470 -. LEGUMINOSZ. . 
Chemical composition.—According to Lepine (Pharm. Journ. — 
_ (8) XL. 16,) the seeds yield 27 per cent. of a yellow oil, hovingay 3 
a specific gravity of 0°945, and solidifying at 8° C: 
The oil which we have examined (called Honge oil in Mysore) | 
and expressed purposely from fresh seeds, was thick, of a light — 
orange-brown colour, and bitter taste. The specific gravity at 
18° C. was 0°9358. It yielded 93°3 per cent. of fatty acids — 
melting at about, 80°. With sulphuric acid it became yellow ll 
with orange streaks, and when stirred formed an orange-red = 
mixture, which after standing became yellow. With nitric acid ~ 
it formed an orange emulsion. . With the elaidin test it remainelll 4 
liquid for several hours, and was of the colour and consistence 2 
__ of honey after two days.. The fresh oil deposits solid white fats 2 
if kept at the temperature of 16° for a few weeks, and the clear 
oil then has the specific gravity of 0°935. The bitter principle 
of the oil appears to reside in a resin rand not in an alkaloid, 
in the case with Margosa oil. © 
The bark contains a bitter alkaloid: saline in : athe alcohol, 
and water; also an acid resin ofa greenish-brown colour soluble 
in ether. ‘The alcoholic extract, is composed of a substance 
analogous to quinovin together with sugar. The watery extract 
contains much mucilage, which is gelatinized by ferric chloride. 
A decoction’ of the bark gives a blue-black colour with iodine — 
solution; no indication of the presénce of tannin could be ~ 
obtained from any part of the bark. 
: DERRIS ULIGINOSA, Benth. 
~ Fig.— We. in Hook. Bot. Mise, iii., Suppl. t. 41. 
Hab.—REastern Himalayas, Western Peninsula, Ceylon. 
~ Vernacular.—Pénlata (Beng.), Kéjarvel, Kirténa (Mar.).. 
: History, Uses, &e —This woody climber is the mo 
ae widely-spread species of the genus, and is worthy of notice on 
account of the activity of ‘its bark as a fish poison, for wh 
pe it in,aed in Zambe iland. In India it is known 
