Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/17

CALABAR (OLD) RIVER. of the border line between it and Kamerun (Map: Congo Free State. A 2). It is about 10 miles wide, and extends inland nearly "2.5 miles. Near the head of the bay the waters of three rivers — the Cross, the Calabar, and the Akpa — arc received through a deltoid borderland. The chief towns bordering the delta and estuary are Old Calabar. Duketo«n. and Creektown. The name Old Calabar is also applied to the region around the river, and now incorporated with British Xigcria.

CALABAR BEAN. The seed of Physo- stirimii rcneniisvm. a twining, half-shrubby plant, native of western Africa, of the natural order Leguminosa>. nearly allied to the kidney-bean, but of a genus distinguished by the hood-shaped stigma and the deeply furrowed hilum of the seed. The following are the leading characters of the bean itself: '"About the size of a very large horse-bean, with a very firm, hard, brittle, shining integument, of a brownish-red, pale- chooolate, or ash-gray color. Irregularly kid- ney-shaped, with two flat side.s, and a furrow running longitudinally along its convex margin, ending in an aperture near one end of the seed. Within the shell is a kernel, consisting of two cotyledons, weighing on an average about 46 grains, hard, white, and pulverizable, of a taste like that of the ordinary edible leginiinous seeds, without bitterness, acrimony, or aromatic flavor. It yields its virtues to alcohol, and im- perfectly to water." It is used in the form of an emulsion by the natives of Africa, as an or- deal when persons are suspected of witchcraft. It is believed that if one vomits them he is in- nocent : if they are retained and death occurs, he is guilty. If the accused person is innocent he will usually eat a large number without hesitation, and so cause vomiting; if he hesi- tates and takes little, this does not occur. In 18.")5 Dr. Christian very nearly fell a victim to his zeal for science in experimenting on some specimens of this bean which had been sent to Edinburgh by some African missionaries, dan- gerous symptoms having been pro<luced by 12 grains of the kernel which he swallowed. In 1861 Dr. Thomas K. Fraser tried the effects upon himself of doses of fi. 8, and 10 grains. The general symptoms were epigastric uneasi- ness, great feebleness, dimness of vision, saliva- tion, giddiness, and irregular, feeble, and slow hearfs action. When placed on the eyeball, this substance contracts the pupil, decreases intra- ocular tension, and produces near-sightedness. In 1864 fifty children were poisoned by eating these beans, which, were swept out. of a ship at Liverpool. A boy aged years. Iio ate si.x beans, died very speedily. The- chief symptoms in these eases were griping, vomiting, and con- tracted pupils; the face was pale, the eyes bright and protruding, and in trying to walk the chil- dren staggeredj as if they were drunk. The bean contains two alkaloids — physostigmine, or eser- ine, which represents the chief activity of the dx'ug; and calabarine. which has a tetanizing action like strychnine. It has been used medic- inally, in small doses, in chorea, tetanus, and strychnine pois(ming. It is employed to coun- teract the dilatation of" the pupil caused by at- ropine, to lessen intraocular tension in glau- coma, and to alternate with atropine in breaking up ailhesions in iritis, j'eing now a recognized medicinal agent, it is satisfactorv to know that the dangerous and even fatal effects of exces- sive doses may be prevented by administering belladonna (nightshade), or its active princH pie, atropine. Belladonna has also an opposite action on the eye to that of this substance. When the pupil is contracted by Calabar bean, it may be dilated to its normal size or larger by belladonna; and when it is dilated bv bella- donna. It may be reduced to its, normal siz^e or smaller by Calabar bean: but the action of eserine is not as durable as that of atropine.

CALABASH GOURD (Fr. calchasse, Sp. cal- alxnn, a dry gourd: cf. Pers. khnrbuz, melon, Little Russ. harbuz. pumpkin, watermelon), or Bottle Gourd {Lagenaria vuhjnris). A climbing annual plant of tlie natural order CucurbilaceiC, cultivated in tropical countries. The angular leaves and the thin stem of the plant feel sticky to the touch, and have a disagreeable odor. The odor of the white flowers resembles that of musk. The hard rind of the bottle-shaped fruit, called calabash, is much used in tropical coun- tries for holding liquids. The pulp of the com- mon bottle gourd is worthless, and cannot be used as an article of food. Other varieties of Lagenaria, however, bear an edible fruit, which is sometimes sweetened with sugar and offered for sale. For illustration, see Plate under CucfMBERS.

CALABASH-TREE {Crescentia cujete) . An evergreen tree found in the West Indies and in the tropical parts of America, belonging to the order Bignoniaceic. In height and size it re- sembles an apple-tree, and has broad, lanceolate leaves, tapering to the base: large, whitish, fleshy flowers scattered over the trunk and older branches; and a gourd-like fruit, sometimes a foot in diameter. The wood of the tree is tough and flexible, and is well adapted for coach- making. The most useful part is the hard shell of the fruit, after the outer skin is removed. L'nder the name of calabash, it is much used, in place of bottles, for holding liquids, and for goblets, cups, water-cans, etc. These shells may even be used as kettles for boiling liquids. Tlie'y are sometimes highly polished, carved with fig- ures, tinged with various colors, and converted mto ornamental vessels. The rinds of gourds are sometimes similarly used and called cala- bashes.

CALABAZAR, kii'la-bfi-thar'. An inland city of Culia." in the Province of Santa Clara, about 20 miles north bj' east of Santa Clara. It has a fine parish church and a pretentious municipal building. Population, in 1899, 1575; municipal district, 13,419.

CALABOZO, kii'la-bo'so (Sp., dungeon). A town in 'enezuela, capital of the State of Mi- randa, about 120 miles south-southwest of Cara- cas (Map: Venezuela, D 2). It is situated on the Guftrico River, in the fertile grazing region of the great plains, and is an important com- mercial centre, with a trade in live stock, hides, cheese, timber, ete, Calabozo is the see of a bishop. The climate in this vicinity is exces- sively hot, and inundations an; not infrequent. Calal)ozo was a humble native village until the early years of the P^ighteenth Century, having been founded in 1730. Population, about 6000.