MACE 



207 



manner, dissolves the oil, imparting to the globules a light orange- 

 red color, which is more or less permanent and does not become 

 reddish-brown. 



Constituents. An aromatic balsam 24.5 per cent; volatile oil 

 4 to 7 per cent and resembling that obtained from nutmegs but 

 containing a larger percentage of terpenes; fixed oil, and consid- 

 erable starch, which is colored red by iodin solution, distinguishing 

 it from nutmeg starch. Mace also contains from 2 to 4 per cent of a 



FIG. 88. Mace: E, epidermal cells, which in transverse section are nearly 

 isodiametric, but in longitudinal section are elongated, sometimes being 

 1 mm. in length; P, parenchyma cells with small starch grains which are 

 colored reddish with iodin; Z, large oil cells showing oil globules and proto- 

 plasmic contents lining the walls; T, tracheae; S, small, irregular starch 

 grains. 



dextrogyrate sugar. (Power and Solway, Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1908, 

 p. 563.) 



Standard of Purity. Mace is the dried arillus of Myristica fra- 

 grans Houtt. It contains not less than 20 per cent nor more than 30 

 per cent of non-volatile ether extract, not more than 10 per cent of 



