WILD RICINUS: A genus of the adelia order, belonging to the monocotyledons of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 38th order, Tricoccæ. The male calyx is cylindrical and quinquedentated, the corolla is pentapetalous; the stamens from 10 to 15. The female calyx is polyphyllous; no corolla; three bind styles; the capsule trilocular; one seed. There are 2 species; of which the most remarkable are, 1. The tinctorium, or plant from which the French turpentine is made. This grows naturally in the south of France; it is an annual plant, rising about 9 inches high, with an herbaceous branching stalk, garnished with irregular or rhomboidal figured leaves, which are near two inches long and an inch and a quarter wide in their widest part. These stand upon slender footstalks near four inches long. The flowers are produced in short spikes from the sides of the stalks, at the end of the branches; the upper part of the spike is composed of male flowers, having many stamens which coalesce at the bottom; the lower part hath female flowers, which have each a roundish, three-cornered, germen; these afterwards become a roundish capsule with three lobes, having three cells, each including one roundish seed. This flowers in July; but unless the plants are brought forward on a hot-bed, they do not ripen seeds in this country. From this plant is made the turpentine used for colouring wines and jellies. It is made of the juice which is lodged between the emulsion and the seeds; which, if rubbed on cloths, at first appears of a lively green, but afterwards changes to a bluish purple colour. If these cloths are put into water, and afterwards wrung, they will dye the water to a claret colour. The rags thus dyed are brought to this country, and sold in the druggists shops under the name of turpentine.

2. The sebifera, or tallow-tree, with rhomboidal egg-shaped leaves, pointed, smooth and very entire. It is about the height of a cherry-tree; its leaves in form of a heart, of a deep, shining, red colour, and its bark very smooth. Its fruit is enclosed in a kind of pod, or cover, like a chestnut, and consists of three round white grains, of the size and form of a small nut, each having its peculiar capsule, and within that a little stone. This stone is encompassed with a white pulp, which has all the properties of true tallow, as to consistence, colour, and even smell; and accordingly the Chi- Chinese make their candles of it; which would doubtless be as good as those in Europe, if they knew how to purify their vegetable tallow as well as we do our animal kind, and to make their wicks as well. 3. The aromatic, with heart-shaped ferrated leaves, and an arborecent stem. The bark of this tree is the same as the cascarilla and eleocharia; though these have been considered by some as distinct barks, and sold in the shops as different productions. It is a hot, acrid, aromatic bitter, resembling in appearance the Peruvian bark, but is more bitter and pungent, though not so rough and astringent. It was first introduced into Europe about the end of the last century, and seems first to have been used in Germany, where it is still in very high esteem. There it is frequently employed against common intermittent fevers, in preference to the Peruvian bark, as being less subject to some inconveniences, which the latter on account of its great astringency is apt to occasion. It is also said to have been employed with great success in some very dangerous epidemic fevers attended with petechiae; and it is frequently employed with advantage in flatulent colics, internal hemorrhages, dysenteries, diarrhoeas, and similar disorders. In Britain it has been used by some practitioners, particularly by the late Dr Keir of London, who was of opinion that it was by no means employed to generally as it deserved to be. Its virtues are partially extracted by water, and totally by rectified spirit, but it is most effectual when given in sublance.

4. The cascarilla, described by Linnaeus as producing the officinal bark of that name, is, according to Dr Wright, the wild rosemary shrub of Jamaica, the bark of which has none of the sensible qualities of the true cascarilla or eleocharia above described.