GALBANUM 485 



exudes and hardens, successive slices of root being removed at 

 intervals of several days. The former procedure would probably 

 yield the tears that are found in commercial galbanum, whilst the 

 slices of root found in the drug indicate the latter method as the one 

 by which most of the drug is obtained. It is exported chiefly from 

 the Persian Gulf ports. 



Description. Galbanum occurs in distinct tears, in small agglu- 

 tinated masses, and in lump form. The tears are rounded or 

 irregular in form, and, though they vary in size, are usually about as 

 large as, or rather larger than, a pea. Externally they are yellowish 

 brown or orange brown in colour, and often rough and dirty. They 

 are not, like the tears of ammoniacum, hard, but are so soft that they 

 can usually be squeezed flat between the finger and thumb, becoming 

 ductile and sticky. They break easily with a granular, irregular 

 fracture, and are opaque, yellowish, and soft internally. Sometimes 

 the tears are more or less translucent and of a bluish green colour. 



Thin transverse slices of the root are commonly found mixed with 

 commercial galbanum ; they are usually about 2 or 3 cm. in diameter 

 and frequently bear on one side the dried secretion derived from the 

 freshly cut surface. 



The drug has a characteristic, not exactly unpleasant, aromatic 

 odour, and a rather disagreeable, aromatic, and bitter taste. An 

 alcoholic tincture poured into alcoholic solution of ammonia yields a 

 brilliant blue fluorescence, indicating the presence of free umbelliferone. 



Galbanum occurs also in lumps, corresponding to lump ammoni- 

 acum ; these consist of yellowish or bluish green or brownish tears 

 embedded in a brownish mass and mixed with slices of root and 

 various foreign substances. 



The student should observe 



(a) The soft yellowish brown tears, occasionally bluish green, 



(b) The characteristic odour, 



' (c) The positive result of the test for umbelliferone ; 



and should compare the drug with ammoniacum. 



Constituents. Galbanum consists, apart from extraneous sub- 

 stances, of volatile oil (about 5 to 10 per cent.), resin (about 60 per cent.) 

 and gum (about 20 per cent.), the residue being made up of inorganic 

 matter (about 2 per cent., sometimes much more) and moisture (from 

 1 to 10 per cent.) 



Conrady found (1894) in a good specimen of commercial galbanum : 



Volatile oil . . . . . .9-5 per cent. 



Resin 63-5 



Gum and impurities ..... 27*0 

 Ash 8-25 



