CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ROOTSTOCK OF VITIS OPACA. 59 
The amount of substance in the dried residue soluble in 
dilute soda after the water extraction was very small, of 
no particular interest and was too small to specially 
determine. Nearly the whole of the substances soluble in 
dilute hydrochloric acid (0°570%) consisted of calcium 
oxalate, and the ash (0°3397) was almost entirely calcium 
carbonate. The amount of cellulose, lignin and allied 
substances insoluble in the above menstrua was 1°343 
gram equal to 27°84% of total dried substance. The small 
amount of ash from this consisted almost entirely of alumina, 
indicating that the alumina in the ‘tuber’ is partly associated 
with this group of substances. 
The above results show that the ‘tuber’ or enlarged root- 
stock of this Vitis contained :— 
Waters 9 ..: ane Se So AAS 
Fats etc., soluble in ether ... 0°038 contained a resin. 
Reducing sugars ae ..  0°402 largely dextrose. 
Other substances soluble in water 2°468 largely mucilage. 
Substances soluble in HCl... 0°570 largely calcium 
oxalate 
Cellulose, lignin, etc.,... ..  1°343 contained alumina. 
Soluble in NaOH by difference 0°003 
100°000 
Nitrogen 0°138 per cent. 
Carbonated ash 1°276 ,, Fee 
There seems to be a somewhat close affinity between the 
carbohydrates of this ‘tuber’ and those belonging to the 
group which includes the true gums. The formation of 
salts indicates the acid nature of these organic substances, 
and the alteration products are more in the direction of 
the sugars than the starches. No active principle was 
detected at any time during the investigation, and tannins 
seem also to be absent, as the dried ‘tuber,’ when boiled in 
water, gave no reaction for tannin with ferric chloride or 
