LEGUMINOSZ. 403 
a of an imitation of carmine. The yellow decoction used with 
_ sulphate of copper produces a fine permanent green. In modern 
4 medicine Fenugreek is no longer in use; it is, however, still 
_ kept by druggists for veterinary pharmacy, and is very largely 
_ consumed in the preparation of cattle foods. 
___ Description.—The pod is sickle-shaped, 3—4 inches long, 
: slightly flattened and ending in a long point; it contains from 
- 10—20 rhomboidal seeds, yellow or yellowish-brown, semi- 
a transparent, about $ of an inch long, somewhat compressed, 
_ with the hilum on the sharper edge, and a deep furrow running 
_ from it and almost dividing the seed into two unequal lobes ; 
‘ the surface is finely tubercular ; the testa consists of two Jayers, 
_ the inner of which is mucilaginous and encloses the cotyledons 
_ and their large hooked radicle. The cotyledons are composed 
of parenchymatous tissue, the cells of which contain globules 
_ of fatty matter, and granular matter coloured yellow by iodine ; 
the taste is bitter, oily and aromatic. _ 
Chemical composition.—The cells of the testa contain tannin ; 
taste. Amylic alcohol removes in addition a small quantity of 
resin, Alcohol added to a concentrated aqueous extract, forms 
_ 8 precipitate of mucilage, amounting, when dried, to 28 per 
cent. Burnt with soda lime, the seeds yielded to Jahns 3°4 per 
cent. of nitrogen, equivalent to 22 per cent. of albumin. The 
ature of the odorous principle has not been determined. 
: that he has found two alkaloids in the-seeds, choline, a base 
precipitated with lead acetate and soda. 
The 
(Pharmacographia.) E. Jahns (Bericht, 18, 2518-2523) reports” 
’ found in animal secretions, and another, which he names — 
_ trigonelline. The pulverised seeds were extracted with 70 per 
ent. alcohol, and after evaporation, the residual liquor was) 
| After removal of lead 
: from the filtrate and evaporation, the alkaloids were precipi: 
- 
