SCAMMONY 559 



cambium distinct; leptome narrow in somewhat hemispherical strands 

 outside of the xylem wedges; resinous laticiferous cells, numerous, 

 having a yellowish-brown, amorphous content, and occurring through- 

 out the parenchyma and medullary rays; calcium oxalate crystals 

 numerous, chiefly in the form of rosette aggregates, only occasionally 

 occurring in the form of rhombohedra, from 0.015 to 0.040 mm. in 

 diameter; starch grains numerous, single 2- to 3-compound, the 

 individual grains from 0.005 to 0.035 mm. in diameter, varying from 

 spheroidal, ellipsoidal, plano-convex, to somewhat polyhedral, and 

 usually with a transverse central cleft. 



Mexican scammony root yields from 6 to 18 per cent of a glu- 

 cosidal resin, and of which about 71 per cent is soluble in ether. 

 The root also contains a pale yellow volatile oil, scopoletin, and 

 3 : 4-dihydroxycinnamic acid. The petroleum ether extract of the 

 resin contains hentriacontane, a phytosterol, cetyl alcohol, and 

 a mixture of fatty acids. The ether extract contains ipuranol, 

 d-a-methylbutyric acid, and a product which on hydrolysis yields 

 jalapinolic acid. Power and Rogerson, Jour. Chem. Soc., 1912, p. 1. 



SCAMMONLE RESINA. Levant Scammony Resin. A gum-resin 

 obtained, by incising the root of Convolvulvus Scammonia (Fam. 

 Convovulacese), a perennial, twining herb indigenous to Syria, Asia 

 Minor and Greece. The incisions are made in the upper part of the 

 root in June, and the exuding gum-resin is collected in mussel shells, 

 the product from a number of roots being mixed together, after which 

 it is allowed to dry. The principal points of export are Smyrna and 

 Aleppo. The natural exudation, free from extraneous matter, is 

 known as native or virgin scammony. 



Smyrna Scammony. In circular, flattened cakes, 10 to 12 cm. 

 in diameter and about 1 cm. in thickness or irregular, angular pieces 

 of variable size; greenish-gray or brownish-black, often covered 

 with a grayish-white powder, formed by the rubbing of the pieces 

 against one another in transportation; very brittle; fracture sharp; 

 internally porous, lustrous and of a uniform brownish-black color, 

 being more or less translucent in thin fragments; odor peculiar, 

 somewhat cheese-like; taste slightly acrid. 



Scammony is easily powdered and forms a milky emulsion with 

 water. It does not effervesce on the addition of diluted hydrochloric 

 acid (absence of calcium carbonate); an alcoholic solution is not 

 colored blue on the addition of tincture of ferric chloride (absence of 

 guaiac resin); ether dissolves not less_than 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 



