Definition of "aloe"

Aloe ferox, Miller. South-Africa. This species yields the best Cape-aloes, as observed by Dr. Pappe. The simply inspissated juice of the leaves of the various species of the genus constitutes the aloe-drug. It is best obtained by using neither heat nor pressure for extracting the sap. By re-dissolving the aqueous part of Aloes in cold water, and reducing the liquid through boiling or other processes of exsiccation to dryness, the extract of aloes is prepared. The bitter sap, used for dressing wounds, keeps off flies very effectually. It deserves introduction particularly in veterinary practice.

1885 Ferdinand von Mueller: Select Extra-tropical Plants, Readily Eligible For Industrial Culture Or Naturalization. pub: Melbourne: J. Ferres

In mercy I put a bullet through his skull, and he fell sprawling among the aloes.

1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London, New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton