Volume 2

A dissertation on the Oleum Palmae Christi, sive Oleum Ricini; or, (as it is commonly called) castor oil: in which its history is illustrated; its properties and virtues explained; and its uses in bilious, calculous, and other disorders, recommended / [Peter Canvane].

  • Canvane, Peter, 1720-1786
Date:
1769
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dissertation on the Oleum Palmae Christi, sive Oleum Ricini; or, (as it is commonly called) castor oil: in which its history is illustrated; its properties and virtues explained; and its uses in bilious, calculous, and other disorders, recommended / [Peter Canvane]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/98 (page 4)
    It'is called ia Latin Ricinus^ becaufe the feed refembles the animal of that name, which commonly infefts horfes and black cattle, called tick. It is likewife called Palma Chrifti^ becaufe the leaves refemble the palm of the hand. It is called by Diofeoridesy in Greek, HiXi % y.^orZj^ a crotonis five ricini animalis fimilitudine quod refert femen. The French fometimes call this plant the agnus caftuSy perhaps on account of the great efficacy of its oil in curing, and in temperating all febrile heats, and efpecially the heats of venery *, from whence, as 1 fup- pofe, the people of St. Chriftophers, who were formerly blended with the French in that ifland, have, by a corruption of agnus caftusy called it cafior oil. It is certain this oil was ufed in St. Kitts be¬ fore it was in any of our other iflands ; what is ' very furprifing, there is little or nothing faid of its medicinal virtues by the gentlemen of the denly arofe a tumult and hurly-burlys infomuch that the bifliop was obliged to go to the Jews to a(k. the:r judgment concerning the name of tWi’^plnut; and when he had received of them the true name^ which was kikaijofty he made an open recantation and con- feflTtd his error, and wis juft y accufed as a falfifier of the holy fcfipture.”—Sometimes the Greeks called this plint (i. c.) Kkinus, from its firnditude with that infeft.