LEGUMINOSZ. © 449 
_Description.—The pods are slightly curved like the letter §, 
_ 8 toe 4 inches leng, and contain from 4 to 6 seeds of a dark 
__ brown colour and of the shape of a pains bean. The valves 
are covered with rigid brown hairs about +'5th of an inch long, 
’ which give rise to much irritation of the bet if handled. 
a Mier oscopic structure.—Most of the hairs consist of a single — 
= conical cell barbed near the point, but some of them’ are 
_ divided by ‘persone, Their action appears to be simply 
mechanical. 
_ Chemical composition.—The hairs when treated with sul- 
_ Phuric acid and iodine assume a dark brown colour. Boiling 
Solution of potash does not considerably swell or alter them. 
_ +hey are completely decolorised by concentrated nitric acid. 
(Pharmacographia, 2nd Ed., p. 190. 
_., The decorticated seeds.reduced to fine iets and dried at- 
a 100 C. lost 10°26 per cent. in weight. The ash amounted to 
_ 402 per cent. The cortical portion of the seeds contained 7-80 
per cent. of moisture and 3°12. of ash. Manganese was only 
present in minute traces in the decorticated seeds, the cortical 
portion, on the other hand, contained a very marked amount. — 
The examination of the pounded entire seeds was conducted by. - 
: Dragendorif’s method :— 
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Petroleum ether extract ...... 3-08 per cent. 
Ether extract. . ie. es 
Absolute alcohol extract....:. 2°12 , » 
Aqueous extract 
The petroleum ether extract was very pale sires and thick, 
non-crystalline, and without odour. In 98 per cent. alcohol it 
was partly soluble, the solution being acid in reaction. The 
_. Probably oleic acid. 
~The ether extract was slightly yellow and ouadee iets : 
_ it was insoluble in dilute acids. In aqueous ammonia it was 7 
partly soluble with yellow coloration ; the addition of acids oe : 
caused the separation of white flocks of acid resin, ‘The alco-. 
holic extract was yellow, ancsoaboved eee on alae : 
_ extract consisted chiefly of a free fatty acid and its glyceride, - 
