A^klYGDALiE AMARiE. 247 



per cent, of cane-sugar. The amount of gum appears to be very small ; 

 Fleury (1865) found that the total amount of sugar, dextrin and muci- 

 lage was altogether only 6"29 per cent. 



If almonds are kept for several days in alcohol, crystals of aspara- 

 gine (see article Rad. Althaeae, p. 93) make their appearance, as 

 shown by Henschen (1872), and by Fortes (1876). 



The almond yields 37 per cent, of nitrogen, corresponding to about 

 24 per cent, of albuminoid matters. These have been elaborately ex- 

 amined by Robiquet (1837-38), Ortloff (1846), Bull (1849), and Ritthausen 

 (1872).^ The experiments tend to show that there exist in the almond 

 two different protein substances ; Robiquet termed one of these bodies 

 Synaptase, while others applied to it the name Eniidsin.^ Commaille 

 (1866) named the second albuminous substance Amandin ; it is the 

 Ahnond-legumin of Gmelin's Chemistry, the Conglutin of Ritthausen. 

 Emulsin has not yet been freed from earthly phosphates which, when 

 it is precipitated by alcohol from any aqueous solution, often amount 

 to a third of its weight. Amandin may be precipitated fi'om its aqueous 

 solution by acetic acid. According to Ritthausen, these bodies are to 

 be regarded as modifications of one and the same substance, namely 

 vegetable casein. 



Blanched almonds comminuted yield, when slightly warmed with 

 dilute potash, a small quantity of hydrocyanic acid and of ammonia; 

 the former may be made manifest by means of Schonbein's test pointed 

 out at p. 250. 



The ash of almonds, amounting to from 3 to nearly 5 per cent., con- 

 sists chiefly of phosphates of potassium, magnesium and calcium. 



Production and Commerce — The quantity of almonds imported 

 into the United Kingdom in 1872 was 70,270 cwt., valued at £204,592. 

 Of this quantity, Morocco supplied 33,500 cwt., and Spain with the 

 Canary Islands 22,000 cwt., the remainder being made up by Italy, 

 Portugal, France, and other countries. The imports into the United 

 Kingdom in 1876 were 77,169 cwt., valued at £244,078. Almonds are 

 largely shipped from the Persian Gulf: in the year 1872-73, there were 

 imported thence into Bombay, 15,878 cwt., besides 3,049 cwt. from other 

 countries.'* 



Uses — Sweet almonds may be used for the extraction of almond oil, 

 yet they are but rarely so employed (at least in England) on account 

 of the inferior value of the residual cake. The only other use of the 

 sweet almond in medicine is for making the emulsion called Mistura 

 Amygdalce. 



I 



AMYGDALA AMAR^. 



Bitter Almonds; F. Amandes ameres; G. Bittere Manddn. 



Botanical Origin — Prunu^ AmygdaZus Baillon var. a. amara 

 Amygdcdus communis L. var. a. amara DC). The Bitter Almond tree 

 is not distinguished from the sweet by any permanent botanical character, 

 and its area of growth appears to be the same (see p. 244). 



^ Die Eiweisshorper der Getreidearten, ' Gmelin, Chemistry, xviii. (1871) 452. 



Hulsenfrilchte und Oelsamen, Bonn, 1872. ' Statement of the Trade and Navigation 



199. of Bombay for 1872-73, pt. ii. 31. 



