116 PROCEEDINGS OP THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



Reduced to percentage, we obtain 



100.00 100.00 



" No. IV. Arrowroot. 



" Arrowroot is a very pure starch, prepared in the West Indies 

 from the roots of the Marantha arundinacea and indica. The starch is 

 contained in the tubers, in numerous very minute cells. It has been 

 cultivated with the greatest success upon the Hopewell estate, in the 

 island St. Vincent, where it often grows to the height of three feet, 

 and sends out tap-roots to the depth of eighteen inches ; the prepara- 

 tion is as follows : — ' The carefully skinned tubers are washed, then 

 ground in a mill, and the pulp washed in tinned copper cylindrical 

 washing-machines. The fecula is subsequently dried in drying-houses. 

 In order to obtain the fecula free from impurity, pure water must be 

 used, and great care and attention paid in every step of the process. 

 The skinning or peeling of the tubers must be performed with great 

 nicety, as the cuticle contains a resinous matter, which imparts color 

 and a disagreeable flavor to the starch. German-silver palettes are 

 used for skinning the deposited fecula, and shovels of the same metal 

 are used for packing the dried fecula. The drying is effected in pans 

 covered by white gauze, to exclude dust and insects.' (Pereira.) 



I. 4.4838 grm. lost at 100° C. 0.7404 grm. 

 II. 3.6005 grm. dried at 100° C. left 0.0077 grm. ash. 



III. 0.3978 grm. gave 0.6325 grm. CO., and 0.2286 grm. HO. 



IV. 0.3908 grm. gave 0.6209 grm. CO2 and 0.2258 grm. HO. 



V. 1.3125 grm. gave 0.03 grm. NH.Cl. PtCl.,. 



Corresponding in 100 parts to 



