114 OF THE INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF PLANTS. 



ent quantities of alkaline bases, such as potash, soda, 

 lime, or magnesia. When lime exists in the ashes 

 in large proportion, the quantity of magnesia is di- 

 minished, and in like manner according as the latter 

 increases the lime or potash decreases. In many kinds 

 of ashes not a trace of magnesia can be detected. 



The existence of vegetable alkalies in combination 

 with organic acids gives great weight to the opinion, 

 that alkaline bases in general are connected with 

 the development of plants. 



If potatoes are grown where they are not supplied 

 with earth, the magazine of inorganic bases, (in 

 cellars, for example,) a true alkali, called Solanin, 

 of very poisonous nature, is formed in the sprouts 

 which extend towards the light, while not the small- 

 est trace of such a substance can be discovered in 

 the roots, herbs, blossoms, or fruits of potatoes 

 grown in fields. (Otto.)* In all the species of the 

 Cinchona, kinic acid is found ; but the quantity of 

 quinia, cinchonina, and lime, which they contain is 

 most variable. From the fixed bases in the products 

 of incineration, however, we may estimate pretty 

 accurately the quantity of the peculiar organic bases. 

 A maximum of the first corresponds to a minimum of 

 the latter, as must necessarily be the case if they 

 mutually replace one another according to their 

 equivalents. We know that different kinds of opium 

 contain meconic acid in combination with very dif- 

 ferent quantities of narcotina, morphia, codeia, &c., 

 the quantity of one of these alkaloids diminishing 

 on the increase of the others. Thus the smallest 



The analysis of potatoes afforded M. Henry 



Starch 13.30 



Water 73.12 



Albumen 0.92 



Un crystal lizable sugar 3.30 



Volatile poisonous matter .... 0.05 



Peculiar fatty matter 1.12 



Parenchyma 6.79 



Malic acid and salts 1.40 



100.00 



