RANUNCULACEZ:. : 19 
“branched. The tubers break with a short fracture, and the 
inner substance is either white and farinaceous, or horny and 
yellowish ; both kinds of tuber have a pure persistent bitter taste 
and no acridity; the horny tubers when moistened develop a 
pungent smell like nasturtium. 
Microscopic structure.—The tuber 1s composed of a starchy 
parenchyme, with from 6—12 bundles of scalariform vessels ; 
in young roots these are crowded together towards the centre, 
but in more mature ones they are nearer the circumference ; 
there is no brown zone connecting the vascular bundles. 
Chemical composition.—Bikhma has been examined in Prof. 
Flickiger’s laboratory by Mr. Yiinichiro Shimoyama, who 
reports as follows: —“ Ten parts of the powdered tubers with one 
_ part of slaked lime and about 100 parts of water were dried. 
_ The dried powder was repeatedly extracted by a_ sufficient 
_ quantity of strong alcohol, and the latter removed by distil- 
_ lation, to the residue a little acetic acid and water was added to 
get rid of resinous matters. The filtrate was further purified 
by means of ether, and the alkaloid precipitated from the 
acetic solution by adding caustic lye. By repeating the same - 
_ treatment the alkaloid was at last obtained as a perfectly 
_ white amorphous powder of decidedly alkaline reaction, and 
_ avery persistent purely bitter taste. The alkaloid dissolved in 
excess of hydrochloric acid, yielded needle-shaped crystals of 
the hydrochlorate, which were not produced when a neutral 
solution was used. The hydriodate was also found to be 
; crystallizable, but not the picrate, chromate, or iodohydrar- 
; gyrate. The aqueous solutions of the alkaloid were precipi- 
_ tated by bichloride of mercury and by tannic acid, not by 
_ iodide of potassium. The alkaloid was found to be readily — 
_ soluble in alcohol, chloroform, bisulphide of carbon, benzol and 
_ ether, but none of these solutions afforded crystals ; it was | 
_ dissolved by concentrated sulphuric acid, and the yellowish 
solution gradually assumed a splendid purple colour, lasting © 
' for a day or more ; it turned violet on addition of a few drops _ 
of water. If the alkaloid is evaporated at 100° C. with phos 
_ phorie acid, a — = hue is also Pa ae i 
