PAPAVERACEE. | | 109 
and is 3 dipped in Bhan (ashes of cowdung). Some of the 
_ Swamis, or religious teachers, use a- red-hot Mudra to stamp 
_. their disciples with, . The milky juiee of the capsules has a 
' narcotic odour, and slightly sedative properties. Theophrastus - 
_ says that the herb has the taste of wild endive, and Fée remarks 
. that the -peasants of Treves eat the leaves when young. 
Description—The capsules are distinguished by ther 
smooth globular form, those of P. dubium being twice as long ~ 
_ as broad, and those of P. hybr idum being bristly. 
Chemical composition.—Hesse has obtained from the mnitkey 
a _ juice a colourless crystallizable ‘substance, Bhoeadine, C?! H?! 
NO*®,.of weak alkaline reaction. It is tasteless, not poisonous, e 
“nearly insoluble in water, alcohol, ether, chloroform, benzol or 
aqueous ammonia, but soluble in weak acids ; its solution in 
dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric acid acquires, after a time, a 
endid red colour, destroyed by an alkali, but reappearing on 
dition of an acid. Owing to a statement made by Selmi that 
he capsules contain an alkaloid similar to morphia, Hesse has 
gain examined them. He says:—“ The juice collected in the 
morning under a clouded sky gave 35 per cent. of dried 
residue at 100°. The milky juice is at first mostly white ; 
ometimes citron yellow; ferric chloride produces with it a 
eep red colour, which probably indicates the presence of 
-meconic acid. 4:4 grammes of dry residue gave no trace of — 
morphia, or of a similar alkaloid, 0-090 gramme gave equal to 2°1 
per cent. of Rhceadine,-and traces of another alkaloid? Rhoeadine- 
-is not coloured by ferric chloride, but resembles morphia in- 
being almost insoluble in ether.” (Liebig, annalen d. chemie, ~ 
Vol. clexav., p. 329.) Attfield, working on a large quantity of = 
aterial, and by three different processes, failed to detect a trace 
of morphia in the petals. (Pharm. Journ. (3), Vol. 4, p, 290. a 
ARGEMONE MEXICANA, Linn. 
_ Fig-— Bot Mag., t. 243; Wight, Tl. i,t... 11, 
, Mexican Poppy (ing) y eh “Ginens, 
énit (Pr.). pp 
* 
