MALACCA BEANS, or Anacardium, the fruit of a tree
growing in Malabar and other parts of the East Indies,
supposed by some to be the AVICENNIA tomentosa;
by others, the BONTIA germinans. The fruit is of a
shining black colour, of the shape of a heart flattened,
about an inch long, terminating at one end in an ob-
tuse point, and adhering by the other to a wrinkled
stalk: it contains within two shells a kernel of a sweet-
ish taste: betwixt the shells is lodged a thick and acrid
juice.
The medicinal virtues of anacardium have been great-
ly disputed. Many have attributed to them the facul-
ty of comforting the brain and nerves, fortifying the
memory, and quickening the intellect: and hence a
confection made from them has been dignified with the
title of confectio sapientum: others think it better de-
serves the name of confectio stultorum, and mention in-
stances of its continued use having rendered people man-
nical. But the kernel of anacardium is not different
in quality from that of almonds. The ill effects attri-
buted to this fruit belong only to the juice contained
betwixt the kernels, whose acrimony is so great, that
it is said to be employed by the Indians as a caustic.
This juice is recommended externally for tetter, freck-
les, and other cutaneous deformities; which it re-
moves only by exulcerating or excoriating the part, so
that a new skin comes underneath.