Cashew Nut

Cassavium pomiferum

Names:

Sempecardium, anacardium,Oriental Cashew,A. Occidentale.

History:

grows in Jamaica, West Indies.other tropical parts of the Americas. Its rose-colored pannicales produce a fleshy receptacle,called an apple. At the end of the apple there grows a kidney shaped nut.

Constituents:

Anarcadic acid, yellow oleaginous liquid, Cardol,protein, niacin, magnesium, iron.

Uses:

nut or kernel:nutritive;protein,bark:former use for feverfrom Malaria.fresh nutshell juice: removal of warts and corns, ringworms,cancerous ulcers, elephantiasis, in beauty treatment to remove a skin layer from facial tissue.in fruit juice, wine or spirit,also of use for dropsy and uterine complaints.Milky secretion from inceised tree: indelible marking ink,nut: non-drying lubricant oil.Gum: Used luike gum Arabic since it is similar -(Cadjii gum), a gum which washes books to provide a repellant to moths and ants. Used as a hair dye, but not with acids, acid salts or acetate of lead. A powerful diuretic.Male potency, older broken nuts mixed with Madeira Wine for flavouring. cocoa and nuts produce good chocolate.

Contra-Indications:

Between its inner and outer shell there is a "thick,inflammable, caustic oil, which could raise painful skin blisters if handled." Cashew nut, must be roasted well, or this is, itself, caustic to tongue and skin.