612

horizontal,green line,

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

The three petals broader, ovate, obtuse, white, with a triple

* 11 _

the sepals narrower, less concave. Stamens much longerthan the perianth. The flowers are filled with a purplish honey-(Lindley.) This species is a native of the interior of the Cape of GoodHope , and yields Cape Aloes.

Preparation. —The finest kind of aloes is obtained by evaporating thejuice which flows spontaneously from the transversely-cut leaves. Th lSjuice is lodged in vessels running longitudinally beneath the epidermis-The exudation of it is promoted by dipping the leaves in hot water-But if pressure be employed the proper aloetic juice becomes mixed withthe mucilaginous liquid of the leaves, and thus an inferior kind of aloesis obtained. A still commoner variety is procured by boiling theleaves, from which the juice has been previously allowed to escape*in water.

In the island of Socotra the leaves are plucked at any period, and byany one who chooses to take the trouble; and after being placed in askin, the juice is allowed to exude from them (Wellstead, Journ. Geograph-Soc. vol. v.)

In Barbadoes the aloes is best procured in the month of March. I 4 lSobtained as follows “ Every slave hath by him three or four portabletubs. The leaves being cut near the roots, are thrown into these, "ip 1their broken ends downwards; and as the leaves are full of large long. 1 'tudinal veins or vessels, they yield an easy passage to the juice (whichof a greenish-yellow colour) to drip out." This being boiled for abomfive hours in a copper or kettle, the watery particles evaporate, and th eremainder comes to a consistency and thickening as sugar doth wh eJ1sufficiently boiled. The way to know when it is enough boiled is*dip a stick in the liquor, and observe whether the aloe sticking to 1 ’when cold, breaks short: if it doth, then it is boiled to perfection, and 11to be poured into gourds or calabashes, or other vessels, for use” (Hugh®®*Nat. Hist, of Barbadoes , p. 154. This account is further confirmed ^that of Mr. Millington, Lond. Med. Journ. vol. viii. p. 422.) Dr. Wrig 11[Lond. Med. Journ. vol. viii. p. 219) says, that, in Jamaica , the lea'' eS ’contained in hand-baskets or nets, are boiled in water, and the strain®liquor evaporated to a proper consistence, and then poured into go 111or calabashes.

Description and Varieties.—1. Socotrine Aloes ( Aloe socotrina s easuccotrina: Aloe socotorina, Ph . Ed.) A few years ago, this kind of al° eSwas brought by way of Smyrna, and hence was frequently termed TufMAloes. It is now, however, usually imported from Bombay. It comes o' ein skins, contained in casks, kegs, and chests. It is of a reddish bro"' 1colour, glossy, pellucid, and having a smooth conclioidal fracture. By eS 'posure to the air it becomes deeper coloured. Its taste is very bitter; ^odour has been compared to that of myrrh, being pleasant and aro ta^The colour of the powder is bright yellow. ’ The finest kinds of Socotr" 1aloes, which I have met with, have had the semi-transparent red col 011 ‘observed when we break a large fine tear of myrrh. Heated on the p 0 ';of a knife in the candle, a most fragrant odour is evolved; and by *filiation with water, we obtain a liquid having the fragrant odour of 1aloes, but free from any bitter taste. It has long been regarded as }best kind of aloes, though its commercial value is at the present timinferior to that of Barbadoes aloes.