OCR Text |
Show COMMON PALMACHRISTI. 803 full height, which seldom exceeds twenty fect. The capsules are prickly and triangular, and contain, under a thin, dry, gray, and black-marbled husk, a white oily kernel. The skin is extremely acrid ; and oneor two of the seeds swallowedentire operate as a drastic purgative or emetic. The kernels yield almost a fourth part of their weight of a bland fixed oil, commonlycalled castor oil. It is obtained from them either by expression, or by decoction with water. The former method is practised in Europe, the latter in Jamaica. To increase the product, it is commonto parch the sceds over the fire before the oil is extracted from them; but the oil thus obtained is inferior to that prepared by cold expression or simple decoction, and is apt to become rancid. Genuine castor oil is thick and viscid, of a whitish colour, insipid or sweetish to the taste, and without smell. MEDICAL USE, COMMON PALMA CHRISTI. RICINUS COMMUNIS. Class XXI. Moneecia. Order 1X. Monadelphia. Essent. Gen. Cuar. Male flower—Calyx five-parted: Corolla none: Stamina numerous. Female flower—Calyx three-parted: Corolla none: sion, with mucilage, or with the addition of alittle wine. Styles three, bifid: Capsule three-celled: Seed one. 5rzc. Coan. Leaves peltate, subpalmate, serrate. TE DESCRIPTION. Tus plant grows eight or ten feet in height. The leaves are large, and deeply divided into lobes, or pointed segments, om long footstalks, contrary to what is usual, unless the plant 15 nodding; the female flowers are on the upper part of the spike, and producea three-celled nut, covered with tough spines containing three seeds. Dr. Cullen observes that ‘ this oil, when the stomach can be Teconciled to it, is one of the most agreeable purgatives we can employ. It has this particular advantage, that it operates sooner after its exhibition than any other purgative I knowof, asit commonly operates in two or three hours. It seldom gives any gtiping, and its operation is generally moderate, one, two, or three stools only. It is particularly suited to cases of costive- Ness, and even to cases of spasmodic colic. In the West Indies it is found to be one of the most certain remedies in the dry belly-ach, or colica pictonum. HISTORY. This plant grows in both Indies, Africa, and the south Europe. Asa medicine, it is a gentle and useful purgative: it in general produces its effects without griping, and maybe given with safety where acrid purgatives are improper, as in colic, calculus, after childbirth, &c.: some likewiseuse it as a purgative in worm cases. Half an ounce or an ounce commonly answers with an adult, and a drachm or two with an infant. The aversion to swallowing oil is generally considerable. Dif. ferent modes of overcoming this have been proposed. Some prefer taking it swimming on a glass of water, or peppermint water, or in coffee stirred round, others in the form of an emul- It is of speedy growth, and in one year arrives at 15 I have neverfound it heating or irritating to the rectum, and therefore have foundit sufficiently Well suited to hemorrhoidal persons. The only inconvenience attending the use ofthis medicine is, that as anoil it is nauseous SE 2 |