SEMEN ARECiE. 671 



The powdered seeds which had been treated with ether were then 

 exhausted by cold spirit of wine (-832), which afforded 1477 per cent, 

 (reckoned on the original seeds) of a red amorphous tannic matter, 

 which after drying, proved to be but little soluble in water, whether cold 

 orboiling. Submitting to destructive distillation, it afforded Pyrocatechin. 

 Its aqueous solution is not altered by ferrous sulphate, unless an alkali 

 is added, when it assumes a violet hue, with separation of a copious 

 dark purplish precipitate. On addition of a ferric salt in mmute quan- 

 tity to the aqueous solution of the tannic matter, a fine green tint is 

 produced, quickly turning brown by a further addition of the test, and 

 violet by an alkali. An abundant dark precipitate is also formed. ^ 



The seeds having been exhausted by both ether and spirit of wine, 

 were treated with water, which removed from them chiefly mucilage 

 precipitable by alcohol. The alcohol thus used afforded on filtration 

 traces of an acid, the examination of which was not pursued. Alter 

 exhaustion with ether, spirit of wine and water, a dark brown solution 

 is got by digesting the residue in ammonia : from this solution, an acul 

 throws down an abundant brown precipitate, not soluble even in boiling 

 alcohol. We have not been able to obtain crystals from an aqueous 

 decoction of the seeds, nor by exhausting them directly with boiling 

 spirit of wine. We have come therefore to the conclusion that UMin 

 (p. 243) is not a constituent of areca nuts, and that any extract it ever 

 made from them, must be essentially different to the Catechu ot Acacm 

 or of JS-audea, and rather to be considered a kind of tannic matter oi 

 the nature of Ratanhia-red or Cinchona- red. 



a 



By incinerating the powdered seeds, 2-2G per cent, were obtained ot 

 brown ash, which, besides peroxide of iron, contained phosphate ol 



magnesium. 



Commerce-Areca nuts are sold in India both m tl^e ^"^^ ff^"" 

 carp) and without it, and the two sorts are enumerated in the <-ustoms 

 Returns under distinct heads. Their widespread consumption n the 

 East gives rise to an enormous trade, of which some motion may be 

 fomied by a consideration of the few statistics bearing upon it wincii 



are accessible. 



cported of areca nuts in the year 1871 

 1872. 71,715 cwt.,— the latter quantit 



value £62.593- in 1872 71715 cwt.,— the latter qudutiuj. ^.....^y 



India; In 1875 o? Te totalexport of 94,507 cwt. 86,446 were slupped 



to India.^ • ,-,„ t„ 



, The Madras Presidency largely trades in the same co^^.f^^ J " /^^ 

 the year 1872-1873 there were shipped thence *^,^^^"l^^Ysi t ; tra^^^ 

 besides about two millions of the entire fruit.^. t"" t^.uT 

 areca nuts is carried on at Singapore and especially m bumatia. 



Uses-Powdered areca nut may be given for the expulsion of tape- 

 ^v'orm in the dose of 4 to G drachms, taken ^ milk ^^f J?^^^/. 

 «l^ould be administered to the patient after a fast of about ^we ve houi. 

 some recommend the previous exhibition of a purgative. It is saiu to 

 oe efficacious against lumhricus as w^ell as twma. 



The charcoal afforded by burning areca nu s in a ^lo^e vessel is so^d 

 as a tooth powder; but except gi'eater density, it possesses no advantage 

 over the charcoal from ordinary wood. 



' Ceylc.n Blue Books. ' From the returns quoted at p. 571, note 5. 



