THE POISONOUS PLANTS OF BOMBAY. 55 



extract obtained from exhausting the powder of air-dried tubers with 

 hot 60 O.P. alcohol, and driving off the alcohol by the heat of a 

 water-bath, they found that the extract was without the least action 

 on the tongue. An extract obtained with cold alcohol in which the 

 alcohol had been driven off by spontaneous evaporation similarly pro- 

 duced no action on the tongue. A glycerin and an ethereal extract 

 likewise yielded negative results. The effect of distilling fresh tubers 

 with water was that the distillate had no acrid taste ; it contained 

 traces of prussic acid. The tubers left in the retort after distillation 

 were, however, still physiologically active, indicating that the active 

 principle was not dissipated by mere boiling with water. Warden and 

 Pedler here observe that natives using arum for culinary purposes fre- 

 quently add an acid vegetable or fruit, such as tamarind, to get rid of 

 the acrid principle. This fact is well known in Western India ; large 

 quantities of tamarind are used in cooking the leaves of Colocasia 

 Antiquorum (the common Alu of Bombay) to keep down its acrid taste. 

 In writing in a previous number of this Journal (vol. VII, p. 315), on 

 the irritant action of Pythonium Walh'chianum (Sheivla), another mem- 

 ber of the Aroid family, I have already referred to the use of the fruit 

 of Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi) as an effectual and necessary adjunct in 

 the culinary preparations of the flower-stalks of Sheivla. 



Warden and Pedler observe, as already noted above, that they have 

 no reason to doubt that the Arums as a class contain a toxic principle. 

 They say that " while drying the tubers without artificial heat depriv- 

 ed them practically of all activity; exposing them to the temperature of 

 boiling water for at least half an hour, at the most only very slightly 

 diminished their activity." They note that in the American variety 

 of Arum maculatum D. S. Jones has proved the presence of a volatile 

 acrid principle besides starch, sugar, gum, albumen, resin, fat and 

 extractives. They also say that Bird believes in the existence of 

 a volatile alkaloid in it. I find that Taylor also says that 

 the irritant properties of Arum maculatum depend on a volatile 

 principle, as they are lost on desiccation or distillation with 

 water (Poisons, p. 510, ed. 1848). Enz, in 1858, is said to have 

 obtained Saponin from it. Now, it is well known from the researches 

 of Schmiedeberg that the Saponins are amorphous or crystalline 

 glucosides. They are found widely distributed in the vegetable king- 

 dom, and are all, with but few exceptions, very soluble in water and 



