AMARANTACE^. ]35 



t 



li- 



^ 



amounted to 0-384 per cent, and contained a small amount of 

 alkaloid with mucli colouring matter. An attempt was made to 

 purify the alkaloid by reagitating this extract from an acid 

 solution with ether, and then neutralizing and again agitating 

 with ether ; an unweighable amount of the alkaloid was, however, 

 obtained. No special colour reactions of the alkaloid were 

 noted. An alkaline solution of the alcoholic extract was only 

 slightly precipitated by acids, the solution remaining dark- 

 coloured. The aqueous extract contained 1'6 per cent, of 

 glucose calculated on the roots dried at lOO^C. After boiling 

 with dilute sulphuric acid a second determination with Fehling's 

 solution was made, and the result calculated as saccharose, 

 which was equivalent to 7*97 per cent. 



In order to determine whether the plant had any injurious 

 properties, the alcoholic extract from 10 grams of the dried 

 and pounded roots was mixed with a few drops of ammonia 

 and water and injected into a cat's stomach ; the cat vomited 

 once, but was not otherwise inconvenienced. 



AMARANTACE^. 



ACHYRANTHES ASPERA, Livn. 



Pig,— mg/U Ic, t 1780. Prickly Chaff-flower {Eng.). 



Hab. — Throughout India and tropical Asia. The herb. 



Vernacular. — XJnga, Latchira, Chirchira ( Bind,)^ Apang 

 ( Beng. ) . , Pandhara-aghada, Aghada ( Mar. ) , Sufed-aghado 

 (<y?/2-), Na-yurivi (7V/;>?.), Tlttareni^ Antisha (IV/.), Uttarani, 

 tJttareni {Can.)^ Katalati {MaL). 



HistOiy, Uses, &C. — This plant has given a name to the 

 sacrificial offering called Apamarga Homaj which consisted of a 

 handful of the flour of the seeds offered at daybreak, but which 

 is not now, as far as we know, practised in India. According to 

 the Black Yajurveda, Indra, having killed Vritra and other 

 demons, was overcome by Namuchi and made peace with him, 

 promising never to kill him with any solid or liquid, neither by 

 daynor by night. But Indra collected some foam, which is 



