The term “Glucoside” indicates a group of substances which by the action of an acid or enzyme are split up into a sugar (grape sugar, galactose or rhamnose) and other substances (alcohol, aldehydes, acids). They have a bitter taste and are generally readily soluble in water. Related to the glucosides are also the Saponins, remarkable for the fact that they induce an exceedingly frothy condition in water; the prussic acid yielding compounds or cyanogenetic glucosides (_e.g._ Amygdalin and Phaseolunatin) also belong to this group. Other substances will be mentioned in the succeeding chapters. CHAPTER II RANUNCULACEÆ. =Traveller’s Joy= (_Clematis Vitalba_ L.). The extent to which this species is poisonous is not clear, though all parts are stated to be poisonous, acrid and narcotic, while the juice tends to blister the skin. It is remarked by Cornevin that it is less poisonous in spring, when the ass and goat browse on it to a considerable extent without serious trouble, than later, when it cannot be eaten without danger. _Toxic Principle._ Traveller’s Joy appears to contain strongly poisonous substances which have not been closely investigated. Greshoff found a _Saponin_ in the leaves[2]. The poison is dissipated by heat. Footnote 2: Kobert states that various species of _Clematis_, _Ranunculus_, _Anemone_, and also _Caltha palustris_ and _Trollius europæus_, contain _Anemonal_ or _Pulsatilla-camphor_, which causes strong local irritation, burning and swelling in the mouth, vomiting, intestinal inflammation, etc. _Symptoms._ When eaten in quantity the young shoots are diuretic, violently purgative, causing dysentery, and in rare cases death. Applied to the exterior it is irritating and even vesicatory. (Cornevin.) REFERENCES. 63, 81, 101, 130, 161, 233. =Anemone= (_Anemone_ sp.). Both our native species of Anemone appear to be more or less poisonous in character: the Wood Anemone or Wind Flower (_A. nemorosa_ L.), and also the Pasque Flower (_A. Pulsatilla_ L.). These plants, the former of which grows in woods and damp shady spots in fields, and the latter on chalk downs and limestone pastures, may on occasion be taken by stock in early spring, when green herbage is not too plentiful, but deaths appear to be rare, even if they have occurred. All parts of the plants contain a toxic principle, which is volatile and destroyed by drying. _Toxic Principle._ The toxic substance is stated to be _Anemone-camphor_ (oil of Anemone) which imparts a bitter taste to the plants, and itself gives rise in the plant to _Anemonic acid_ and _Anemonin_ (C_{10}H_{8}O_{4}), a very poisonous, narcotic substance, stated to be neither a glucoside, nor an alkaloid, but a ring ketone with the properties of an acid anhydride.