GALBANUM. MOTHER RESIN. 69 



of the leaves as a simple exudate. As a rule, no single 

 method of collection is followed, but similar methods to 

 those practised for collecting asafoetida may be employed. 

 Freshly exuded galbanum dries into tear-like masses if 

 undisturbed. These sorts constitute the better varieties. 

 If the exudate runs together, masses are formed; these 

 may be commingled with bits or slices of the stem, in- 

 dicating hasty collection. 



Description. — When in a fresh state, the resin is a 

 fluid, milk white, but by oxidation becomes yellowish and 

 thick, finally becoming hard. In the market it may 

 generally be found in irregularly aggregated grains 

 from 0.5 to 1.5 cm. in average diameter, externally light 

 to dark brown, lighter within, at times whitish to bluish 

 green. The grains are soft and break readily with an 

 irregular fracture. Some samples come into the market 

 with a large percentage of oil, which renders them some- 

 what viscid. The taste is sharp, somewhat aromatic 

 and bitter. The odor is unpleasant to many people; 

 it is somewhat aromatic. 



If a small portion of the resin is placed upon a sieve in a 

 beaker glass with Ca(0H)2, a sheath of bluish fluorescence 

 can be seen on the surface, the rest of the fluid remaining 

 brownish. A similar reaction, Fliickiger states, is seen 

 with asafoetida. Ammonia gives negative results. If 

 galbanum is mixed with hydrochloric acid, specific 

 gravity 1.12, at the end of an hour, sooner upon warming, 

 a brilliant red color is produced.* 



Chemistry. — Galbanum is a mixture of varying quan- 

 tities of ethereal oil, 9.5 per cent., resin, 63 per cent., and 

 gums, 27 per cent.; ash is about 8 per cent. 



Galbanum resin is an umbelliferon-galbaresinotannol. 

 Ether breaks it up by KOH into umbelliferon and gal- 

 baresinotannol, C,gH„OjOH, which forms a brown amor- 

 phous powder. 



* Flfickiger: Lchrbuch, p. 65. 



