C '7o 3 



According to Mr. Gay Lussac and Thenard, 100 

 parts of starch are composed of 



Carbon, with a small quantity of 1 



saline and earthy matter - J ' 

 t Oxygene 49,68 



Hydrogene - 6,77 



or, 



Carbon 43,55 



Oxygene and hydrogene in the"| 

 proportions necessary to form r* 56,45 

 water * - - - J 



Supposing this estimation correct, starch may be 

 conceived to be constituted by 1 5 proportions of car- 

 bon, 1 3 of oxygene, and 26 of hydrogene. 



Starch forms a principal part of a number of es- 

 culent vegetable substances. Sowans, cassava, salop, 

 sago, all of them owe their nutritive powers principal- 

 ly to the starch they contain. 



Starch has been found in the following plants : 



Burdock ( ' Arctium Lappa,} Deadly Nightshade 

 ( Atropa Belladonna,) Bistort ( Polygonum Bistorta,} 

 White Bryony (Bryonia alba.,) Meadow Saffron (Col- 

 chicum autumnale^) Drop wort (Spiraea Filipendula,) 

 Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus^j Figwort ( Scrophu- 

 larla nodosa,) Dwarf Elder (Sambucus Ebulus,} Com- 

 mon Elder (Sambucus nigra,} Foolstones (Orchis Mo- 

 rio^} Alexanders (Imperatoria Ostruthium^} Henbane 

 (Hyoscya?nus riiger^) Broad-leaved Dock ( Rumex obtu- 

 sifolius,} Sharp Pointed Dock (Rumex acutus^) Water 

 Dock (Rumex acquaticus,} Wake Robin (Arum macu- 



