488 GUM RESINS 



white, translucent or opaque ; the freshly exposed surface, may gradu- 

 ally, pass through a very characteristic change of colour, becoming 

 first pink, then red, and finally reddish brown (F. fostida), or may 

 remain nearly white (F. rubricaulis). The drug has an intense, 

 penetrating, persistent, alliaceous odour, and a bitter, acrid, alliaceous 

 taste. 



Mass asafetida consists of the tears agglutinated into a more or less 

 uniform mass and mixed with varying quantities of extraneous 

 substances such as stones, slices of the root, earthy matter, calcium 

 carbonate, calcium sulphate, &c. ; it is generally much inferior to 

 the tears. 



Asafetida contains no free umbelliferone (compare ' Galbanum '), 

 but yields it when boiled with hydrochloric acid ; a reaction 

 which serves to distinguish it from a variety of the drug met 

 with in Bombay yielding no umbelliferone. From galbanum the 

 tears of asafetida may also be distinguished by the green colour the 

 freshly fractured surface assumes when it is touched with nitric acid 

 diluted with an equal volume of water, or by the bright red or brownish 

 red colour with sulphuric acid, changing to violet when the acid is 

 washed off with water. 



Constituents. Asafetida consists principally of volatile oil, resin, 

 and gum. 



Good samples yield from 10 to 17 per cent, of volatile oil, from 

 40 to 64 per cent, of resin, about 25 per cent, of gum, and 1-5 to 10 

 per cent of ash. The amount of mineral matter in mass asafetida 

 may rise to 60 per cent, or exceptionally even more ; fine tears may 

 contain as little as 1-5 per cent. 



The resin consists of ferulic acid combined with asaresinotannol ; 

 although the drug contains no free umbelliferone, it easily yields that 

 substance by the action of sulphuric or hydrochloric acid on the 

 ferulic acid and on the resorcin produced simultaneously from the 

 resin. 



The volatile oil contains pinene together with various disulphides, 

 C 7 H 14 S 2 , C 11 H 20 S 2 , C 10 H 18 S 2 , &c., the percentage of sulphur varying 

 from 17 to 37. 



Uses. Asafetida is a powerful nervine stimulant, and is used in 

 the nervous disorders of hysteria. It has also a well-marked stimulant 

 action on the bowel, and is employed to expel flatulence and relieve 

 constipation. Much of it is exported to the continent and also to 

 the United States, where is is used on the cattle ranches. 





