470 RESINS 



Varieties. Bombay or East Indian mastich is obtained from 

 P. Khinjuk, Stokes (and probably other species) ; it is darker than 

 genuine mastich, less vitreous, more soluble in alcohol and less 

 soluble in oil of turpentine. It may also be distinguished by the acid 

 value (103 to 109) which is much higher than that of genuine 

 mastich (45 to 67). 



SANDARAC 



(Gum Juniper, Sandaraca) 



Source, &C. Sandarac is a resin obtained from CalUtris quadrwalvis , 

 (N.O. Coniferce), a small tree about 7 metres high, growing on the 

 mountains in the north-west of Africa. It is usually obtained by 

 incision, the tears when sufficiently hard being collected and exported, 

 chiefly from Mogadore. 



Description. Sandarac occurs in small tears about the same size 

 as mastich, but usually of an elongated, more or less cylindrical or 

 stalactitic form, several of which are sometimes united into a small, 

 flattened mass. Globular or pear-shaped tears are comparatively 

 rare in it, and by this means it can be distinguished at sight from 

 mastich. 



The tears, as usually seen in commerce, have a dull dusty surface 

 and a pale yellowish colour ; they are brittle, breaking with a glassy 

 conchoidal fracture, and displaying a clear, transparent interior, in 

 which, as in amber, small insects are occasionally embedded. The 

 resin has a slight terebinthinate odour and a terebinthinate, slightly 

 bitter taste ; when chewed it breaks up between the teeth into a 

 sandy powder which, unlike mastich, shows no disposition to 

 agglomerate into a plastic mass. 



It is completely soluble in alcohol and ether, partially only in 

 chloroform, carbon disulphide, and oil of turpentine. 



The student should observe 



(a) The preponderating stalactitic form, 



(b) The terebinthinate odour, 



(c) The indisposition to form a plastic mass between the teeth ; 



and should compare this drug with 



(i) Mastich (see p. 468), 

 (ii) Olibanum (see p. 481). 



Constituents. Sandarac consists of resin associated with traces 

 of volatile oil, bitter principle, &c. The chief constituent of the resin 

 is (optically) inactive pimaric acid (sandaraco-pimaric acid, 85 per 

 cent.), obtainable in acicular crystals melting at 170 ; other 

 constituents are sandaraciiiic acid (2-3 per cent.), amorphous callitrolic 



