prescribed in coughs and bowel complaints as a demulcent ; externally it is applied to scalds, burns and blisters (Dymock).
The seeds act as demulcent, and are used by the natives in diarrhoea, dysentery, sore-throat, and fever. The dried fruit is used as a refrigerant (Watt).
Fatty oil of seeds.— Seeds were ground, dried carefully, and extracted with ether, chloroform or light petroleum ; fresh seeds yielded 15.3 per cent, of oil. This oil was yellow and had a faint odour of oil of almonds ; it had a solidification point— 13.5°, sp. gr. 0.922 at 15° solubility 4.15 parts in 100 of 95 per cent, alcohol, index of refraction 1.47248 for green, 1.47292 for red, viscosity 16.4 at 17° (by Schubler's method, comparing its velocity of efflux with that of water) ; it was optically inactive and showed obscure absorption bands in the blue and violet . 1 gram neutralised 31.7 milligrams K. O. H. in the cold (" acid number "), 181.7 on heating (" Kœttstorfer's " or " saponification number ") ; 5 grams contained volatile acids, soluble in water sufficient to neutralise 0.508 c.c. N./10 K. O. H. solution (" Reichert-Meissl number ") ; it contained 95.2 per cent, of fatty acids, insoluble in water "Hehner's number"), and united with 113 per cent, of iodine (" Hǘbl's iodine number. ").
By hydrolysis of the oil with lead oxide, glycerol was obtained to the extent of 4.1 per cent. A larger quantity of the oil was hydrolysed with caustic soda, and the acids converted into calcium salts, which were then treated with ether. From the calcium salt, soluble in ether, a liquid acid was obtained, and purified by conversion into its ethylic salt and fractional distillation of the latter. This acid has a sp. gr. 0.8931 and composition OH. C17H32COOH ; its ethylic salt boils at 223-226° under 7.5 mm., pressure ; an anhydrous barium salt, melting at 79°, and a monacetyl derivative were prepared ; a dibromide, C18N34O3 Br2 , was also prepared, and the acid was found to darken in the air, absorbing oxygen. From the calcium salt, insoluble in ether, a mixture of solid acids was obtained from which two were separated by crystallisation from 70 per cent, alcohol ; these were myristic acid, the main product, and a small amount of an acid which melts at 42°, contains C. 75.1 and H12.1 per cent., and is possibly an isomeride of pentadecylic acid. (J. Ch. S. 1899 A. I. 822).
Pectin from Quince. This pectin is strongly dextrorotatory, [a]D = 181.2°. On hydrolysis with dilute sulphuric acid, it yields arabinose ; when treated with nitric acid, it gives mucic acid, and with diastase from germinated barley it behaves exactly like the pectin obtained from the gentian and the gooseberry— (J. Ch. S. 1899 A. I. 822).
478. Eriobotrya japonica, Lindl. h.f.b.i., ii. 372.
Vern.: — Logat (H.).
Habitat: — The tree is indigenous in China and Japan. The fruit of Saharanpur is especially in repute, says Gamble. It
