234 



Properties ©f 

 Uie resin. 



Component 

 parts of eu- 

 phorbia in. 



Myrrh dip- 

 tilled alone. 



Coal. 



ANALYSIS OT MYRRH. 



~ G, The resin of euphorbium has a reddish transparency, 

 and extreme acrimony, whence it may be considered as a 

 violent poison. It becomes electric by friction. Alkalis have 

 no sensible action on it. Sulphuric acid dissolves it cold. 

 Treated with nitric acid at a heat of 20° [77* F.] It softens, 

 grows yellow, and begins to decompose. By increasinj^ the 

 heat, a complete solution is obtained, which, when evapo- 

 rated, yielded a great deal of yellowish resiniform matter, 

 a soluble resinoamer substance, and some traces of oxalic 

 acid. 



Sect. IV. From these experiments it follows, that 100 

 parts of euphorbium are composed of 



Water i 5 



Wax 19 



Woody matter 13*5 



Malate of lime 20.5 



— potash 



Resin 37 



Loss • . • • 3 



100 



Art. IV. — Analysis of Myrrh, 



Se6l. I. Thirty gram. [463-2 grs.] of myrrh gradually 

 heated to redness in a retort yielded 10 gram. [154.4 grs.] 

 of an empyreumatic, heavy, brown oil ; 10 gram. [154*4 grs.] 

 of a red liquid, that changed sirup of violets green, yielded 

 ammonia when mixed with potash, and acetate of potash 

 mixed with oil when evaporated. 



The coal left in the retort occupied less space than the 

 myrrh itself, was compaft, iridescent, shining, and weighed 

 7*25 gram. [112 grs.] Being icinerated it produced \'Q 

 gram, [24*7 grs.] of white ashes, which furnished by elu- 

 triation 7 cent. [1.08 grs.] of sulphate of potash mixed with 

 a small quantity of subcarbonate. 



The part of the ashes insoluble in water dissolved com- 

 pletely in nitric acid with effervescence, carbonic acid being 

 evolved mixed with a little sulphuretted hidrogen, arising 

 no doubt from the decomposition of a small quantity of 

 fulphat€ of potash by the lime and carbon. The nitric so- 

 ♦ . ... lutio» 



