PURE AND ADULTERATED SCAMMONY. 89 



in the mass deep brown, in small fragments pale golden- 1853 - 

 brown, translucent ; although compact, readily broken, fracture 

 glossy, showing not very numerous air-cavities ; odour cheesy. 

 A white emulsion is produced immediately it is rubbed with the 

 moistened finger; no traces, either external or internal, of any 

 calcareous contamination. It affords 88*2 per cent, of resin 

 soluble in ether. 



An experienced judge of scammony assures me that he has 

 never observed any of this quality in the London market. 



3. Pure Scammony from the neighbourhood of Angora in a Pure Angora 

 somewhat irregular mass, probably part of a cake about 1^ 



inches thick. It is very pale in colour, small fragments appear- 

 ing of a yellowish brown, and translucent. It is distinguishable 

 from No. 2 by being much cracked, a quality which imparts to 

 it a pale colour when in mass, and renders it extremely friable. 

 The fractured surface is shining, readily affording a white emul- 

 sion when rubbed with the moistened finger. 



This is a very pure scammony, containing 894 per cent, of 

 resin soluble in ether. The matter insoluble in ether is nearly 

 colourless, which is also the case with that of Nos. 1 and 2. 

 That from No. 1 appeared under the microscope chiefly as an 

 amorphous, gelatinous substance, soluble in water, and in which 

 no starch-granules were observed. 



4. Pure Black Scammony as collected in shady places. My Pure black 

 sample appears to have formed part of a cake upwards of an 



inch thick. It is remarkably opaque and black even in small 

 fragments ; very thin splinters, however, show it of a greyish 

 hue. It is compact yet very brittle ; its fracture glossy ; it 

 possesses the usual scammony-odour, and affords a dingy emul- 

 sion when wetted and rubbed. My experiments prove it to 

 contain 87'9 per cent, of resin soluble in ether. 



This scammony bears some resemblance externally to Solazzi 

 extract of liquorice. It is unknown in English trade. 



5. Smyrna Scammony " adulterated" says Mr. Maltass, " with Adulterated 

 magnesian earth J and vegetable matter to the extent of 20 or 30 



per cent. ; such is sold in London as Lachryma scammony!' 

 1 Or rather carbonate of lime. 



