MACIS. 500 



flat, riband-like cells, which cannot however he removed as a continuous 

 film. The parenchyme is loaded with small granules, to wluch a rod 

 colour is imparted by Millon's test (solution of mcrcurous nitrate) and 

 an orange hue by iodine. The granules consequently consist of albu- 

 minous matter, and starch is altogether wanting. 



Chemical Composition — The nature of the chemical constituents 

 of mace may be inferred from the following experiments performed by 

 one of us: — 17 grammes of finely powdered mace were entirely ex- 

 hausted by boiling ether, and the latter allowed to evaporate. It left 

 behind 557 gnn., which after drying at 100' C. were diminished to 4*17. 

 The difference, 1'40 grammes, answers to the amount of essential oil, of 

 which consequently 8'2 per cent, had been present. 



The residue, amounting to 24j'5 per cent., was a thickish aromatic 

 halsam, in which we have not been able to ascertain the presence of 

 fat; it consisted of resin and semi-resin iiied essential oil. Alcohol 

 further removed 1'4 per cent, of an uncrystallizable sugar, which re- 

 duced cnpric oxide. 



The drug having been thus treated with ether and with alcohol, 

 yielded almost nothing to cold Avater, hut by means of boiling water 

 1"8 per cent, of a mucilage was obtained, which turned blue hy addition 

 of iodine, or reddish violet if previously dried. This substance is not 

 soluble in an ammoniacal solution of cupric oxide; it appears rather to 

 be an intermediate body between mucilage and starch.^ The comi)osi- 

 tion of mace is therefore very different from that of nutmeg. 



As to the volatile oil, of which several observers have obtained from 

 7 to 9 per cent.,2it is a fragrant colourless hquid which we found, when 

 examined in a column 200 mm. long, deviated the ray IS'S to the right 

 Its greater portion consists according to Schacht (18G2) of Macene, 

 C^'H'^ boiling at 1G0° C, and distinguished from oil of turpentine by 

 not forming a crystalline hydrate when mixed with alcohol and nitric 

 acid. K oiler (18G5) states that niacene is identical with the hydro- 

 carbon of oil of nutmeg (myristicene), yet the latter is said by Cloez to 

 yield no solid compound when treated with hydrochloric gas. Macene 

 on the other hand furnishes crystals of C^H^^HCl. Crude oil of mace 

 contains, like that of nutmeg, an oxygenated oil, the properties of which 

 have not yet been investigated. 



Commerce— Mace, mostly the produce as it would appear of the 



Ac. T^i... ■!_ 1 - 1 n T_-.. :^ 1Q71 fn flip pvtf^nt of 2101 



Banda Islands, was shipped from Java in 1871 to the extent of 

 peculs (282,133 lb.) ; and from Padang in Sumatra (excluding ship] 



ments 



to Java) to the amount of 457 peculs (00,933 Ib.).^ The spice is exported 

 Pi-incipally to Holland, Singapore, and the United States; Great Britain 

 receives about 60,000 to 80,000 lb. annually. 



Uses— Mace is but rarely employed in medicine. It is chicOy con- 

 sumed as a condiment. 



, ; See my paper : Ueher Starke und Cd- oil, which is equivalent to ^i P™t. ^tm^ 



'"fcae in Archlvder Pharm. 1% (1871) 31. ^^T''" .^'^'"''"nVs^th^t thTv obscnSl 

 "~F- A. P. ingly inform us (IS/S) tnat_tliey oDscnui 



' In-au "actual experiment (1868) in the a percentage of from 11 *» 1^- 

 laboratory of Messrs" Herrings & Co. , Lon- « Con.mlar Jieports, August 18/3. 9o- 3. 



<*on, 2.3 lb. of mace yielded 23 oz. of volatile 



