in the Y^ar 1835, in reference to the Physiology of Plants, 249 



the descending sap which has been prepared in the leaves, since 

 we find it already in the stem when the leaves have not yet 

 sprouted, and only completely developed leaves are capable of 

 an assimilating process. 



M. Du Menil found in his examination of the bark o^Pinus 

 sylvestris, in 1000 parts, 60 parts starch*. According toDu 

 Menil the bark was separated from the alburnum ; as however 

 non-botanists possess in general erroneous conceptions of bark, 

 liber and alburnum, we do not know what Du Menil has 

 examined ; very likely what he separated from the bark was 

 the young wood. M. Nardo, who examined the bark of Pi- 

 71US mai'itimaf, found in it no starch, and the question is, 

 whether this difference of results depends on the time of the 

 year, or on the method of examination. M. Proctor ascer- 

 tained the occurrence of starch in the bai*k of Prunus virgi- 

 nianaX^ as did J. Martin in the leaves of Cassia marylandica^, 

 M. Payen |1 examined the tubers of Oralis crenata, which were 

 recommended as food, and found in the younger kinds 2*5 per 

 cent, starch, and in the older ones 10 per cent* Those granules 

 of starch, which are inclosed several in one cell, are more un- 

 even and irregular than those of most of the other kinds. The 

 results of an analysis of the tubers of Cyperus esculentus, by 

 M. Semmola^ deserve also to be mentioned; among other 

 substances, he states that he found 224- p. m. starch, and 43 

 p. m. inulin ; these results, however, want confirmation. 



M. Julia Fontenelle** made known some interesting remarks 

 on corn which had been buried in the earth for a considerable 

 time. A corn magazine in the citadel of Metz, built about 

 300 years ago, contained corn from which good bread could 

 be made. M. Passalaqua brought from the ruins of Thebes, 

 some species of fruit, the production of which he supposes to 

 have taken place above 3000 years since. By examination 

 the corn was found to be a little acid, to have lost its gluten, 

 but to have retained the "whole quantity of starch, A bread, 

 even as old as the above-mentioned corn, found in a mummy, 

 contained a quantity of germinated and lightly roasted grains 

 of barley, which also contained an acid, no gluten, and much 

 starch. 



Inulin was formerly obtained only by boiling the parts of 

 plants, by which operation it sank as powder from the hot 

 decoction. After what we have learnt on the changing action 

 of boiling water on starch, and those bodies related to it, 



* Archivfur Pharmaciey vol. i. Part i. 

 t Isis, 1834, Partvi. vii. p. 670. 

 : Journ. de Chimie Med., 1834, p. 674. 

 § The American Journ. of Pharm., 1835, April, p. 19 — 24. 

 II Journ. de Chimie Med., 1835, May. t Ibid. *♦ Uid., 1834. Feb- 

 Third Series. Vol. 10. No. 61. April 1837. 2 K 



