ALOE, a genus of succulent plants belonging to the natural order It comprehends a very considerable number of species which differ from each other exceedingly in the size, form, and surface of their leaven, in stature, and in the colour, size, and structure of their flowers. The greater part of them are mere objects of curiosity, and are only seen in collections of succulent plants; but among them are species of much value, on account of their yielding the well-known medicinal drug called Aloes.
From what particular species the resinous substance called Aloes in procured, and whether the different samples known under the name of Hepatic Aloes, Socotrine Aloes, and Horse Aloes are yielded by different species, or arc only different qualities of the same species, are points not settled.
All that appears certain is that plants nearly related to Alec perfo liata of Liumeus, which sonic consider distinct species, while others pronounce them mere varieties of each other, are what the drug ie prepared from. In all probability, all the species of the genus having an arberescent stem and thick succulent leaves will yield the substance equally well.
That which has the reputation of producing the best aloes is A. Socotrina, a plant having, when old, a round stem 3 or 4 feet high ; leaves of a sword form, I to 2 feet long, sharp-edged, sawed, hard, and pungent at the apex, often collected in clusters at the top of the stem ; and red flowers tipped with green, borne in clusters on tall stalks which rise erect from among the leaves. This is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and the island of Socotra, but it is now commonly cultivated in the West Indies. The processes of preparing the drug are various. Sometimes the leaves are cut off at their base and placed in iron vessels to drain, until they have discharged all their juice, which is then inspissated ; in other places, the leaven are cut into slices and boiled for ten minutes, after which the water in which they have been boiled is evaporated ; occasionally pressure is resorted to for the purpose of procuring the greatest quantity of juice.
Socotrine Aloes seem to be the purest kind obtained by draining only ; Hepatic or Barbadocs Aloes, which are obtained from the Aloe vulgaris, are less pure, and may be obtained by boiling or slight pressure; while Horse Aloes are undoubtedly a coarse prepa ration of the ;kegs of the last-mentioned. [Aims; in ARTS AND Sc. DIV.] No plants can be more easy to cultivate artificially than tho Aloe Tribe. They are incapable of parting rapidly with water, and therefore require to be planted in a soil that is very slightly retentive of moisture, PO that they may not he gorged with it by their mote ; for this reason, they are potted in a compost consisting of little more than lime rubbish mixed with a small quantity of ordinary soil, and carefully drained.
They require a green-house which is capable of being maintained at a temperature of not less than 40° in the depth of winter, at which time they should have no water whatever ; in the summer they want no fire-heat, but may be watered regularly, the supply being always in proportion to their rate of growth and to the temperature of the air ; that is to say, when in full growth and in a high tempe rature, they may have abundance of water, and when growing slowly in a low temperature they should have but very little.