434 



BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



Constituents. — Fixed oil 45 per cent. ; proteids 25 to 30 per 

 cent. ; a glucoside, amygdalin, i to 3 per cent. ; and a ferment, 

 emulsin, which acts upon amygdalin, decomposing it into a volatile 

 oil (benzaldehyde or oil of bitter almond) and hydrocyanic acid. 

 In addition to the proteid emulsin, there is another casein-like 

 proteid present, amandin, both of which act as emulsifying agents 

 in the preparation of emulsion of almonds. 



Fig. 1S8. Sections of almond seed: A, cross section of seed-coat treated -with cold 

 potassium hydrate solution and showing outer epidermis (E), inner epidermis (Ei), between 

 which is rather loose parenchyma (p), tissues of nucellus (N) and endosperm (En). B, 

 parenchyma (p) with large intercellular spaces and the inner epidermis of the seed-coat 

 (Ei). C, transverse section of inner epidermis (Ei) and the outer cells of the nucellus (N>. 

 D, more or less obliterated cells of nucellus (N) and two layers of the endosperm (En), 

 which remain intact in the ripe seed. — After Meyer. 



Amygdalin, or a similar principle, is found in the young shoots 

 and flower-buds, as well as seeds, of apricot, peach, plum, cherry 

 and cherry laurel. (See Wild Black-cherry Bark.) 



AMYGDALA DULCIS.— SWEET ALMOND.— The ripe 

 seeds of Prunus Amygdalus dulcis (Fam. Rosaceae), a tree like 

 the bitter almond but more extensively cultivated. The commer- 

 cial supply is obtained from Northern Africa, Southern France, 

 Italy and Spain, the choicest seeds being imported from Malaga 

 and known as " Jordan almonds " (^JD. 287). 



