ON  PENGHAWAR  DJAMBI. 
55 
found  that  the  filaments  of  penghawar  have  nothing  in  common 
with  hair.  Thej  form  band-like,  flat  processes  with  articula- 
tions ;  their  breadth  surpasses  their  thickness  three  times  and 
more.  The  joints  are  dark  brown,  resemble  those  of  the  shave- 
grass,  but  have  delicate,  often  ramified  processes.  The  part 
between  the  articulations  is  two  to  four  times  longer  than  wide, 
either  of  uniform  width,  or,  in  the  dried  state,  conical,  smaller 
at  one  end,  of  yellow  color,  translucent,  covered  with  violet 
granules,  which,  together  with  the  processes  of  the  joints,  fall 
oif  on  applying  a  weak  solution  of  caustic  potassa,  but  becomes 
more  distinct  on  being  soaked  in  ether.  The  base  of  the  fila- 
ments is  either  smaller,  with  branchy  processes,  or  thicker,  sur- 
rounded by  hairs  ;  their  upper  end  is  drawn  out  into  a  transpa- 
rent, needle-shaped  tubule.  Each  filament  forms  a  hollow 
sheath  which  is  partitioned  by  transparent  diaphragms  at  the 
articulations.  The  cavity  of  the  filament  easily  fills  itself  with 
any  kind  of  fluid ;  fine  powders  do  not  penetrate  into  uninjured 
joints.  In  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  iron  the  filaments  become 
blackish,  nearly  opaque,  and  very  brittle ;  if  they  have  been 
previously  soaked  in  ether,  they  assume  a  dark-brown  color  in 
the  above  solution.  By  iodine  and  dilute  muriatic  acid  the 
physical  properties  of  penghawar  are  not  changed.  A  solution 
of  caustic  potassa  becomes  dark,  the  filaments  themselves  as- 
sume a  bright-yellow  color  in  it,  are  rendered  very  smooth  and 
soft,  in  consequence  of  losing  their  granular  cover  and  their 
processes.  The  author  does  not  attach  much  importance  to  the 
chemical  reaction  of  penghawar,  and  only  states  that  it  forms 
not  a  green  (v.  Bemmelen)  but  a  dark  violet,  blackish  precipitate 
with  the  salts  of  iron. 
2.  Results  of  experiments  on  freshly  abstracted  bloody  a7id  07i 
living  individuals, — Ail  the  experiments  show  that  the  haemos- 
tatic efiect  of  penghawar  depends  upon  the  capillary  attraction 
of  the  water,  which  exceeds  the  force  by  which  the  water  in 
living  blood  is  held  in  combination."  The  coagulation  of  the 
blood  (also  of  that  which  is  freshly  drawn)  is  the  immediate 
consequence  of  the  blood  being  deprived  of  its  watery  portion 
— a  fact  which  is  confirmed  by  comparative  experiments  with 
capillary  glass  tubes.  Penghawar,  however,  acts  with  a  five- 
times  greater  rapidity.    A  circumstance  which  promotes  the 
