344 Ibervillea Sonorae 



magnesium sulfate precipitated globulin. Solutions of both the 

 globulin and the albumin precipitates obtained in this way gave 

 no more satisfactory differential results with the coagulation 

 method than the original extracts. The number of globulins 

 and albumins present was not, therefore, ascertained. It appeared 

 probable that these proteins coagulated through ranges of degrees 

 of temperature that overlapped each other, so to speak, thus 

 making differentiation by this process impossible, or else that other 

 substances were precipitated in such ways as to interfere in the 

 manner indicated. 



The precipitates obtained at some of the lower temperatures 

 may have consisted largely of earthy phosphate, for they were 

 not appreciably soluble in lo per cent sodium chlorid solution or 

 in 0.5 per cent sodium carbonate solution, but readily dissolved 

 in 0.2 per cent hydrochloric acid. 



The precipitates obtained at the higher temperatures, on the 

 other hand, were true coagula, for they were practically insoluble 

 in all of the three reagents named. 



Carbohydrates. The carbohydrates present in the tuber were 

 chiefly woody fiber and small amounts of reducing sugar and 

 starch. The nature of the small amount of sugar was not deter- 

 mined. 



Fat, cholesterin and lecithin were extracted and separated by 

 Zuelzer's ether-acetone method.^ No attempt was made to 

 ascertain the characters of either the fatty matter or the lecithin. 

 Their quantities appeared to be relatively slight. 



Saline matters, especially chlorid, sulfate and phosphate, so- 

 dium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron could be readily 

 detected. The ash contained carbonate, most of which was 

 formed by the combustion of the organic matter. Salts of or- 

 ganic acids were frequently indicated, in the various reactions 

 tried, but no attempt was made to ascertain the characters of the 

 organic radicals. Tri-basic calcium phosphate was precipitated 

 in relative abundance from aqueous and saline extracts on warm- 

 ing. Earthy phosphate was subsequently found to occur in the 

 root, and in such extracts. 



Enzymes were looked for but were not detected. Proteolytic, 



' Zuelzer: Zeitschr. fur physiol. Chem., xxvii, p. 255, 1899. 



