148 
NOTES  UPON  SOME  SPECIMENS  OF  SCAMMONY. 
This  scammony  is  blackish,  rather  brittle  and  opaque,  either 
compact  or  frothy ;  fracture  not  bright,  readily  affording  an  emul- 
sion. Treated  with  ether,  I  obtained  from  it  79.3  per  cent,  of 
matter  soluble  in  that  menstruum. 
6.  Angora  Scammony  adulterated  with  calcareous  earth  and  starch 
to  the  extent  of  65  to  68  per  cent.  This  scammony  is  heavy  and 
greyish  with  a  dull  clayey  fracture.  It  is  evidently  very  impure, 
affording  only  33.4  per  cent,  of  matter  soluble  in  ether. 
7.  Imitation  Scammony , "  prepared,"  says  Mr.  Maltass,  "  from 
the  refuse  of  scammony  gathered  by  the  Turkish  peasants  after  the 
extraction  of  the  resin,  with  the  addition  of  gum  arabic  and  rosin." 
This  substance  is  in  hard,  opaque,  black,  irregular  cinder-like 
masses.  I  have  obtained  from  it  44.28  per  cent,  of  resin  soluble 
in  ether.  It  is  needless  to  comment  on  the  activity  of  such  a  com- 
pound, yet  I  am  assured  that  even  this  would  fetch  10s.  per  pound 
in  the  London  market. 
8.  Pure  Resin  of  Scammony,  extracted  from  Smyrna  scammony 
of  1846.  Viewed  in  the  mass  it  is  blackish,  in  small  fragments 
transparent  and  greenish-brown,  very  brittle,  outer  surface  and 
fractured  surface  brilliant.  A  very  scanty  emulsion  is  produced 
when  the  surface  is  moistened  and  rubbed. 
9.  Resin  of  Scammony,  rather  less  pure  than  No.  8. 
10.  Pure  Resin  of  Angora  Scammony:  transparent  and  of  a 
golden-brown  even  in  the  mass.  Like  the  natural  Angora  scam- 
mony, it  is  cracked  in  all  directions  and  extremely  friable.  When 
moistened  and  rubbed  no  emulsion  is  perceptible. 
In  conclusion  I  may  remark  that  the  striking  characters  of  pure 
natural  scammony,  I  mean  the  unmixed  inspissated  juice,  are 
its  pale,  yellowish-brown  hue,  its  transparency,  its  great  brittleness, 
its  property  of  readily  affording  a  white  emulsion  when  rubbed 
with  water,  and  the  scanty  amount  of  a  while  residue  which  it 
leaves  upon  being  treated  with  ether.  All  these  characters  are  well 
shown  in  samples  1,  2,  and  3. 
The  opaque  Black  Scammony  No.  4,  although  marked  pure, 
is  regarded  by  Mr.  Maltass  as  questionable.  It  is  certainly  a 
very  curious  variety,  which,  if  an  entirely  natural  product,  would 
form  an  exception  to  the  above  remarks. 
Scammony-rm'tt  is  distinguished  from  scammony  by  affording 
