Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
Oct.,  1881. 
I        SUphium  Lacinkdmn,  Rosin  Weed. 
489 
which  exudes  from  the  stem  and  foliage  of  the  plant,  either  spontane- 
ously or  from  the  puncture  of  insects.  It  congeals  in  small  translu- 
cent, and  internally  transparent,  light  yellow  tears,  of  varied  forms, 
breaks  with  a  conchoidal  fracture,  has  an  agreeable  terebinthinous 
odor  and  taste,  softens  quickly  in  the  mouth,  and  is  easily  masticated 
and  kneaded  between  the  teeth;  it  has  the  specific  gravity  1-039  at 
20°C.,  and  upon  incineration  one  gram  yielded  0*005  gram  or  0'5 
of  ash. 
-1  ,.>.-iini|-'(i|,,ii:i-_-;i„.8  A-_-)iJi..:l^- 
|ull--|llll--M'ill  .  .|4.a»>fcK«M  1 1  1I--IJ1I.V  i-r 
U'MitMi-MI'W  -■iliiriiiii  — -r  ..i.s', 
i.ill  -IH.iir,l\  liil-o\,nMii:il"!l  .1 
;-i  ;\Ji!P-iiilliK'-\i(iiriiin~^iiHii 
i|  (■-iv~ii--vi'in-£iii;ii!ii|i-\iiiri 
III  -  i  i  I  I  r--| 
llv|MUI'fl-l.-/' 
Longitudinal  section  of  root. 
On  treating  an  excess  of  the  oleoresin  with  different  liquids  the  fol- 
lowing results  w^ere  obtained,  showing  the  relative  solvent  power  of 
100  parts  of  the  liquids :  chloroform  24*2,  carbon  disulphide  23*6  ; 
ether  19*3,  benzin  18'0,  benzol  17*0,  alcohol  of  90  per  cent.  15*2, 
methyl  alcohol  10*2  parts  of  the  constituents  of  the  exudation. 
On  the  spontaneous  evaporation  of  these  solutions  no  crystalline 
residue  was  left.  The  residue  left  after  the  evaporation  of  the  alco- 
holic solution  was  a  yellowish-white  waxy  mass,  w^ith  minute  tranpa- 
rent  globules  covering  its  surface,  and  which  upon  examination  proved 
to  be  volatile  oil.  A  small  portion  (0*62  per  cent.^l  of  the  oleoresin  is 
soluble  in  water.  Chloroform  dissolves  nearly  the  whole  of  the  oleo- 
resin, which  is  insoluble  in  glycerin. 
Subjected  to  distillation  with  water,  a  colorless  volatile  oil  was 
obtained,  having  the  specific  gravity  0'868  at  18°C.  It  is  neutral  to 
test  paper,  soluble  in  equal  parts  of  90  per  cent,  and  in  fifteen  parts= 
of  80  per  cent,  alcohol,  and  boils  at  158°C.  It  has  a  distinct  terebin- 
thinous odor,  and  with  iodine  gives  quite  a  violent  action,  generating 
oonsiderable  heat.  After  carefully  freeiug  a  portion  from  water  with 
chloride  of  calcium  it  gave  a  very  slight  action  when  brought  in  con- 
tact with  metallic  sodium,  the  oil  doubtless  consisting  of  a  hydrocar- 
<4 
