Tannic Acid
tannin, a term applied to certain astringent substances occurring in the bark and other parts of plants, and widely distributed, in one form or another, throughout the vegetable kingdom. They are mostly amorphous, have a rough but not sour taste, a slight acid reaction, and color ferric salts dark blue or green. Their most characteristic reaction is that of forming insoluble compounds with gelatin, solid muscular fiber, skin, etc., which then acquires the property of resisting putrefaction, as in the tanning of leather. yellow TANSY (Tanacetum), a genus of Compositæ, numbering about 50 species of strong scented herbs, often shrubby below, with alternate usually much-divided leaves, and solitary or corymbose heads of rayless yellow flowers. The genus is represented represented in Europe, Eu North and South Africa, temperate and cold Asia, and North America. Common tansy (T. vulgaris) has long had a reputation as a medicinal herb, causing it to be much grown in gardens in the past. It posesses bitter, tonic, vermifuge, and febrifuge properties. The plant is a native of northern Europe, Siberia, and northwest America, and occurs in a wild state in Great Britain, but as met with along the sides of streams, etc., is often of gar- TANSY den origin. It now holds a place in gardens mainly for the young leaves, which are shredded down and employed to fla- TANSY vor puddings, omelets and cakes. A variety with leaves doubly curled is generally preferred.