TAMARIND, Tamarindus Indica, a beautiful tree, of the natural order leguminosos, suborder Casalpinew, a native of the East Indies, but now very generally cultivated in warm climates. Only one species is known (T. Indica), a spreading tree, 30 or 40 ft. high, with alternate pinnate leaves, which have from 12 to 15 pair of small leaflets, and fragrant flowers, with three petals, the pods brown and many-seeded, as thick as a man's finger, and about six in. long. The pods are filled with a pleasant, • acidulous, sweet, reddish-black pulp. It is brought to Europe, mixed with seeds and fibers, in the form of a mass resembling jam, from the East and West Indies, and the Levant. Tamarinds are generally preserved by throwing hot Syrup on the ripe pulp; but a better method is to put alternate layers of tamarinds and sugar in a stone jar, the color and taste being thus more like those of the fresh-pulp. The wood of the tamarind tree, and especially of its roots, is a cabinet wood of much beauty, but of extreme hardness, so that it is wrought with diftleulty.—The pods of some other trees of genera allied to Tamarindus are filled with a similar pulp, which is used iu the same way, as the tama rind plum of India (dialium Indicant), and the brown and velvet tamarinds of Sierra Leone, species of codariunt.
On chemical analysis, tamarind pulp is found to contain citric, tartaric, and mask acids; potash, sugar, vegetable jelly, etc. As a salt of copper is a common adulteration, a piece of polished iron (a knife, for example) should be plunged into the pulp, and left in it for an hour, when, if copper be present, it will be deposited on the iron. Tama rind pulp is refrigerant and gently laxative; and in combination with more active reme dies, is often employed in the diseases of children. It is used in India as a cooling article of food, and a kind of sherbet is also formed from it; it is also an excellent addi tion to curries. Tamarind tea is made by infusing tamarinds in boiling water; when cold, it forms an agreeable and cooling drink in inflammatory or febrile , disorders. Tamarind whey is prepared by boiling one ounce of tamarinds with a pint of new milk, and straining: this also is an excellent cooling drink in similar cases.