N. 0. ROSAOJS, 523 



Uses : — The root is astringent, tonic, and antiseptic, but it is 

 undeservingly neglected in modern practice (British Flora 

 Meidea). 



This plant does not seem to be used for medicinal purposes 

 in India. 



Source and composition of the essential oil of Herb Bennett 

 Root. A new glucoside and Enzyme. 



The dried root of Herb Bennett (Geum urbanum) has a feeble odour re- 

 sembling that of cloves. If the plant be carefully plucked so as to leave the 

 root intact, there is no manifestation of the characteristic odour, but this is 

 at once detectable when the root is crushed between the fingers. The ex- 

 planation of this phenomenon was established by the following experi- 

 ments. 



By extraction of the fresh root with boiling alcohol of 95°, distillation of 

 the extract under reduced pressure, extraction of all the residue with alcohol, 

 and precipitation of the solution by excess of ether, a substance is obtained 

 which is odourless, but however contains the substance which gives rise to 

 odoriferous principle. This proves to be eugenol. 



Another portion of the root was macerated with sand and extracted with 

 cold alcohol of 90°. The residual powder, which contains an enzyme, was 

 dried at 30°. On adding to an aqueous solution of the first substance, a little 

 of the ferment powder, a distinct odour of cloves is at once evident. If the 

 ferment powder is previously heated in boiling water, the effect is not ob- 

 servable. It is concluded from these observations that the odoriferous prin- 

 ciple does not exist free in the Herb Bennett root, but is produced from some 

 other substance present by the action of an enzyme. The substance is a 

 glucoside ; on addition of the enzyme to its aqueous solution, the reducing 

 power and the rotary power both gradually increase. 



The active enzyme is characteristic, the resolution of the glucoside is not 

 effected by emulsin, invertase, onor by the enzyme of Aspergillus niger. It 

 cannot be extracted by treatment of the roots with water. 



The glucoside can be isolated in globular crystals by addition of ether to 

 the alcoholic solution. The term gein is proposed for the glucoside, and 

 gease for the enzyme.- J. Ch. S. 1905 A II 345. 



469. G. elatum, Wall, h.f.b.l, ii. 343. 

 Vern. : — Gunglu junglic (Pers.); gogjemool (Cashmere). 



Habitat : — Subalpine to Alpine Himalaya; from Kashmir to 

 Sikkim. 



Rootstock stout, woody. Leaves pinnatisect, hairy, 4-12in., 

 linear-oblong ; leaflets i-lin., close and imbricating or scattered, 

 uniform or the alternate smaller, terminal orbicular, all lobed 

 and coarsely crenate, upper all adnate by a broad base. 



