1818.] the Commencement of the Year 1817. Pert I. 37 



The cold water dissolved merely a quantity of gurn, and the 

 hot water a quantity of starch. 



The following table exhibits the result of their analysis : 



Oils. 2 



Emetine 16 



Wax 6 



Gum 10 



Starch 42 



Woody fibre 20 



Loss 4 



100 



Emetine, which is the important constituent of ipecacuanha, 

 possesses the following properties : 



When dry, it is in the form of transparent scales, of a reddish 

 brown colour. It has scarcely any smell. Its taste is bitter and 

 a little acrid, but not nauseous. It is not altered by exposure to 

 a heat below that of boiling water. At a higher temperature it 

 melts, swells, blackens, and is decomposed, being converted into 

 water, carbonic acid, a little oil, and acetic acid ; while a light 

 coal remains behind. It is not altered by exposure to the air, 

 unless the atmosphere be very humid, when it absorbs a little 

 moisture. 



Water dissolves it in great abundance, and the solution can- 

 not be made to crystallize. It dissolves also readily in alcohol ; 

 but is insoluble in sulphuric ether. 



Diluted sulphuric acid has no action on it. When that acid is 

 concentrated, it chars it. Nitric acid readily dissolves it. The 

 solution is at first red ; by continuing the action it becomes 

 yellow ; nitrous gas is evolved and oxalic acid formed. Muriatic 

 and phosphoric acids dissolve emetine without altering its nature. 

 Acetic acid dissolves it with great facility. Gallic acid and the 

 infusion of nutgalls throw it down both from water and alcohol. 

 It is precipitated also by the acetate of lead, and by protonitrate 

 of mercury and corrosive sublimate ; tartar emetic has no sen- 

 sible action on it. Half a grain of it excites violent vomiting, 

 followed by sleep, and the patient awakes in perfect health. 

 Six grains given to a dog occasioned the death of the animal in 

 about 30 hours : the lungs and the mucous coat of the intestines 

 were found in a state of violent inflammation. — (Ann. de Chim. 

 etde Phys. iv. 172; and Annals of Philosophy, ix. 422. 



8. Analysis of different Species of Corn. — M. Vogel, who has 

 lately succeeded to the place of Gehlen, as Member of the 

 Academy of Sciences at Munich, has published the result of his 

 trials respecting the constituents of several species of corn. 



Wheat flour from the triticum hibernum, the species usually 

 cultivated in this country, yielded 68 parts of starch and 24 of 



