alcohol, and insoluble in water. It has an acid reaction, dissolves in alkaline solutions, but is precipitated by carbonic anhydride. It has an extremely burning taste, and, when heated, gives off vapours which violently attack the mucous membrane.
The average amount of lecithin in the dried seeds was found to be 1.82 per cent., when determined directly by Schulze and Steiger's method.
Fresh analyses of the seeds were made, as before, by Henneberg's method, but the results do not differ much from those previously obtained, except in the case of nitrogen-free extract (29.64) and the crude fibre (21.23 per cent, on dry matter). The crude fibre was redetermined by Schulze's method ; the average result was 30.50 per cent. The nitrogen-free extract then amounts to 20.19 percent, consisting in part only of carbohydrates. There seems to be only a trace of a true carbohydrate (cither dextrose or a substance which, when hydrolysed, gives dextrose) ; pentoses are present in greater amount, whilst galactose, mannose, starch, and cane sugar, etc., could not be detected.
By means of 1.5 per cent aqueous potash, a new carbohydrate, termed capsicum seed mucilage, was extracted from the seeds. It is insoluble in water, merely swelling. With iodine, a green coloration is produced which rapidly becomes blue. Zinc chloride and potassium iodide give no reaction. After boiling with acids, it readily reduces Fehling's solution. It contains pentose and probably galactose groups.
The pure ash of the placenta has the following percentage composition.
| K2O | Na2O | CaO | MgO | Fe2O3 | P2O | SO3 | SiO2 | Cl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66.06 | 4.44 | 4.70 | 3.97 | 0.88 | 8.75 | 8.32 | 3.72 | 2.89 |
Alumina and manganese were found in traces in the ash.— J. Ch. S. LXX. pt. II. p. 209-210. (1896).
866. Withania somnifera, Dunal. h.f.b.i., iv. 239.
Syn. : — Physalis flexuosa, Linn. Roxb. 189.
Sans. : — Ashvagandhâ.
Vern. : — Asgand (H.) ; Amkoolang (Tam.) ; Peneroo (Tel.) ; Pevetti (Mal.); Nati-ki-asgand (Deccan) ; Amuk-kura-virai (Tam.) ; Bunera-gadda-vittulu (Tel.) ; Bayman (Sind).
Habitat : — Throughout drier, subtropical India ; frequent in the West and Hindustan, rare in Lower Bengal.
An unarmed, erect shrub, attains 5ft., often semi-shrubby at base ; root long, tapering. Stems branched, covered with
