378      ON  THE  NATURE  OF  SCAMMONY  AND  TURPETH  RESIN. 
in  alcohol  partly  to  a  clear  solution,  easily  fusible,  and  burning 
with  a  peculiar  empyreumatic  odor,  leaving  a  white  pulverulent 
residue  ;  it  was  easily  pulverizable  to  an  ash-colored  powder. 
The  pure  resin,  scammonin^  was  obtained  by  exhausting  scam- 
mony  by  alcohol,  evaporating,  exhausting  the  extract  with  boil- 
ing water  to  remove  a  volatile  acid,  redissolving  in  alcohol,  add- 
ing water  until  a  precipitate  commences  to  form,  treating  with 
animal  charcoal,  evaporating,  dissolving  in  ether  and  evaporating. 
Scammonin  is  colorless,  transparent,  affording  a  white  powder, 
without  taste  and  smell ;  it  softens  at  123°  C.  (253°  F.),  and 
melts  at  150°  (302°  F.),  it  dissolves  easily  in  alcohol,  ether, 
benzol  and  chloroform.  If  dissolved  in  the  solution  of  an  alkali 
or  baryta,  it  is  altered  and  not  precipitated  on  neutralization 
with  an  acid,  when  a  peculiar  odor,  similar  to  butyric  acid,  is  gene- 
rated, particularly  if  the  scammonin  has  not  been  well  purified; 
the  carbonates  of  alkalies  dissolve  it  on  boiling,  likewise  acetic 
acid  ;  strong  mineral  acids  decompose  it  into  a  brownish,  suet- 
like body,  while  the  liquid  contains  sugar.  The  chemical  analy- 
sis gave  results  closely  corresponding  with  the  elementary  ana- 
lysis of  jalapin,  in  the  resin  of  Convolvulus  orizabensis,  for 
which  Mayer  calculated  the  formula  C68  H56  032.  Keller's  re- 
sults (see  Am.  Jour.  Ph.  1857,  p.  257,)  differ  very  little  from 
them. 
The  solution  of  scammonin  decomposed  by  sulphuric  acid, 
afforded  a  colorless  liquid  with  a  peculiar  odor.  The  odorous 
principle  was  volatile  and  distilled  over  with  water,  it  is  probably 
butyric  acid.  The  residue  separated  white  microscopic  needles, 
which,  after  purification  from  ether,  separated  a  white  body  in 
granules  of  a  peculiar  sassafras  odor,  and  producing  a  grease  spot 
upon  paper  ;  it  appears  to  be  identical  with  the  greasy  substance 
from  the  decomposition  of  scammonin  by  acids.  The  residuary 
liquid  yielded  an  amorphous,  yellowish,  resinous  mass,  soluble 
in  water  and  alcohol,  insoluble  in  ether,  not  precipitated  by  the 
neutral  salts  of  metallic  oxides  or  alkaline  earths ;  the  author 
calls  it  scammonio  acid.  The  elementary  analysis  of  its  baryta 
salt  gave  results  corresponding  with  Mayer's  analysis  of  his 
jalapic  acid — 3  BaO,  C68  H56  032. 
Scammonic  acid,  like  scammonin,  is  decomposed  by  mineral 
acids  into  sugar  and  an  acid,  which  after  treating  it  with  animal 
