182 LEGUMINOSiE. 



By melting glycyrretin with about 5 pavts of caustic potash paraoxy- 

 benzoic acid is produced. 



Alkalis easily dissolve glycyrrhiziu with a brown colour and emis- 

 sion of a peculiar odour. In the root it perhaps exists combined with 

 ammonia, inasmuch as the aqueous extract evolves that alkali when 

 warmed with potash (Roussin, 1875). According to Sestini (1878) 

 glycyrrhizin is present in the root combined with calcium; he obtained 

 ()*3 per cent, of glycyrrhizin from the root previously dried at 110°. 

 By exhausting glycyrrhizin with glacial acetic acid Habermann in 

 1876 succeeded in isolating almost colourless crystals having the sweet 

 taste of the root. They yield, by boiling them with dilute acids, a yellow 

 substance which would appear to agree with glycyrretin. The deep 

 yellow walls of the vessels and prosenchymatous cells appear to be the 

 chief seat of the glycyrrhizin. 



The sugar of liquorice root has not yet been isolated ; the aqueous 

 infusion of the dried root separates protoxide of copper from an alkaline 

 solution of cupric tartrate. Yet the sugar as extracted from the fresh 

 root by cold water does not precipitate alkaline cupric tartrate at all in 

 the cold, and not abundantly even on prolonged boiling. 



Asparagin was obtained from the root by Robiquet (1809) and by 

 Plisson (1827). Sestini (1878) isolated 2-4 parts of asparagin from 100 

 parts of the root dried at 110° C. Bobiquet also found the root to 

 contain malic acid. The presence of starch in abundance is shown by 

 the microscope as well as by testing a decoction of the root with iodine. 

 The outer bark of the root contains a small quantity of tannin. 



Commerce — Liquorice root is imported into Great Britain from 

 Germany, Russia and Spain, but there are no data for showing to what 

 extent. France imported in 1872 no less than 4,348,789 kilogrammes 

 (4282 tons), which was more than double the quantity ipiported the 

 previous year.^ 



Liquorice root is much used in China, and is largely produced in 

 some of the northern provinces. In 1870, 1,304 peculs were shipped 

 from Ningpo,^ and 7,147 peculs in 1877 fx'om Cheefu (one peculs 

 133-33 lb. avdp.). 



Uses. — Liquorice root is employed for making extract of liquorice 

 and in some other phai-maceutical preparations. The powdered root is 

 used to impart stiffness to pill masses and to prevent the adhesion of 

 pills. Liquorice has a remarkable power of covering the flavour of 

 nauseous medicines. As a domestic medicine, liquorice root is far more 

 largely used on the Continent than in Great Britain. 



I Documents statistiques rdunis par Fad- 2 Reports on Trcule at the Treaty Ports in 



ministration des Douanes sur le commerce de C/u'«a/o?" 1870, Shanghai, 1871. 13. G2. 

 la France, ann^e 1872, Paris, 1873. 



