NOTES  UPON  SOME  SPECIMENS  OF  SCAMMONY. 
147 
2.  Pure  Scammony  from  the  neighborhood  Smyrna:  a  portion 
apparently  of  a  cake  about  an  inch  in  thickness  ;  color  in  the  mass 
deep  brown,  in  small  fragments  pale  golden  brown,  translucent ; 
although  compact,  readily  broken,  fracture  glossy,  showing  not  very 
numerous  air-cavities ;  odor  cheesy.  A  white  emulsion  is  pro- 
duced immediately  it  is  rubbed  with  the  moistened  finger;  no  traces, 
either  external  or  internal,  of  any  calcareous  contamination.  It 
affords  88-2  per  cent,  of  resin  soluble  in  ether. 
An  experienced  judge  of  scammony  assures  me  that  he  has  never 
observed  any  of  this  quality  in  the  London  market. 
3.  Pure  Scammony from  the  neighborhood  of  Angora  in  a  some- 
what irregular  mass,  probably  part  of  a  cake  about  1|  inches  thick. 
It  is  very  pale  in  color,  small  fragments  appearing  of  a  yellowish 
brown  and  translucent.  It  is  distinguishable  from  No.  2  by  being 
much  cracked,  a  quality  which  imparts  to  it  a  pale  color  when  in 
mass,  and  renders  it  extremely  friable.  The  fractured  surface  is 
shining,  readily  affording  a  white  emulsion  when  rubbed  with  the 
moistened  finger.  i 
This  is  a  very  pure  scammony,  containing  89.4  per  cent,  of  resin 
soluble  in  ether.  The  matter  insoluble  in  ether  is  nearly  colorless, 
which  is  also  the  case  with  that  of  Nos.  1  and  2.  That  from  No. 
1  appeared  under  the  microscope  chiefly  as  an  amorphous,  gelati- 
nous substance,  soluble  in  water,  and  in  which  no  starch-granules 
were  observed. 
4.  Pure  Black  Scammony  as  collected  in  shady  places.  My 
sample  appears  to  have  formed  part  of  a  cake  upwards  of  an  inch 
thick.  It  is  remarkably  opaque  and  black  even  in  small  fragments; 
very  thin  splinters,  however,  show  it  of  greyish  hue.  It  is  com- 
pact yet  very  brittle ;  its  fracture  glossy;  it  possesses  the  usual  scam- 
mony-odor,  and  affords  a  dingy  emulsion  when  wetted  and  rub- 
bed. My  experiments  prove  it  to  contain  87.9  per  cent,  of  resin  so- 
luble in  ether. 
This  scammony  bears  some  resemblance  externally  to  Solazzi  ex- 
tract of  liquorice.    It  is  unknown  in  English  trade. 
5.  Smyrna  Scammony  "  adulterated"  says  Mr.  Maltass,  "with 
magnesian  earth*  and  vegetable  matter  to  the  extent  of  20or  30 
per  cent.;  such  is  sold  in  London  as  Lachryma  Scammony  " 
*  Or  rather  carbonate  of  lime. 
