314 ANALYSIS OF SCAMMONY. 



it with effervescence. Ammonia added to this salutrorr 

 threw down a precipitate soluble in potash, potash and 

 oxalate of ammonia too occasioned a precipitate. This re- 

 siduum therefore, beside vegetable fibres and the substance 

 insoluble in water and alcohol, which appeared to be oxi- 

 genized extract, was composed of alumine and carbonate 

 of lime. 



This substance, being incinerated, left a whitish powder» 

 soluble in great part with effervescence in muriatic acid. 

 This solution contained alumine, lime, and a little iron. 

 The portion not soluble in muriatic acid, being treated with 

 potash, yielded a siliceous precipitate on the addition of an 

 acid. 



ExtractWe The water employed to precipitate the resin left after 



matter. evaporation a brown matter, weighing 5 parts, of a bitter 



taste, attracting the moisture of the atmosphere, soluble in 

 alcohol, and copiously precipitated from its aqueous solu- 

 tion by acetate of lead. This substance exhibited all the 

 properties of extract. 



Component From this analytical essay therefore it follows, that 



parts of Alep- j\]eppo scammony is composed of 



po stamniony. 



Resin 60 



Gum S 



Extract 2 



Vegetable fibres, earthy matter, &c. •• 35 



100 

 and of Smyrna and that Smyrna scammony contains 



^'^'"^^^"y- Resin 29 



Gum 8 



Extract 5 



Vegetable fibres, &c. • • • • 58 



iOO 



-^ . Though the resins obtained from the two sorts of scam- 



have both ap- mony have considerable analogy, yet, as that of the Aleppo 

 pareinlv the jg yellow, transparent, and friable, while that of the 

 Smyrna is darker coloured, and more difficult to powder, 

 we thought it would not be useless to ascertain, whether there 

 were any difference in their medicinal properties. Incon- 

 sequence? 



