•442 CONVOLVULACEyK. 



scainmony : of these, the most frequent are carbonate of lime and 

 farinaceous matter. The first may generally be recognized by examinin 





the fractured surface of the drug with a good lens, when the white particles 

 of the carbonate will be perceived. If the surface is then touched 

 (while still suh lentc) with hydrochloric acid, effervescence will prove the 

 presence of a carbonate. Other earthly adulterants can be discovered 

 by incineration, or by examining the residue of the drug after treatment 

 with ether. Starchy substances, the presence of which may be surmised 

 by the scanunony being difficult to break, are detectable by the micro- 

 scope or by solution of iodine, a cold decoction of scammony not being 

 affected by that reagent. Scammony that is ponderous, dull and clayey, 

 not easily broken in the fingers, or which when broken does not exhibit 

 a clean, glossy surface, or which does not' afford at least 80 per cent, of 

 matter soluble in ether, should be rejected. That which is made up in 



the form of hard, dark, circular cakes is widely different from pure 

 scanunony. 



Scanunony may be distinguished from Resin of Sc((,7nmony hy lU 

 property of forming an emulsion when wetted. The resin is also more 

 glossy and almost entirely soluble in ether. 



Radix Scammoniae. 



^ The frauds commonly practised on the scanunony of commerce have 

 given rise to various schemes for obtaining the dru^r in a purer form, as 



well as at a more moderate price.^ 

 So far ^ ^ 



Scamnioni 



- ™, .>,„ i„ iiiv^it, iiiuucitiLfc! price. 



So far _ back _ as 1839, the Edinburgh College prescribed a Resina 

 m.monii, which was prepared by exhausting scammony with a spirit 

 ot wme, distilling off the spirit, and washing the residue with water. 



ouch an PYfrcmf ^im^ „ P„_j. i i n 1 , Ti» T.;r 1 



and occasionally shipped to London. 



Mr. Maltass 



In consequence of a suggestion made by Mr. Clark, manufacturer of 

 iKjuorice at Sochia near Scala Nuova, south of Smyrna, a patent ^vas 

 taken out (18.5G) by Prof. A. W. Williamson of London, for preparing this 

 resm directly from the dried root by lueans of alcohol. The same 

 cnemist shortly afterwards devised an improved process, which consists 

 in hoilmgr the roots first with water and then witli dilute acid, so r 



deprive them of all matters soluble in those menstrua, and afterwards 

 extracting the resin by alcohol. 



Resm of Scammony, obtained either from scammony or 

 ariea root, is ordor^rl ir, +i.^ r>.ui. m •. ..a i«i 



from the 



nianufactiu-ed by a few houses. It is a brown, translucent, brittle sub- 

 stance ot^ resinous fracture, entirely soluble in ether, and not forming 

 an eniulsion when wetted with water. 



fecammony ro(,t is occasionally brought into the London market, 

 W;T "' f^^^"' ^'^^S^ qviantity,^ but it is not generally kept by 

 Ur iggLsts, nor do we find it quote<I in price-currents Its collection is 

 even opposed m some i.arts of Turkey by the local authorities.^ 



DricJclllrrelir S '''3f '" ,^ I'""'!"" " Such was the case at Aleppo. n3 we 



' Thus 100 br. li wer nff V*'' ^^'i "'• '^'^"^^- ~^■^■ 



sale, 3 July 1873 """^ "^ ^ '^^'"fe' 



