540 ANIMAL SUBSTANCES 



Most of the musk of European commerce is obtained from Tibet 

 or from the Chinese province of Szechuen (Tonquin musk) ; it is con- 

 veyed down the Yangtse-Kiang river to Shanghai, whence it is 

 exported. Smaller quantities are obtained from the southern Chinese 

 province of Yunan (Yunan musk), and some finds its way via Nepaul 

 or Assam to Calcutta (Nepaul musk, Assam musk). 



The musk pods are examined in China and classified into three 

 qualities, or ' piles ' as they are termed. In London they are again 

 examined, probed with a knife, &c., and again classified into piles, 

 pile 1 consisting of genuine pods, whilst those of pile 3 are obviously 

 sophisticated. 



Description. The best variety of the drug is that known as Ton- 

 quin. This is imported in pods packed in ' caddies ' or latterly hi 

 larger tins. The pods are nearly circular or sometimes distinctly 

 oval in outline and lenticular in shape ; they resemble small dark 

 flattened cakes about 5 to 7 cm. in diameter and 2 to 3 cm. thick. 

 On one of the flattened surfaces (the lower surface of the pod as at- 

 tached to the animal) is a circular or oval piece of brown skin about 

 4 cm. in diameter ; this is part of the hide of the animal, and exhibits 

 when closely examined a central or nearly central small orifice (the 

 orifice of the pod), around which are arranged tangentially directed 

 hairs. The latter vary from whitish to brown in colour ; those near 

 the orifice are naturally short, but those a little distance removed 

 have been clipped and are stiff and bristly. 



The remainder of the pod is covered with a very thin, soft, supple 

 membrane, and appears dark brown in colour when the pod is filled 

 with musk. It often exhibits a fine steel-blue iridescence, whence the 

 term c blue skin,' by which this variety of Tonquin pods is known. 

 This thin blue skin is the inner skin of the pod, the outer skin, which 

 is tough and fibrous, having been carefully stripped off with the ex- 

 ception of the circular piece surrounding the orifice. By this means 

 the appearance of the pod is improved and its value enhanced. 

 Good pods weigh about 30 to 40 grammes, and contain about half 

 that weight of granular musk which fills them loosely. 



The pods from which the outer skin has not been removed are 

 also imported ; these are known as ' natural skin ' ' thick skin,' or 

 ' old style ' pods. They are usually convex on the lower surface, 

 which is covered with the hide of the animal, but nearly flat on the 

 upper surface, and there protected by a tough, fibrous but hairless skin. 



The musk contained in the pods is always moist, and often has 

 a strongly ammoniacal odour. It can be freed from moisture and 

 ammonia by exposing it to the air, and then forms dark reddish 

 brown unctuous grains (' grain musk ') with which occasional short 

 hairs are mixed ; it possesses a strong characteristic odour and bitter 

 taste. 



