340 
PREPARATIONS  OF  TARAXACUM. 
ed  two  ounces  and  a  quarter  of  that  substance.  Such  a  marked 
difference  in  the  amount  of  inuline  obtainable  from  taraxacum  in 
the  spring  and  autumn  was  at  once  readily  explained  if  we  be- 
lieved in  the  conversion  of  inuline  into  sugar  by  the  action  of 
frosty  weather.  He  also  asked  whether  it  was  not  probable  that 
the  deliquescent  nature  of  the  spring  extract  was  also  due  to  the 
same  circumstance  ?  In  conclusion,  he  said  that  he  thought  his 
explanation  of  the  production  of  the  sweetish  taste  of  taraxacum 
root  by  frost  was  a  rational  deduction  from  observed  facts,  but 
he  now  left  the  matter  to  those  who  were  much  better  chemists 
than  he  was,  either  to  admit  his  conclusions,  or  to  show  their  fal- 
lacy, and  at  the  same  time  to  suggest  a  better  explanation. 
Mr.  Hanbury  remarked,  that  in  a  valuable  paper  read  at  a 
meeting  of  the  Society  by  the  Messrs.  Smith,  of  Edinburgh, 
(Pharm.  Journ.,  vol.  viii.,  p  480),  they  had  shown  that  mannite 
was  produced  in  taraxacum  root.  Could  it  be  formed  in  any 
way  from  inuline  ?  Mr.  Hanbury  also  stated  that  he  thought 
there  would  be  practical  difficulties  in  the  way  of  collecting  the 
root  in  March,  as  now  suggested,  even  should  it  be  proved  to  pos- 
sess the  greatest  activity  at  that  period. 
Professor  Bentley  said  it  was  quite  true  that  the  Messrs.  Smith, 
as  well  as  two  German  chemists,  Widnmann  and  Frickhinger, 
had  independently  proved,  that  mannite  did  not  pre-exist  in  tar- 
axacum, but  was  subsequently  produced  in  the  infusion  or  juice 
of  the  root  by  a  species  of  fermentation  (called  lactic  or  viscous) 
out  of  the  sugar,  and  also,  they  believed,  from  the  inuline  and 
other  hydrates  of  carbon  which  existed  ready  formed  in  the 
plant.  He  said  he  could  see  no  practical  difficulty  in  the  way 
of  collecting  the  root  early  in  March,  as  the  young  leaves  of  the 
plant  were  then  very  evident,  and  possessed  all  the  botanical 
characters  of  those  in  a  mature  state,  and  the  plant  could  thus  be 
readily  found  and  distinguished  from  all  others  with  which  it 
was  likely  to  be  confounded. — London  Pharm.  Journ.  Feb.  1860. 
PREPARATIONS  OF  TARAXACUM. 
By  Mr.  Thos.  B.  Groves. 
[This  paper  was  written  some  months  ago,  before  the  subject 
had  been  announced  for  treatment  by  Mr.  Hills,  or  so  ably  com- 
