RADIX SUMBUL. 313 



Description— The root as found in commerce consists of transverse 

 slices, 1 to 2 inches, rarely as much as 5 inches in diameter, and an inch 

 or more in thickness ; the bristly crown, and tapering lower portions, 

 often no thicker than a quill, are also met with. The outside is covered 

 by a dai'k papery bark; the inner surface of the slices is of a dirty brown, 

 marbled with white, showing when viewed with a lens an abundant 

 resinous exudation, especially towards the circumference. The interior 

 is a spongy, fibrous, farinaceous-looking substance, having a pleasant 

 musky odour and a bitter aromatic taste. 



Microscopic Structure — The interior tissue of sumbul root is very 

 irregularly constructed of wood}'' and medullary rays, while the cortical 

 part exhibits a loose spongy parenchyme. The structural peculiarity 

 of the root becomes obvious, if thin slices are moistened with solution 

 of iodine, when the medullary rays assume by reason of the starch they 

 contain an intense blue. The structure of the root differs from the 

 usual arrangement by the formation of independent secondary cambial 

 zones with fibro- vascular bundles within the original cambium. Similar 

 peculiarities are also displayed by the roots of Myrrhis odorata, Con- 

 volvulus Scammonia, Ipomoea Turpethum and others/ Large balsam- 

 ducts are also observable in Sumbul as well as in the roots of many 

 other Umbelliferse.s 



Chemical Composition— Sumbul root yields about 9 per cent, of 

 a soft balsamic resin soluble in ether, and | per cent, of a dingy bluish 

 essential oil. The resin has a musky smell, not fully developed until after • 

 contact with water. According to Reinsch (1848), it dissolves in strong 

 sulphuric acid with a fine blue colour, but in our experience with a 

 crimson brown. The same chemist states that when subjected to dry 



distillation, it yields a blue oil. 



Solution of potash is stated to convert the resin of sumbul mto a 

 crystalline potassium salt of Siimbulamic Acid, which latter was ob- 

 tained in a crystalline state by Reinsch in 1843, but has not been further 

 examined. Sumbulamic acid, which smells strongly of musk, appears 

 to be a different substance from Sumhulic or Sumhidolic Acid, the 

 potassium salt of which may be extracted by water from the above- 

 mentioned alkaline solution. Ricker and Reinsch (1848), assert that 

 the last-mentioned acid, of which the root contains about f per cent., is 

 none other than Angelic Acid, accompanied, as in angelica root, by a 

 httle valerianic acid. All these substances require further investigation, 

 as well as the body called Sumhulin, which was prepared by Mura\\;jeti 

 (1853), and is said to form with acids, crystalline salts. 



Sommer has shown (1859) that by dry distillation, sumbul resm 

 yields Umhelliferone, which substance we shall further notice when 

 describing the constituents of galbanum. 



Uses— Prescribed in the form of tincture as a stimulating tonic. 

 , Adulteration— Bombay Sitmhid, or "Boi," is the root of Dorema 

 Ammoniacum (see article Ammoniacum, p. 324), which is largely im- 

 ported into Bombay, being used there in the Parsee fire temples as an 



\ See A. de Bary, Analomie, 1877. 623. Hshed in Russian in 1870, an Italian to 



^ * The structure and gro^-th of Sumbul lation with two plates has appeared m the 



root have been elaboratefy studied by Tchis- J^uovo Giornak Botamco for Oct. 18/.^. 



tiakoff, of whose observations, first pub- 298. 



