HUMAN FOODS. 65 
100 parts of the entire plant contain, after drying, 9°58 per 
cent. ash; and the ash contains, in 100 parts :— 
Potash ... fs ais A vil 14.8 
Lime _... a She Suc “sc 21.9 
Magnesia ne ae ae cs 1.56 
Ferric Oxide ... Sot at ei or 
Sulphuric Anhydride... ails sh 2.5 
c Bilies ©. ee ai oe af 0.6 
Carbonic Acid... bee RS dbs 21.0 
Phosphoric Pentoxide... My. we 3.9 
Potassium Chloride ... ve. a 16.8 
Sodium Chloride wag : 16.9 
(Schulz-Fleeth, Watt's Dict., v., p. 930). 
The pollen contains :— 
Stearin and Olein _... sts sis 3.6 per cent. 
Sugar ... y bes ass ae 18.3 
Starch ... sus Ss cs i 2.0 
Pollenin = : , 25.0 
Magnesium and Potassium Phosphates, 
together with small quantities of 
other potassium salts... oe 2.5 
Silica. ;.. ae ar Ae 4, 0.4 
The root-stock contains, in the fresh state, according to 
Lecocq, in December, 12.5 parts starch to 73 parts water; but in 
April only 10.5 parts starch to the same quantity of water. 
A decoction of the root is: said to be used in Turkey as a 
remedy for dropsy and snake-bites. (Landerer, Watts’ Dict., v., 
930). 
“Balyan” (Typha angustifolia 7) 
“The principal food of the inhabitants of the Kalaire, or 
Lachlan, appeared to be ‘balyan,’ the rhizome of a monocoty- 
ledonous plant or bulrush growing amongst the reeds. It contains 
so much gluten, that one of our party, Charles Webb, made, in a 
short time, some excellent cakes of it; and they seemed to me 
lighter and sweeter than those prepared from common flour. The 
natives gather the roots and carry them on their heads in great 
F 
