62 VEGETABLE DRUGS WITHOUT ORGANIC STRUCTURE. 



grades are very poor in ** mandels," or tears, the product 

 is darker brown, more porous, and has a greater admixture 

 of foreign matter, chips, pieces of bark, sand, etc. 



The general melting-point is about 90° C, that of the 

 tears about 85° C. It has a pleasant odor, made more 

 evident by warming, and a somewhat aromatic and later 

 biting taste. When chewed it at first becomes powdery, 

 but later the pieces adhere in masses. 



Penang benzoin may be a fine variety of Sumatra. 



Siam benzoin is a much more highly prized benzoin 

 and appears in the market in different ways. Sometimes 

 it comes in more or less loosely agglutinated tears, at other 

 times in masses, somewhat resembling the Sumatra 

 benzoin. The former is a purer variety, and the mass con- 

 sists almost exclusively of tears, 2, 3 to 5 cm. in diameter; 

 these are almond to pebble-shaped masses, of an orange 

 or brownish red color. Their fracture is soft, somewhat 

 fatty, the outer layer being somewhat reddish. Inside 

 the color is a pearly white, which later, on exposure to the 

 air, becomes reddish. The masses are somewhat similar 

 to those of Sumatra, but are darker yellow or brown and 

 whitish, or pure white internally. 



The melting-point is about 75° C. The odor is stronger 

 and more suggestive of vanilla. The taste is similar to 

 that of the Sumatra variety. Foreign bodies are also 

 likely to be included. 



Chemistry. — The drug consists of from 70 to 80 per cent, 

 of amorphous resin, 14 to 24 per cent, of free benzoic acid, 

 ethereal oils, cinnamic acid. 



Tschirch and Ludy* give the following composition for 

 Sumatra benzoin: 



Benzaldehyd Traces 



Benzal Traces 



Vanillin i-o 



Phenylpropylester of Cinnamic Acid i.o 



Styracin 2.0-3.0 



Resins 75o 



Woody impurities 14. 0-17.0 



* Archiv der Pharmacie, 231, 1893, p. 43. 



