306 
PH A RMACOGNOSY. 
(35 to 40 / 1 in diameter); little or no starch; cells of 
epidermis of capsule 40 ^ in diameter; taste bitter; 
sparingly soluble in water or potassium hydrate solu- 
tion. The Smyrna opium has the largest number of 
epidermal cells of capsule, the Indian few or none and 
the Persian very few. The Persian always has an 
appreciable amount of starch. 
B. WITHOUT CELLULAR TISSUES. 
a. Possessing Oil. 
158. Asafetida. — In a glycerin mount the powder 
shows irregular grayish (or gray streaked with brown) 
masses; these are opaque and become milky white on 
the edge from the presence of oil. The stony asafetida 
is pulverulent and contains less oil. 
159. Myrrha. — In glycerin mount the powder appears 
in yellowish or yellowish-brown irregular fragments 
made up of a grayish matrix containing yellowish or 
yellowish-brown oil globules. 
b. Without Oil. 
a REMAIN OPAQUE (NOT AFFECTED) IN GLYCERIN. 
160. Aloes (Socotrine). — Slightly affected. (See No. 
166.) 
161. Benzoinum. — Irregular, colorless and wine-col- 
ored fragments; some rosette-shaped groups and col- 
lections of small tetragonal crystals. Upon covering 
a fragment on a slide with a watch crystal and cau- 
tiously heating, crystals of benzoic acid are sublimed 
on the watch crystal. 
162. Elaterinum.— Grayish and grayish brown, more 
or less opaque, irregular fragments ; upon heating a 
fragment with phenol, and when cool, adding sul- 
phuric acid, a deep-red coloration is produced. Potas- 
sium hydrate has no action on elaterin. 
