258 ODOROGRAPHIA. 
acid gas then passed through the liquid in order to remove the 
excess of soda as carbonate, the filtrate will contain, besides 
sodium cinnamate, also the sodium salts of the fatty acids, and 
these latter would then be separated by boiling water from the 
acidulated solution of their salts, and from the cinnamiec and 
benzoic acids. 
By boiling the balsam with milk of lime there is extracted 
therefrom, as the above experiments show, for the most part simply 
cinnamic acid, and upon the filter there remains a soft friable 
mass. Slaked lime in a dry condition exerts the same slight 
action. If 2 parts of the balsam are triturated with 1 part of 
slaked lime, the properties of the mixture are changed no more 
than would be expected; a smeary, or, at all events, a soft, 
kneadable or somewhat friable, readily divisible mass is obtained, 
which, even after long exposure in the water-bath, does not 
harden. Adulterated specimens, on the contrary, furnish very 
hard, no longer kneadable masses when rubbed with half their 
weight of slaked lime. The same behaviour is shown by speci- 
mens of balsam to which storax, evaporated alcoholic solution of 
benzoin, colophony and copaiba are added in amounts of 10 per 
cent. or more. In every case the adulterated balsam solidifies 
with the lime. This lime test appears therefore to be of constant 
value, and in its simplicity leaves nothing to be desired. In 
concluding his observations on this test, Professor Flickiger 
remarks that Dr. Grote, who has treated the subject minutely 
and successfully, quite agrees with him as regards the action of slaked 
lime, and that, as a test, it may be exacted that “10 drops of 
Peru balsam shall furnish with 4 gram of slaked lime a mixture 
which remains soft.’ This test, however, is not effectual if 
castor oil be present (or other fatty oil), but on warming such a 
mixture with the lime the fatty odour is plainly perceptible, if 
not, a very small amount of fat is added, and upon ignition decom- 
position products of the castor oil are formed, which possess a 
peculiar odour. 
The results of the examination of Peru balsam made by 
Schlickum~* differ materially in several respects from those of 
* Ayrchiy. der Pharm. [3] xx. p. 498; and Pharm. Journ. [3] xiii. p. 321. 
