenty to 
twenty-five feet. Its fruit, which is known under the name 
of Cashew apple, is very peculiar, as this apple is nothing 
more than a large, pyriform, succulent receptacle, which sup- 
ports a reniform nut of about an inch in length. The apple is 
edible, having an agreeably rough and sweet taste. The nut 
is covered with a hard but brittle shell, between which and 
the kernel is a very bitter and caustic oil, which, when applied 
to the skin, causes an erysipelatous eruption; it is very vola- 
