458 IBIDEM 





cstcemecl in Europe as in the East, is still considered })j some 

 European physicians to have emraenagogne propertieH^ but is 

 generally regarded as a colouiing and flavouring agent only. 

 Saffron has recently been deleted froni the drug list of the 

 Medical Store Depots in Bengal. For much interesting 

 information con corning the early history of saffron in Europe, we 

 would refer our readers to the Phar mac agraphia of Fliickiger 

 and Hanbury. 



Descript 



small portf 



style and three long tubular stigmas of a rich orange colour ; 

 the upper extremity of each stigma spr^ds out to fomj a flat 

 lamina with a dentate border. The stigmas simply dried 

 and thrown together loosely, form the ordinary hay saffron of 

 commerce. Persian saffron is, with the aid of some sticky 



i 



material, pressed together so as to form a thin round flat cake ; 

 it is known in Bombay as Kesar-kUroti (bread saffron)- 



Chemical composition. — Fliickiger and Hanbury have the fol- 

 lowing summary : — "The splendid colouring matter of saffron 

 has long been known as Pohjchroit ; but in 1851, Quadrat, 

 who instituted some fresh researches on the dru^, ^ve it the 



name of CrociUy which was also adopted in 1858 by Kochleder 

 The experiments of Weiss in 1867 have shown 



Is^ — That this substance (Polychroit, Crocin of Kochleder) 

 is a peculiar glucoside, which, by the action of acids, splits into 

 sugar, volatile oil, and a new colouring matter. ' 



2nd — That saffron contains only a minute quantity of ready- 

 formed essential oil and sugar. 



3r6? — That this free essential oil is probably identical with 

 that which is produced in the decomposition of polychroit* 



Wi — That polychroit, as hitherto prepared, has always 

 contained a certain proportion of the new colouring matter 

 produced by decomposition." 



For the natural glucoside, Weiss retains the name of 

 polychroit, while the new colouring matter which results from 

 its decomposition by an acid he terms crocin. It agrees with 

 the crocctin of rvochleder. 



