The Coculus Indi Tree.
Arbor coculos Indicos ferens.
A MODERATELY large tree, native of the warmer parts of the world. It is irregular in its growth, and full of branches; the leaves are short, broad, and of a heart-like shape; they are thick, fleshy, small, and of a dusky green; the flowers are small, and stand in clusters; the fruits follow these, they are of the bigness of a large pea, roundish, but with a dent on one side, wrinkled, friable, and brown in colour, and of an ill smell.
The powder of these strewed upon children's heads that have vermin destroys them, people also intoxicate fish by it. Make a pound of paste, with flour and water, and add a little red led to colour it, add to it two ounces of the coculus indi powdered. See where roach and other fish rise, and throw in the paste in small pieces, they will take it greedily, and they will be intoxicated. They will swim upon the surface with their belly upward, and may be taken out with the hands. They are not the worse for eating.
