Semecarpus Anacardium

The marking nut tree of India. The thick,

fleshy receptacle bearing the fruit is of a yellow color when

ripe, and is roasted and eaten. The unripe fruit is employed in

making a kind of ink. The hard shell of the fruit is permeated by

a corrosive juice, which is used on external bruises and for

destroying warts. The juice, when mixed with quick-lime, is used

to mark cotton or linen with an indelible mark. When dry it forms

a dark varnish, and among other purposes it is employed, mixed

with pitch and tar, in the calking of ships. The seeds, called

Malacca beans, or marsh nuts, are eaten, and are said to stimulate

the mental powers, and especially the memory; and finally they

furnish an oil used in painting.