ANALYSIS OP GAMBOGfe. 251'^ 



It is pulverulent, of a pale yellow colour, and without Properties of 

 any perceptible taste. It crackles between the teeth like^^^® P''^^"^^* 

 an insoluble salt, and boiling water will not dissolve it. It 

 is very little fusible, and emits no smell, till it begins to ^ 



be decomposed ; but if it be set on fire, or thrown on burn- 

 ing coals, it emits punj^ent fumes of muriatic .acid. 



Weak acids separate nothing perceptible from it ; but with 

 concentrated acids charcoal and muriatic acid are produced. 



Combined with potash the compound has a pleasant 

 soapy smell, and nitrate of silver throws down from its 

 solution a precipitate partly soluble in nitric acid. 



I distilled 6 gram. [92'6 grs] of this substance in a «rnall Distilled. 

 retort, which was heated to redr»ess. The product was col- 

 lected in a few decigr. [about ^ of an oz measure each] of 

 vater, vvhich, being examined toward the end of the distilla- 

 tion, was very sour, and had the smell of muriatic acid. 

 To this water I added nitrate of silver, which produced a 

 copious curdy precipitate of muriate of silver. This pre- 

 cipitate weighed 5*4 gr. [83*4 grs], which would contain 

 1*35 gram. [20'84 grs] of muriatic acid, according to the 

 proportions given by Bergman of 25 acid to 75 oxide*. 



In the retort were left 2*1 gram. [32*4 grs] of a tumid 

 coal. 



Hence it follows, that 100 parts of this acidiferous resinous 

 substance were composed of 



Dry muriatic acid 22*5 ^" com:onenfe 



^, 1 parts. 



Charcoal 35 



Oxigen, hidrogen, and carbon • • • • 42*5 



)00 



Sect, VI. Thus it appears, that gamboge is a true gum- Gamboge a 

 '^^ . . , true gum.r«- 



rcsin, since we find in it a y)eculiar resm very well marked, tin. 



and a gum resembling that of many of our fruit trees. 



• This certainly estimates the acid too high. From 19 to 19-5 per 

 «ent of acid is the most that can be allowed, according to the experi- 

 ments yf icte'-al of th« most eminent modem chemists. C. 



Art. 



