528 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



prescribed in coughs and bowel complaints as a demulcent ; 

 externally it is applied to scalds, burns and blisters (Dymock). 



The seeds act as demulcent, and are used by the natives in 

 diarrhoea, dysentery, sore-throat, and fever. The dried fruit is 

 used as a refrigerant (Watt). 



Fatty oil of seeds.— Seeds were ground, dried carefully, and extracted with 

 ether, chloroform or light petroleum ; fresh seeds yielded 15*3 per cent, of 

 oil. This oil was yellow and had a faint odour of oil of almonds ; it had a 

 solidification point— 13*5°, sp. gr. 0*922 at 15° solubility 4-15 parts in 100 of 95 

 per cent, alcohol, index of refraction 1*47248 for green, 147292 for red, visco- 

 sity 16*4 at 17° (by Schubler's method, comparing its velocity of efflux with 

 that of water) ; it was optically inactive and showed obscure absorption 

 bands in the blue and violet . 1 gram neutralised 31*7 milligrams K. O. H. in 

 the cold (" acid number "), 181*7 on heating ('• Koettstorfer's " or " saponifica- 

 tion number ") ; 5 grams contained volatile acids, soluble in water sufficient to 

 neutralise 0'508 c.c. N./10 K. O. H. solution (" Reichert-Meissl number ") ; it 

 contained 95*2 per cent, of fatty acids, insoluble in water '■ Hehner's number"), 

 and united with 113 per cent, of iodine (" Hiibl's iodine number. "). 



By hydrolysis of the oil with lead oxide, glycerol was obtained to the ex- 

 tent of 4*1 per cent. A larger quantity of the oil was hydrolysed with caustic 

 soda, and the acids converted into calcium salts, which were then treated with 

 ether. From the calcium salt, soluble in ether, a liquid acid was obtained, and 

 purified by conversion into its ethylic salt and fractional distillation of the 

 latter. This acid has a sp. gr. 0*8931 and composition OH. C 17 H 32 COOH ; 

 its ethylic salt boils at 223-226° under 7*5 mm., pressure ; an anhydrous 

 barium salt, melting at 79°, and a monacetyl derivative were prepared ; a 

 dibromide, C l8 N 34 3 Br 2 , was also prepared, and the acid was found to darken 

 in the air, absorbing oxygen. From the calcium salt, insoluble in ether, 

 a mixture of solid acids was obtained from which two were separated by 

 crystallisation from 70 per cent, alcohol ; these were myristic acid, the 

 main product, and a small amount of an acid which melts at 42°, contains 

 C. 75*1 and H121 per cent., and is possibly an isomeride of pentadecylic acid. 

 (J. Ch. S. 1899 A. I. 822). 



Pectin from Quince. This pectin is strongly dextrorotatory, [a]D = 181*2°. 

 On hydrolysis with dilute sulphuric acid, it yields arabinose ; when treated 

 with nitric acid, it gives mucic acid, and with diastase from germinated barley 

 it behaves exactly like the pectin obtained from the gentian and the goose- 

 berry— (J. Ch. S. 1899 A. I. 822). 



478. Eriobotrya japonica, Lindl. h.f.b.i., ii. 372. 



Verm.: — Logat (H.). 



Habitat: — The tree is indigenous in China and Japan. The 

 fruit of Saharanpur is especially in repute, says Gamble. It 



