710 SCIENTIFIC AND APPLIED PHARMACOGNOSY 



Upon the addition of a few grains of musk to 2 c.c. of alcohol 

 contained in a watch crystal, the grains sink to the bottom, and 

 upon stirring with a glass rod, a pale brown solution is obtained, 

 being very slightly cloudy and leaving a somewhat oily stain upon 

 the upper portion of the watch crystal as the alcohol evaporates; 

 the undissolved portion of residue resembles that obtained 

 with the aqueous mixture, except in that the particles are less 

 disintegrated. 



Constituents. From 0.5 to 2 per cent of a colorless, viscid vola- 

 tile oil, consisting of a ketone having the odor of musk. Also fat, 

 resin, cholesterin, protein substances, ammonium salts, calcium 

 salts; and about 5 per cent of ash. Musk should not lose more than 

 15 per cent of moisture when dried in a desiccator over sulphuric 

 acid. 



CIVETTA. Civet. An unctuous secretion contained in a special 

 pouch in both the male and female Civets, Viverra Civetea and V. 

 Zibetha (Fam. Viverriese). The former is indigenous to Africa 

 and the latter to southern Asia. The animals are sometimes kept 

 in captivity, the secretion being removed by means of a small spoon, 

 a few viubic centimeters being obtained from each animal at intervals 

 of a few days. The secretion is dried and at first is of a yellowish 

 color, becoming dark brown and has a strong musk-like odor, becom- 

 ing pleasant on dilution and is used both alone and for fixing other 

 odors. The American Civet-cat of Mexico is not a true Civet, but 

 is related to the raccoon and is similar in its haunts and habits to the 

 latter. 



Adulterants. Musk is sometimes adulterated with dried blood, 

 colophony, catechu, asphalt, glass, sand, meat, small seeds and frag- 

 ments of wood, all of which are readily detected. 



POWDERED DRUGS 



Many of the powdered drugs, spices and food products resemble 

 each other closely in form, color and other properties, and it is there- 

 fore necessary that some outline for their identification be prepared. 

 Two kinds of keys may be arranged: (a), In the one, the scheme of 

 separation is dependent entirely upon the histological characters of 

 the drugs under consideration. This method has been followed by 

 Schneider in his work on " Powdered Drugs." (6), A second method 

 is to arrange the powdered substances into fundamental groups, 

 based on the color of the substances; these are then subdivided 

 according to the anatomical characteristics of the powders. The 



