128 FERULA GALBANIFLUA 



oil of an intensely blue colour, and which is said to be identical 

 with the blue oil derived from the flowers of Matricaria Ghamo- 

 milla, L. ; and resorcin. It is probably from the formation of 

 this latter substance that galbanum, or its resin, develops a red 

 colour when warmed with concentrated hydrochloric acid. By 

 this test galbanum may be distinguished from both assafcetida and 

 ammoniacum, for, according to Pliickiger and Hanbury, when 

 assafcetida is treated in the same way, it " assumes a dingy 

 greenish colour, and ammoniacum is not altered at all/ 5 The 

 volatile oil of galbanum is a colourless dextrogyrate liquid, with the 

 odour of the drug, and boiling at a temperature of from 320 to 

 829. Nothing definite is known of the gum or mucilage of 

 galbanurn ; it is said to be perfectly similar tp gum arabic. 



Medical Properties and Uses. In its action galbanum is inter- 

 mediate between assafcetida and ammoniacum,, but it is much less 

 used than either of these gum-resins. As an antispasmodic it is 

 far less powerful than assafoetida ; but in its stimulating expectorant 

 properties it is allied to ammoniacum. It is frequently given in 

 combination with assafcetida, as in the official compound assa- 

 fcetida pill, which possesses stimulant and antispasmodic pro- 

 perties, and is useful in hysteria, chlorosis, &o. Galbanum 

 has also been regarded as a useful internal remedy in chronic 

 mucous catarrh, in amenorrhosa, and chronic rheumatism. It is 

 applied externally in the form of galbanum plaster, as a mild 

 stimulant in promoting the resolution or suppuration of indolent 

 tumours ; and to the chest in chronic pulmonary affections. 



Galbanum entered into the composition of the incense in use by 

 the ancient Jews, and is still employed for a similar purpose by 

 the Catholic Apostolic Church. 



Exodus xxx, 34. 



Per. Mat. Med., vol. ii, pt. 2, p. 188; Pharmacographia, p. 286; 

 U. S. Disp., by W. & B., p. 413 ; Geoffroy, Trait, de Mat. Med., 

 vol. ii, p. 623 ; Buhse, in Bulletin, de la Soc. Imp. des Nat. de 

 Moscou, vol. xxiii (1850), p. 548, and in Ph. JL, vol. xi, ser. 1, 

 p. 577 ; Gmelin's Chemistry, vol. xi, p. 228 ; Pharm. JL, 

 vol. iii, ser. 2, p. 428 ; Hirschsohn, in Pharm. JL, vol. vii, ser. 3, 

 pp. 369, 389, and 429. 



