248 D. Hooper — Ahakia : an Ancient Eastern Medicine. [No. 4, 



tannic acid present. V. Wilbuszewitcz, in 1886, estimating tlie acid 

 by means of potassium permanganate, found 1212 percent., and by 

 treatment with sulphuric acid, phlobaphene, ellagic and gallic acids 

 "were obtained as decomposition products. 



Kay and Baston, by employing Procter^s modification of Lowenthal's 

 process for the estimation of tannin, found 2244 per cent, in the pods. 

 (Allen, Commercial Organic Analysis) . 



Marfat states that Bablnh pods contain from 25 to 30 per cent, of 

 tannin, analogous to that of nut-galls, besides a free acid and a large 

 quantity of calcium salts. 



During a chemical examination made in 1898, of a sample of babitl 

 pods collected in Bengal, 1 obtained 20*65 per cent., as the average of 

 two concordant estimations. The complete analysis was as follows: — 



Water 



.. 6-87 



Tannic acid 



.. 20-65 



Non-tanning solable matters 



.. 1515 



Fibre 



.. 51-40 



Ash ... 



,. 5-93 



10000 



A solid extract was afterwards made by exhausting the crushed 

 pods with warm water at 60° C, and evaporating the reddish-brown 

 liquid in a porcelain basin until it was dry. This extract, which 

 should represent the Persian and Arabian drug, Akakia, was a dark 

 brown, solid mass, almost entirely soluble in water, and possessing a 

 strongly astringent taste. Its chief constituents were found to be — 



Water 



Tannic acid 



Non- tanning soluble matters... 



Insoluble substance 



Ash 



100-00. 



This, it will be noticed, is a highly astringent preparation, and 

 s-esembles in its composition one of the forms of cutch manufactured 

 for tanners from the wood of Acacia Catechu. 



It was thought probable that the fruit of the hahicl tree might contain 

 an allied principle to that contained in the Acacia concinna, or soap- 

 bean of South India, but no appreciable amount of a saponin-like body 

 could be detected in the Bengal pods. 



... 5-58 



... 59-80 



... 1600 



... 8-17 



... 10-45 



