" Wlether this power of hastening the decay of meat be attri butable to the animal matter or fibrine contained in the juice of the Papaw or not, I will not pretend to say ; but the presence of such is a fact scarcely less wonderful than the property just alluded to. Two specimens of the juice were brought from the Isle of France; in the one it had been evaporated to dryness, and was in the state of an extract ; in the other the juice was preserved by being mixed with an equal bulk of rum. Both were subjected to analysis by Vauquclin. The first was of a yellowish-white colour and semi-transparent. Its taste was sweetish. It had no smell, and was pretty solid; but attracted moisture when kept in a damp place. The second was reddish-brown, and had the smell and taste of boiled beef. When the first specimen was macerated in cold water the greatest part of it dissolved; the solution frothed with soap. The addition of nitric coagulated it, and rendered it white; and when boiled it threw down abundance of white flakes. When the juice of the Papaw is treated with water the greatest part dissolves ; but there remains a substance insoluble, which has a greasy appearance. It softens in
the air, and becomes viscid, brown, and semi-transparent. When thrown on burning coals it melted, let drops of grease exude, emitted the noise of meat roasting, and produced a smoke which had the odour of fat volatilised. It left behind it no residue. The substance NMI fibrine. The resemblance between the juice of the Papaw and ttnimal meat is so close that one would be tempted to suspect some imposition, were not the evidence that it is really the juice of a tree quite unquestionable. This fibrins had been supposed previously to belong exclusively to the animal kingdom ; but it has since been found in other vegetables, especially in Fungi." C. digitata, the Chambum, is a Brazilian plant, and regarded with little less honour than the Upas-Tree itself. Poppig says the juice which spirted on his face when he cut into the tree only caused itching in the face and a few blisters on the hands. The male flowers have a very disgusting smell.