53. _TEASEL_ (Dipsacus fullonem) _is a plant, with a somewhat egg-shaped
head of flowers, and hard reflected scales, which is cultivated in
several parts of England, to be used in the carding of woollen cloth._
_The Fullers Teasel is distinguished from other plants of the same tribe
by having its leaves connected at the base, the flower scales hooked, and
the general calyx reflected or bent back._
The seeds of this plant are usually sown in strong rich land, about the
commencement of spring. The flowers appear in July, and the blossoms begin
to decay in the following month. Shortly after this the heads are cut off,
and exposed daily to the sun until they are perfectly dried.
In the clothing counties of England the fuller's teasel is an article of
considerable importance. The crooked scales accompanying the flowers are so
hard and rough that the heads are employed for raising the nap of woollen
cloths. For this purpose they are either set into flat boards like cards,
or are fixed round the circumference of a large and broad wheel. The former
are used with the hand; and the latter is turned round whilst the cloth is
held against it.
54. _MADDER_ (Rubia tinctorum) _is a rough, trailing plant, that grows
wild in several parts of the South of Europe, and is much cultivated in
England and Holland on account of its roots, which are used by dyers and
calico-printers._
The land best adapted for the cultivation of madder is a soft, sandy loam.
When the roots have attained sufficient growth, they are taken up,
carefully peeled, and dried in an airy shed. After this they are conveyed
to a kiln, where they undergo a kind of management somewhat similar to that
adopted in the drying of hops (260). The next process is to pulverize them,
which is done by pounding or grinding; a secret that was long exclusively
possessed by the Dutch.
Madder is extensively used in dyeing, not only on account of its yielding a
fine red colour, but also as forming a first tint for several other shades.
The madder used for dyeing cottons in the East Indies, is, in some
respects, different from that cultivated in Europe. And, in the
neighbourhood of Smyrna, and in the island of Cyprus, a kind of madder is
grown which affords a peculiarly bright and beautiful colour.
This root is sometimes employed in medicine, in obstructions of the bowels,
rickets, and a few other complaints. It tinges water a dull red colour, and
spirit of wine a deep bright red. When eaten by animals, it stains even
their most solid bones.
Cows are remarkably fond of the madder plant; and when they freely eat of
it their milk becomes red, yet the cream which it affords makes a yellow
butter,
55. _SANDAL WOOD, or YELLOW SAUNDERS, is a yellowish, odoriferous wood,
which is imported from the East Indies in logs or short pieces, chiefly
as a perfume, or for the manufacture of ornamental articles._
_The tree that produces it_ (Santalum album) _grows principally on the
coast of Malabar, and in the island of Timor. It has somewhat the
appearance of a large myrtle, with stiff branches, and smooth, shining,
spear-shaped leaves, each about two inches long. The flowers grow in
clusters, small and red, and are succeeded by berries about the size of
peas._
When the sandal wood trees are cut down they are stripped of their bark;
after which the wood is usually chopped into billets or small pieces, and
buried in a dry place for about two months. During this time the ants eat
the outer part of it, without penetrating to the heart, which is the
sandal. The billets are then taken up, smoothed, and sorted; and the deeper
the colour the higher is found the perfume.
In China this elegant wood, when cut into large planks, is sometimes made
into coffins for the principal persons; and such coffins are said to resist
the effects of air and moisture for many years. The Chinese also reduce the
wood to powder, and, with the addition of water, convert it into a paste,
which they apply to their bodies, their furniture, and about their houses,
as a perfume. The powder of sandal wood is likewise employed as an incense
in their idolatrous temples. Hence it is that a considerable trade in this
wood exists between the East Indies and China.
Besides the logs, the chips and cuttings of the roots of sandal wood are an
article of commerce. From these chips, and from the waste wood, an
odoriferous oil is sometimes prepared, which is considered nearly equal in
fragrance to oil of roses.
Sandal wood is at present seldom used in medicine; though, from its
powerful qualities, it might probably be applied to many medicinal purposes
with success. It has a bitterish aromatic taste, accompanied by a degree of
pungency which is by no means unpleasant,