De Candolle, Prodromus.

Cl. 12. Ord. 1. Icosandria Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Myrtaceae.

G. 972. Calyx four-parted, superior. Petals four. Berry one-celled, one-seeded.

Species 24. C. aromaticus.1 The Clove Tree. De Candolle, Prod. Syst. Nat. pars iii. Hook's Bot. Mag. 2749, 2750. Journal de Physique, tome xiv. 47. t. 1.

Officinal. Caryophyllus, Caryophylli oleum, Lond. Caryo-phyllus aromaticus. Floris germen, et ejus Oleum volatile, Edin. Flores nondum expliciti, et oleum volatile, Dub. Cloves, and Oil of Cloves.

Syn. Cloves: Clousele Girofles (F.), Gewiirz nelken (G), Kruidnagel (Dutch), Kryde nellike (Dan.), Kryddnegliker (Swed.), Gozdz do Potraw (Pol.), Gwasditschka (Russ.), Clavo de espicia (S.), Cravo da India (Port.), Garofano (I.), Kerunful (Arab.), Laung (H.), Lavanga (San.), Craumboo (Tarn.), Bruah Lawang (Malay). The oil: Huile de Girofle (F.), Nelkenohl, (G.), Olio di Girofano (I.), Azeyte de Clavos (S.), Craumbootylum (Tarn.), Woorala tail (Cyn.).

The clove tree is a native of the Moluccas, where it was originally abundantly found, particularly at Machian; but the narrow policy of the Dutch led them to destroy almost all the trees except those which they cultivated on the islands of Amboyna, Honimoa, Oma, and Nousalant, so as to give them a monopoly of the trade, which they have held since 1638. The French, however, obtained some plants which they carried to the Isle of France, in 1770; and thence in 1774, to Cayenne. In 1789 it was also introduced into the island of Dominica, by William Urban Buee, Esq.; and in 1803, into the island of Sumatra, by Mr. William Roxburgh. At all these places it is now cultivated. It is a handsome tall tree, rising upon a stem of very hard wood, covered with a greyish smooth bark. The leaves are ovato-oblong, and pointed at both ends; firm, with many parallel nerves on each side of the midrib; entire, sinuated, and supported on brown pe-

Graecorum, tioles, about half the length of the leaf. The colour of the leaves is dull green; and, when bruised, their odour is strong and aromatic. Its flowers are in terminal cymes, which generally consist of 9, 15, or 21 flowers. The calyx is oblong, woody, and divided at the brim into four small-toothed segments. The corolla consists of four roundish, notched, small petals; enclosing many slender filaments inserted into the calyx, bearing simple anthers. The germen is oblong, with a simple style; the fruit an inferior, coriaceous, bilocular berry.

The clove-tree yields its first crop of cloves at the age of six years; and attains its highest state of bearing at twelve. The existence of the tree is limited to twenty-four years. Although the unopened flowers of this tree, and even the leaves, particularly their petioles, are extremely aromatic and odorous, yet the flowers are inodorous when they are fully blown; and the real fruit is not aromatic.1 The cloves are the unexpanded flowers, which are first obtained when the tree is six years old. At Amboyna they are collected from October to December, when they begin to redden. They require to be dried quickly: on which account they are first immersed in boiling water; then exposed to smoke and a heat of 120° Fahr. till they begin to assume a brown hue: and afterwards the drying is finished in the sun. In the West Indies, those cloves which are dried altogether in the sun are considered the best.

Cloves were first introduced into Europe by the Arabians, who brought them from India. They are imported into this country from the Dutch settlements; the best in chests, and an inferior kind in bags. The oil is brought in bottles; but a considerable quantity is drawn in this country. The best variety of the Amboyna cloves is smaller and blacker than the other varieties, very scarce, and as a mark of pre-eminence is named the Royal clove. The Dutch sometimes mix among the best cloves those from which the oil has been drawn; and the fraud is not easily discovered, as the used cloves regain part of their flavour by this mixture. The oil is also much adulterated: and when it has a hot, fiery taste, and a great depth of colour, it may be suspected.

Qualities.-Good cloves have a strong, fragrant, aromatic odour, and a hot, acrid, aromatic taste, which is very permanent. In form they resemble a small nail, scarcely exceeding half an inch in length; with a roundish conical head, and directly under it four sharp, spreading points, concave

1 Journal de Physique, 1. c. T above. Their colour is deep reddish brown; the conical part of the head being lighter, and yellowish; and this part is very easily separated. To the touch they feel somewhat greasy. Water extracts their odour, but little of their taste: alcohol takes up both; and, when evaporated, the extract is pungent and fiery without any odour. Ether extracts completely their sensible qualities; and when the tincture is evaporated on water, a considerable portion of a very pungent, hot, unctuous resin and some extractive remain.

Cloves yield by distillation in water one sixth of their weight of a heavy, nearly colourless oil, which becomes yellow by age. Its sp. gr. is 1.232. It has the flavour of the cloves, but is comparatively milder. The Dutch oil is deeper, and of a reddish colour; and is extremely pungent and fiery; owing, it is supposed, to its containing in solution some of the resin of the cloves extracted by alcohol.1 According to M. Lodibert, they yield a crystalline principle, which he has named Caryophilline. He considers it a subresin, and has found it only in Molucca and Barbadoes cloves; those from Cayenne containing none of it.

Medical properties and uses.-Cloves are stimulant in a greater degree than any of the other aromatics. They are sometimes given alone in dyspepsia, when it is attended with a very languid state of the circulation, and a sense of coldness in the stomach; and in atonic gout: but they are chiefly used as corrigents to other medicines. The tincture ordered by the French Codex is a useful preparation.2 The oil is used as a corrigent to griping extracts; and sometimes as a local application in toothach. The dose of powdered cloves may be from grs. v. to grs. x.; that of the oil ij. to vj., triturated with sugar.

Officinal preparations.-Infusum Caryophyllorum, L. Infusum Aurantii compositum, L. D. Spiritus Lavandula comp. D. Spiritus Ammoniae aromaticus, L. Mistura Ferri aromatica, D. Confectio aromatica, L. D. Confectio Scammonii, L.D. Vinum Opii, L. D.