212 ^A VRINB^. 



L. sehifera is called Miri by the Maratlia peasantry^ from the 

 resemblance of its globular fruit to a corn of black pepper. 

 The seed is oily and yields a solid white fat. The leaves have 

 a pleasant odoiir of cinnamon. 



Description. — The bark varies in thickness from ^^ to 

 -^Q of an inch ; externally it has several layers of whitish, 

 scabrous, corky tissue, the remaining portion is of a chocolate 

 brown colour. I'he odour is feebly balsamic ; when placed lu 

 water it affords a large quantity of bland mucilage, having a 

 faint agi-eeuble aroma. If the bark is old, the aroma disappears, 

 but the mucilaginous qualities remain unimpaired. 



The parenchyma, which is chiefly composed of mucilage cells, 

 contains abundance of reddish-brown colouring matter. There 

 is a zone of atony cells, but no distinctive characteristics* 



Chemical compodtion.—IYim bark, an authentic specimen of 

 which was supplied by Mr. Hollingsworth of the Madras Medi- 

 cal College, giive, on an air-dried sample, 4*6 j>er cent, of ash, 

 and 14-2 per cent, of alcoholic extract, affording very strong 

 reactions with alkaloidal tests. On separating the alkaloid it 

 was found to agree with the charactei-s of Jynirafetamne, au 

 alkaloid which has been discovered by M- GreshoS in three 

 species of Litsica in Java, and in several other plants o 

 the natural order Laurinege. Laurotetanine ts crystalline, an 

 has a strong tetanic action on animals ; it is sparingly solub^ 

 in ether, more readily in chloroform. It is precipitated 

 by sodium carbonate from solutions of its salts, but reaaiij 

 redissolves in au es;cess of potash or soda, and is precipjtatea 

 by the usual alkaloidal reagents. It gives a dark indigo-blue 

 coloration with Erdmann's reagent, a pale rose-red with pure 

 sulphuric acid, and a reddish-brown with nitric acid. A 

 base, which seems to be ideutioal with laurotetanine, is also 

 found in the varieties of Tetmnthem, Noloj^JK^he, Aperul^^ 

 Adinoclaphne and Il/igera pulchva. It is also possible that 

 Laurotetanine is the alkaloid discovered in 1886 by J^ijkmaU 

 in Ilaamx squanma, Z. et M. [Medecl nit S'Lands Flantentm^h 

 vii., p. 77-101.) 



