786 
THE PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 
corms ; at the same time we are aware that the celebrated 
Dr. Christison recommended the corms to be gathered in the 
withered state (about April), an opinion which he considered 
confirmed by Stoltze’s analyses ; but as this appears to us 
to lead to an opposite conclusion, we give it below, merely 
remarking that the “ bitter extractive ” in the October corms 
is quoted separately, whilst in the March ones it is placed 
together with the sweet extractive ; but even should there 
be a difference, we consider it best to direct its collection at 
one period for the sake of uniformity. 
Stoltze’s Analyses of Colchicum Corms. 
Cormi 
gathered 
in 
March. 
Ditto 
in October. 
Volatile acrid matter . 
Soft resin .... 
Crystallizable sugar . 
Sweet extractive, with some \ 
bitter extractive . . J 
Difficultly soluble extractive 
Gum, like tragacanth . 
Starch .... 
Lignin .... 
Extractive soluble in potash 
Water .... 
Trace 
0-04 
0-41 
5-91 I 
1*30 
0-81 
7"46 
2*32 
0-61 
81-04 
f Uncrystallizable sugar 
\ Bitter extractive 
Rather more. 
0-06 
112 
2-72 
217 
0- 52 
1- 65 
10-12 
1-61 
0-52 
80-31 
99-90 
100-80 
Colchicum has been for ages well known as a medicinal 
plant. The ancient Greeks seem to have employed it as 
such ; but for its introduction into modern practice, accord- 
ing to Pereira, we are chiefly indebted to Stork, of Vienna, 
in 1763. Dr. Christison considers its action to be that of a 
powerful sedative, and “ hence,” he says, “ may probably be 
ascribed its well-known power of arresting gout but as it 
is also diuretic and purgative, some part of its curative 
effects may be due to its action in these respects. That 
it has obtained great celebrity may be gathered from the 
fact that it is the principal ingredient in the much-vaunted 
French remedy for gout so well known as the eau medicinale, 
which, according to Rennie, is composed of “ two parts of 
the expressed juice of the flowers of the Colchicum autum- 
nale, and one part of brandy.” This recipe confirms the 
opinion as to the potency of the flowers of the plant 
