CRUDE DRUGS. 657 



70 per cent, (distinction from jalap resin), and when the residue 

 on evaporation of the ethereal solution is dissolved in a hot 

 solution of potassium hydrate it is not reprecipitated on the addi- 

 tion of diluted sulphuric acid. The saponification value of 

 genuine scammony resin is from 238 to 240.5. 



Constituents. From 75 to 95 per cent, of a glucosidal resin 

 (scammonin), which is completely soluble in ether; gum, 5 to 8 

 per cent. ; ash, not more than 3 per cent. Scammonin is appar- 

 ently identical with the resin in Ipouia-a orizahcnsis and the ether- 

 soluble resin in jalap. It occurs as a white powder, which on 

 treatment with alkalies yields the glucoside Scammonic acid. 

 The latter on hydrolysis decomposes into scammonolic acid and 

 glucose. An anhydride of scammonolic acid, scammonol, some 

 valerianic acid and sugar are formed on treating scammonin with 

 mineral acids. The peculiar cheese-like odor of the resin is due 

 to the formation of a volatile, fatty acid during the drying process. 



Adulterants. Scammony is adulterated with inorganic sub- 

 stances, various starchy products, foreign resins, such as guaiac, 

 and an extract of the juice of the root of Convolvulus althccoides, 

 a plant indigenous to the countries of the Mediterranean. 



Mexican scammony resin is obtained from Ipomcca oriza- 

 bensis (yield 16 per cent.). The saponification value is about 186. 



Montpellier Scammony is the natural exudation of Mars- 

 denia erecta (Fam. Asclepiadaceae), a plant indigenous to South- 

 ern Europe. It contains 50 to 60 per cent, of starch, 10 to 21 per 

 cent, of resin, and yields 11 to 18 per cent, of ash. 



Scammony Root is official in the British Pharmacopceia. It 

 is the dried root of C. Scammonia, and occurs in large, nearly 

 cylindrical, spirally twisted pieces from 2.5 to 7.5 cm. in diam- 

 eter ; externally it is yellowish-gray or brownish-gray and is longi- 

 tudinally furrowed ; the fracture is coarsely fibrous from the pres- 

 ence of projecting wood fibers ; internally it is whitish-gray, with 

 the collateral fibrovascular bundles in radial rows forming con- 

 centric circles, the phloem of each containing numerous dark 

 resin cells ; the odor is like that of jalap, and the taste is first 

 sweetish and then acrid. Scammony root contains about 5 per 

 cent, of the glucoresin, scammonin ; starch, and a sugar. It is 

 used in the preparation of an alcoholic, resinous extract, known as 



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