' MOSCHUS MOSCHIFERUS. 



ing water dissolves about eighty parts, alcohol only fifty, but 

 sulphuric ether completely. The watery infusion has a yel- 

 lowish-brown color, a bitterish taste, and the strong odor of 

 the musk, and reddens infusion of litmus. Solutions of oxy- 

 muriate of mercury and of sulphate of iron produce with it 

 copious precipitates, as does also infusion of yellow cinchona 

 bark. Solution of nitrate of silver throws down a whitish 

 precipitate, which, on exposure to the light, changes to a livid 

 blue, and nitrate of mercury produces a brownish precipitate. 

 The alcoholic tincture is of a reddish-brown color, transparent, 

 but with scarcely any odor of the musk. Water renders it 

 milky, and gives out the strong musk odor ; but with the other 

 test, it presents the same results as the watery infusion. The 

 ethereal tincture has a deep brown color, and when evaporated 

 on the surface of water deposits a brown, tenacious, nearly 

 insipid resin, and renders the water milky. The resinous 

 matter has the musk odor in perfection, while the substance 

 which occasions the turbidness of the water possesses the 

 properties of extractive. From these results, musk appears 

 to contain albumen, gluten, muriate of soda, phosphate of 

 soda, and an uncombined acid, but the greater part of it con- 

 sists of a resin, combined with a volatile oil and a mucilagi- 

 nous extractive matter. According to the analysis of Blon- 

 deau and Guibourt, and that of Geiger and Reinmann, 

 musk consists of stearine, elaine, cholesterine, an acid oil com- 

 bined with ammonia, free ammonia, muriates of ammonia, po- 

 tassa, and lime, an undetermined acid combined with ammonia, 

 potassa, and lime ; gelatine, albumen, fibrine, carbonized matter, 

 soluble in water ; carbonate and phosphate of lime, and water, 

 and a peculiar bitter resin, which can be readily separated by 

 ether, from which it is deposited on the surface of the water. 

 The odor of musk can scarcely be called peculiar, since it 

 is common to several animals and vegetables. Thus the 

 musk-ox and the musk or civet cat evolve it. Among plants 

 ERODIUM MOSCHATUM, the musk geranium, MALVA MOSCHATA, 

 the musk mallows, and CENTAUREA MOSCHATA, the sweet sultana, 

 may be referred to as possessing a musky odor. When 

 mixed with other scents, musk has the remarkable property of 

 augmenting and improving their smell, without much impart- 

 ing its own ; hence it is extensively used by perfumers. A few 

 drops of potash added to musk increases its odor, by setting 

 free, it is supposed, ammonia. 



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