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PHARMACOGNOSY. 
Adulterants. — Asafetida frequently contains frag- 
ments of vegetable tissues, red clay, sand and stones ; 
it is sometimes adulterated with dirty white, gritty 
masses of gypsum, at other times with barley or wheat 
flour or translucent gums. 
BENZOINUM (Benzoin). 
A balsamic resin obtained from Styrax Benzoin, and 
probably other species of Styrax (Fam. Styraceae), trees 
idigenous to Java, Sumatra and Siam. The resin 
flows from incisions made in the bark, hardens, and is 
then collected, the commercial varieties being known 
as Siam and Sumatra Benzoin, the former being pre- 
ferred. 
Description. — Sumatra Benzoin- -In irregular masses 
composed of yellowish or reddish-brown tears of 
variable size and a reddish-brown and translucent 
or grayish-brown and opaque matrix ; brittle, the 
tears internally being milky white ; becoming soft on 
warming, and yielding benzoic acid on sublimation ; 
odor agreeable, balsamic ; taste slightly aromatic. 
Siam Benzoin also occurs in concavo-convex tears ; it 
has a vanilla-like odor and is almost completely sol- 
uble in solutions of the alkalies or in alcohol ; it is 
further distinguished from the Sumatra variety in not 
containing cinnamic acid, and therefore does not yield 
benzaldehyde on boiling an acidulated solution with 
potassium permanganate. 
Not more than 10 per cent, of Benzoin should be 
insoluble in alcohol, the solution giving an acid 
reaction. 
Constituents. — Benzoic acid partly free and partly 
combined with two alcohols — benzoresinol and resino- 
tannol ; vanillin ; ash T5 to 4 per cent. 
Siam benzoin contains in addition about 35 per cent. 
