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Show SOCOTRINE ALOES, 3A5 states, its principal consumption was by the London porter StSSae & = Len brewers. 1. Socorrine Ators. (L..E. Sp, 2. Aloe Spicata. D.) This article is brought, wrapt in skins, from the island of Socotora in the Indian ocean. ‘This sort is the purest of the three in use: it is of a glossy surface, clear, and in some degree: pel- ‘ar ie lucid; in mass, of a yellowish red colour, with a purple cast ; when reduced to powder, of a bright golden colour. It is hard and friable in the winter, somewhat pliable in summer, and grows ~ soft between the fingers. Its taste is bitter and disagreeable, though accompanied with some aromatic flavour; the smell is not very unpleasant, and somewhat resembles that of myrrh. It is prepared in July, by pulling off the leaves, from which the juice is expressed, and afterwards boiled and skimmed. It is then preserved in skins, and dried in August in thesun. According to others, the leaves are cut off close to the stem, and hung up, The juice which drops from them without any expression, is afterwards dried in the sun. SOCOTRINE ALOE. ALOE PERFOLIATA SOCOTRINA. Class VY. Hexandria. Essent. Gen. Cuar. 2, Bareapors or Hepatic Aros. Hepatic alocs is not so clear and bright as the foregoing sort ; itis also of a darker colour, more compact texture, and for the most part dricr. Its smell is much stronger and moredisagree. Order 1. Monogynia. Corclla monopetalous, nectartferous: Filaments in~ serted upon a receptacle. Spec. CHAR. Leaves cauline, dentate, amplexicaul, vaginant: (L. E. D.) Flowers pedunculated. WIS TORY, Te aloes is a perennial plant, of which there are many Yatieties which growin the south of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. But Thunberg says, and the Dublin college agree with him, that the finest aloes are prepared from the Aloe spicata, the second species of Willdenow, which grows at the Cape of Good Hope. During four years that the Cape of Good Tope was in possession of the British, more than 300,000 pounds, the produce of that settlement, were imported into England; and as this quantity was infinitely greater than could be required for the purposes of medicine, it is not improbable that, as Mr. Barrow able; the taste intensely bitter and nauseous, with little or no- thing of the aromatic flavour of the socotrine. The best hepatic aloes come from Barbadoes in large gourd shells, and an inferior sort of it, which is generally soft and clammy, is brought over incasks. In Barbadves the plant is pulled up by the roots, and carefully cleaned from the earth and other impurities. It is then sliced into small hand-baskets and nets, which are put into large iron boilers or cauldrons with water, and boiled for ten minutes, when they are taken out, and fresh parcels suppliedtill the liquor is strong and black, which is then strained into a deep vat, nar- Tow at the bottom, whereit is left to cool and to deposit its feculent parts. Next daythe clear liquor is drawn off bya cock, and again committed to a large ironvessel. At first it is boiled briskly, but towards the end it is slowly evaporated, and requires constant stirring to prevent burning. Whenit becomes of the consistence of honey, it is poured into gourds or calabashes for sale, and hardens byage. |