CALANTHE. 



773 



yellow somewhat less often than the blue. Impurity 

 is occasionally observed either by an orange and purplish 

 color, a greenish tinge to both colors. 



IODINE REACTIONS. 



With 0.25 per cent Lugol's solution most of the 

 grains color a moderate violet (value 50) which quickly 

 deepens to a very deep blue. With 0.125 per cent Lugol's 

 solution the grains at once color a light violet which 

 quickly deepens to moderately deep with bluer tint. 

 After heating the grains in water until they are gela- 

 tinized and then adding 2 per cent Lugol's solution the 

 gelatinized grains become a moderate to deep blue, many 

 with reddish tint ; somewhat more of the latter with the 

 reddish tint, which gives them a purplish color ; the solu- 

 tion becomes a moderately deep greenish-blue. If the 

 preparation is boiled for 2 minutes and then treated 

 with an excess of 2 per cent Lugol's solution the grain- 

 residues color a light blue with reddish tint, and the 

 capsules a deep old-rose to deep amethyst or reddish- 

 heliotrope ; and the solution a deep greenish-blue. 



Comparison with C. rosea shows: 



With 0.25 per cent Lugol's solution the grains imme- 

 diately, as well as later, are deeper, bluer with varia- 

 tion than in C. rosea. With 0.125 per cent solu- 

 tion the grains immediately as well as finally are deeper 

 blue and less variation than in C. rosea. After gela- 

 tinization and treating with iodine, the mean of the 

 gelatinized grains is a little lighter and the solution 

 bluer. When the preparation is boiled and treated with 

 an excess of iodine the grain-residues slightly lighter, 

 the capsules less yellowish in tint and the solution more 

 bluish. 



ANILINE REACTIONS. 



With gentian violet the grains color lightly at once, 

 some slightly deeper than others, but not much variation ; 

 in 30 minutes they become moderate to deep (value 60) 

 with more of the latter. The hilum and fissures are 

 slightly deeper and more rose-violet, the 1 or 2 coarser 

 lamella present stain more deeply. 



Comparison with C. rosea shows: 



With gentian violet the grains color at once with 

 less variation in the different grains than in C. 

 rosea; and in half an hour the mean is a little deeper 

 in color. In the same aspect of a given grain the 

 1 or 2 lamellae of deeper color are more frequent, but 

 a marginal border of lighter color is not evident as 

 in C. rosea. With safranin the grains immediately 

 color about the same as C. rosea, and in half an hour the 

 mean is deeper. The variation in depth in the same 

 aspect of a given grain is the same as with gentian violet. 



With safranin the grains immediately color light to 

 moderate, deeper than with gentian violet; and in 30 

 minutes they become moderate to moderately deep with 

 many more of the latter (value 65). There is the same 

 variation in the depth of the different parts of the grain 

 as with gentian violet. 



TEMPERATURE REACTIONS. 



The majority of the grains are gelatinized at 72 to 

 74 C., and of all at 74 to 75 C., mean 74.5 C. A 

 few of the marginal lamellae are much more resistant than 

 other parts, all but these being gelatinized in most of the 

 grains at 65 to 67 C., but parts of these lamellae resist 



gelatinization in many grains until the temperature 

 of 72 to 74 C., mean 73 C., is reached, as above stated. 

 The gelatinized grains are much swollen, and much con- 

 voluted at the distal margin. 



EFFECTS OF VARIOUS REAGENTS. 



The reaction with chloral hydrate begins immediately. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in about 22 per cent of 

 the entire number of grains and 40 per cent of the total 

 starch in 5 minutes; in about 35 per cent of the grains 

 and 53 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes; in 

 about 44 per cent of the grains and 58 per cent of the 

 total starch in 30 minutes ; in about 49 per cent of the 

 grains and 60 per cent of the total starch in 45 minutes ; 

 in about 50 per cent of the grains and 62 per cent of the 

 total starch in 60 minutes. (Chart D 619.) 



The hilum, differing from the grains of C. rosea, 

 becomes very distinct in all the grains and a bubble is 

 frequently formed there, and any fissures present in the 

 untreated grain become deeper and wider. The lamellae 

 also become distinct, at first, only in a broad refractive 

 band which is quickly formed about the margin of the 

 grain and which is broader and more distinct than in 

 C. rosea but later in all parts of the grain, and in a few 

 grains they are never distinct. Gelatinization begins in 

 several ways; in some grains the hilum swells suddenly 

 and the starch between it and some part of the margin 

 gelatinizes rapidly, thus producing an apparent extension 

 of starch which is, however, still retained within the 

 capsule; in other grains which are triangular in shape, 

 the proximal end and the hilum gelatinize first; and in 

 still others which are nearly round, or broad ovoid, gela- 

 tinization begins at some one point on the margin, in this 

 somewhat resembling some of the grains of C. rosea. In 

 the first and third methods gelatinization progresses 

 from the initial point of attack evenly all over the grain, 

 the deep fissures already noted proceeding further and 

 further from the hilum until they reach the margin 

 but do not break the capsule, the pieces of starch thus 

 separated are rapidly gelatinized, the portion just distal 

 to the hilum being the most resistant and this corre- 

 sponds probably to the more central portion of the 

 grains of C. rosea. In the second method a point on the 

 margin and the hilum are affected simultaneously, the 

 hilum swells very rapidly, and if a bubble is present, it 

 swells, then shrinks and disappears, and the starch 

 between the hilum and the margin is gelatinized rapidly ; 

 from this point the progress is the same as in the first 

 method. Some of the gelatinized grains unlike those of 

 C. rosea have very thick capsular walls and are not 

 greatly distorted, while others have thinner capsules and 

 are larger and more distorted but not so much as in 

 C. rosea. 



The reaction with chromic acid begins in 1 minute. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in about 0.5 per cent of 

 the entire number of grains and 10 per cent of the total 

 starch in 5 minutes ; in about 1 per cent of the grains and 

 65 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes ; in about 

 10 per cent of the grains and 80 per cent of the total 

 starch in 30 minutes ; in about 14 per cent of the grains 

 and 92 per cent of the total starch in 45 minutes; in 

 about 32 per cent of the grains and 96 per cent of the 

 total starch in 60 minutes. (Chart D 620.) 



