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SELECTED ARTICLES. 
even in quantities inconceivably minute, exciting a profuse 
flow of mucus, and some sneezing, but without pain. 
" This variety of gamboge is familiarly known to be an 
excellent and powerful purgative, which in the dose of three, 
five, and seldom more than seven, grains, produces profuse 
watery discharges ; nor has there ever appeared to me any 
reason for dreading its effects, as our predecessors did; for 
its action is seldom or never accompanied with much pain or 
other uneasiness, if it is thoroughly pulverized with some 
other finely pulverizable substance, such as cream of tartar. 
Yet, on the other hand, it is a dangerous poison in large 
doses; one drachm has proved fatal; and the cause of death 
is violent inflammation of the bowels. I believe that the 
occasionally fatal effects of a nostrum much in vogue in the 
present day, under the name of Morison's Pills, have been 
satisfactorily traced to an over-dose of gamboge. 
" It was this variety which Braconnot analyzed. As for 
the analysis of Professor John, which seems also to have been 
applied to the Pipe gamboge, it differs so entirely from what 
I have obtained from all the varieties I have yet examined, 
that some error must have been committed in his proceedings. 
In all probability the error arose from his employing rectified 
spirit for separating the principles from one another; because 
rectified spirit, in dissolving the resin, takes up also a consi- 
derable part of the gum. The same objection is applicable 
to the analysis of Braconnot, though he has obtained more 
nearly the true proportions of the principles. 
" The best solvent for separating the resin of pipe gamboge 
is sulphuric ether. When agitated with the powder, a lively 
orange-red solution is obtained, which becomes gamboge 
yellow by dilution, and continues to show this tint when very 
greatly diluted, proving the exceeding intensity of the colour. 
On distilling off* the greater part of the ether, and then driving 
away what remains by heating the residue in an open porcelain 
cup, a very beautiful, brittle resin is obtained, which has in 
thin layers a deep orange-colour and complete transparency, 
and in thicker masses a cherry-red tint, so dark as to produce 
