COMMON MEADOW SAFFRON.

619

between the withering of the leaves and the sprouting forth of the flower.

. t this period the new cormus is fully developed, and has not exhausteditself by the production of the flower. But many of the cormi broughtto market have already pushed forth their flowers, which are broken offso as to prevent the circumstance from being observed. “ I have seenmany cwts .” says Dr. Lindley ( Flora Medica, p. 589), “ sent to town inmis state, which nevertheless found a ready sale, and at the best price.”the seeds should be gathered when fully ripe. The London market isPrincipally supplied from Gloucestershire , but partly also from Hamp-shire and Oxfordshire .

Description. —The cormus, L. ( bulbus , D.; radix, E. ; radix recens,'-'me.), when gathered at the proper season, is about the size of a chest-llu t, and somewhat resembles in external appearance the connus of thec °mmon tulip ( Tulipa Gesneriana). It is rounded on one side, flattenedthe other, where is perceived the fibrous germ of a new cormus, which,1 allowed to grow, shoots up and bears the flower, while the old cormus" astes, becomes insipid, and inert. It is covered by two coats, an innerfaddish-yellow one and an external brown one. Internally, the cormusls white, fleshy, solid, contains a milky juice, is very feculent, and has anacrid bitter taste. “ Before drying the cormus, it should be cut trans-Jcrsely in thin slices, the dry coats being previously removed” (Ph . Land .)1 tle slices are to be quickly dried, in a dark airy place, with a heat notfeeding 170° F. (Battley, Lond. Med. Rep. xiv. 429). Dr. A. T.

homson {ditto, p. 344) recommends the slices to be dried upon clean"hite paper, without artificial heat, but the time required for this is anjm.jection to it in nractice. The dried slices {radixsiccata, Offlc.) shoulde a bout the eighth or tenth of an inch thick, rounded, oval, or with one?°tch only on one part of their circumference (not fiddle-shaped),lll odorous, of a greyish-white colour, and an amylaceous appearance.

The seeds {semina, L. D.) are about the size of those of white mustard,jUrless, and have a bitter acrid taste. Their other qualities have beenescribed above.

».Composition.—T he Colchicum cormus was analyzed in 1810 by( jJ a ndri and Moretti {Bull, de Pharm. vol. ii. p. 217), in 1818 by Stoltze: boinson’s Org. Chem. 846), and in 1820 by Pelletier and Caventou° Ur 'u. de Pharm. vi. 364).

Analysis by Pelletier c

V . f Oleu'i

1 atty matter com- J gtear

posed of . ( Vol at

^“Pergallate of veratria.ayUow colouring matter.

yum.btarcli,

mulin in abundance.Ggnin.

■^sbes, a minute quantiti cormus.

Stoltze's Analyses.

Cormi

gathered

in

March.

Ditto inOctober.

Volatile acrid matter . . *

trace

rather more

Soft resin ....

004

0 06

Crystallizable sugar .Uncrystallizalde sugar )

0-41

M2

5-91

f 2-72

Bitter extractive . . f

( 217

Difficultly soluble extractive

1-30

0-52

Gum, like tragacanlb .

0-81

1-6.5

Starch ....

7-46

10-12

Lignin ....

2'32

1-61

Extractive soluble in potash

0-61

0-52

Water .

81-04

80-31

Colchicum cormus

9990

100 80