SCITAMINEJJJ. 445 



portion of tlie stem of the wild plantain is a valuable resource 

 in famine seasons on account of the large quantity of starch it 

 contains. Starch prepared from tiie unripe fruit is used in 

 the treatment of bowel complaints in Bengal. A specimen we 

 examined consisted almost wholly of pure starchy with a trace of 

 astringent extractive. In America a syrup of bananas is said 

 to be singularly effective in relieving chronic bronchitis. The 

 preparation is simple, requiring only that the fruit shall be cut 

 in small pieces and with an equal weight of sugar be placed in 

 a close jar, which is set in cold water and slowly heated to the 

 boiling point, when it is to be removed from the fire and allowed 



to cool. 



teaspoonful 



CJmnical composition. — Professor Johnston, in the Journal of 

 i^ie Agricultural Society of Scotland^ says: " We find the plantain 

 fruit to approach most nearly in composition and nutritive 

 value to the potato, and the plantain meal to that of rice. 

 Thus the fruit of the plantain gives 37 per cent., and the 

 raw potato 2b per cent., of dry matter. In regard to its value 

 as a food for man in our northern climates, there is no reason 

 to beKeve that it is unfit to sustain life and health ; and as to 

 warmer or tropical climates, this conclusion is of more weight." 

 The only chemical writer who had previously made personal 

 observations upon this point (M. Boussingault), says: '^I have 

 iiot sufficient data to determine the nutritive value of the 

 banana, but I have reason to believe that it is superior to that 

 of the potato. I have given as rations to men employed at 

 hard labour about 6^ pounds of half-ripe bananas and two 

 ounces of salt meat.'' Of these green bananas he elsewhere 

 states, that 38 per cent- consisted of husk, and that the internal 

 datable part lost 56 per cent, of water by drying in the sun. 

 The composition of the ash of the plantain also bears a close 

 t^osemblunce to that of the potato. Both contain much alkaline 

 matter, potash and soda salts ; and in both there is nearly the 

 ^me percentage of phosphoric acid and magnesia. The 

 growing parts of the plant contain much tannic and gallic acida. 

 The sound ripe fruit contains as much as 22 per cent, of sugar^ 

 1<^ per cent, being crystallizablo. In the nallve sugar-cane the 



