ft. O. SOLAN AOE.E. 903 



alcohol, and insoluble in water. It has an acid reaction, dissolves in alkaline 

 solutions, but is precipitated by carbonic anhydride. It has an extremely 

 burning taste, and, when heated, gives off vapours which violently attack the 

 mucous membrane. 



The average amount of lecithin in the dried seeds was found to be 1*82 

 per cent., when determined directly by Schulze and Steiger's method. 



Fresh analyses of the seeds were made, as before, by Henneberg's method, 

 but the results do not differ much from those previously obtained, except 

 in the case of nitrogen-free extract (29'04) and the crude fibre (2L23 per cent, 

 on dry matter). The crude fibre was redetermined by Schulze's method ; the 

 average result was 30"50 per cent. The nitrogen-free extract then amounts 

 to 20"19 percent, consisting in part only of carbohydrates. There seems 

 to be only a trace of a true carbohydrate (cither dextrose or a substance 

 which, when hydrolysed, gives dextrose) ; pentoses are present in greater 

 amount, whilst galactose, mannose, starch, and cane sugar, etc., could not 

 be detected. 



By means of 1*5 per cent aqueous potash, a new carbohydrate, termed 

 capsicum seed mucilage, was extracted from the seeds. It is insoluble in 

 water, merely swelling. With iodine, a green coloration is produced which 

 rapidly becomes blue. Zinc chloride and potassium iodide give no reaction. 

 After boiling with acids, it readily reduces Fehling's solution. It contains 

 pentose and probably galactose groups. 



The pure ash of the placenta has the following percentage composition. 

 K 2 Na 2 CaO MgO Fe 2 O s P 2 O b 



66*06 4-44 4-70 3'97 0'88 8'75 



So 3 Si0 2 CI 



8-32 3-72 2-89 



Alumina and manganese were found in traces in the ash.— J. Ch. S. LXX. 

 pt. II. p. 209-210. (1896). 



866. Withania somnifera, Dunal. h.f.b.i., iv. 

 239. 



Syn. : — Physalis flexuosa, Linn. Roxb. 189. 



Sans. : — Ashvagandha. 



Vern. : — Asgand (H.) ; Amkoolang (Tarn.) ; Peneroo (Tel.) ; 

 Pevetti (Mai.); Nati-ki-asgand (Deccan) ; Amuk-kura-virai 

 (Tarn.) ; Bunera-gadda-vittulu (Tel.) ; Bayman (Sind). 



Habitat : — Throughout drier, subtropical India ; frequent in 

 the West and Hindustan, rare in Lower Bengal. 



An unarmed, erect shrub, attains 5ft., often semi-shrubby 

 at base ; root long, tapering. Stems branched, covered with 



