APFENDir. 97 



We have never met with any kind of hellebore root in the Indian 

 Bazars, nor are any of the genus known to grow in India ; still, all 

 Indian Mahometan works on Materia Medica contain an account of 

 the hellebores of the Greeks, which has been copied from the writings 

 of the Arabian physicians, and which is mostly a reproduction of what 

 Dioscoxides says Trepl iXk€^6pov X^vkov and yrepl iW^^opov ji^Xar^os the 

 Verarum album et nigrum of the Romans- The Arabs call these 

 diTigs Kharlak-abiad and Kharhah aswad, and in Indian medical 

 works Kutlci or KtitaM is given the vernacular equivalent of 

 Khai^bak, and this drug is sold as a substitute for it. For an 

 account of Kutaki^ see VoL III,, p. 10, 



MAGNOLIACE^, 

 Constituents of Star-anise- 

 The 'determinations of volatile oil; fixed oil, and ash gave the 

 following percentage figures : — 



Volatile Oil. Tixed Oil. Ash. 



n 1 } 611 1-13 



C'arpels \ g.^Q j.j^7 



2-81 



Seeds 



3-00 22-9 



2-40 217 



2-46 



The volatile oil consists chiefly of anethol C'H^(OCII«)C^H' ; 

 with small quantities of terpenes, safrol 0'H^XO'CH^)C^H% the 

 monoethyl ether of hydro^iuinone C^H*(OH)O0^H% anisic acid 

 C®H^(OCH^)COOH, and a complex aromatic substance yieldiug upon 

 oxidation veratric acid and piperonal. The fixed oil contains the 

 usual constituents along with cholesterin and derivatives of phos- 

 phoric acid. In the aqueous extract is found protocatechuic acid 

 and shikimiuic acid CH^^'O', which by nascent hydi'ogen iodide is 

 converted into benzoic acid. Sugar was not found in any appre- 

 ciable quantity, the sweet taste of the fruit, therefore, depending 

 upon the volatile oil. Nitrogenous bases could not be detected, 

 (F, Ostwald, Arch, der Pharm,, 1891, 84—115.) 



Michelia Cliampaca 



Mer 



from champaca w6od by distillation with water. After purification it 

 melts at 86—88^0., has the form of long white felted neeclle.s has 

 no odour when pure, but when kept in an in^pure state becomes 

 liquid and develops the agreeable odour of the wojd. {Bt^nchie, 

 1892, p. 18.) 



u 



