106 
NOTE  ON  CARAMANIA  GUM. 
phia,  with  a  sample  of  gum  from  a  large  invoice  under  the  name 
of  "  Caramania  Gum."  No  account  of  its  origin  could  be  given 
by  Mr.  Smith ;  but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  is  the  same 
gum  described  by  Mr.  S.  H.  Maltass  (Pharm.  Journ.,  vol.  xv. 
p.  20),  as  one  of  the  gums  used  habitually  to  adulterate  traga- 
canth.  Mr.  Maltass  states  that  this  gum  is  employed,  to  the 
extent  of  50  per  cent.,  to  adulterate  the  commoner  varieties  of 
tragacanth ;  and  to  render  the  cheat  less  perceptible,  is  some- 
times whitened  by  the  addition  of  white  lead.  Mr.  Hanbury 
(ibid.  p.  21),  in  a  note,  states  that  the  Caramania  gum  appears 
identical  with  the  "  Gromme  pseudo-adragante"  of  M.  Guibourt, 
regarded  by  that  author  as  the  product  of  Astragalus  gwnifer, 
Labill;  but  it  is  referred  by  report,  says  M.  Maltass,  to  the 
wild  almond,  a  plum  of  Caramania. 
The  "Caramania  gum"  occurs  in  pieces,  varying  in  size  from 
a  pea  to  a  large  chestnut,  with  a  greater  tendency  to  the  spheri- 
cal than  tragacanth,  though  sometimes  with  a  tendency  to  the 
contorted  vermicular  form,  so  common  in  tragacanth.  Its  color 
varies  from  light  to  reddish-brown,  more  or  less  translucent, 
nearly  tasteless,  and  slowly  absorbing  moisture  when  placed  in 
water,  swelling  up  to  bulky  hydrated,  jelly-like  masses ;  whilst  the 
intermediate  spaces  are  filled  with  a  mucilaginous  solution  of  the 
more  soluble  part  of  the  gum,  but  the  soluble  portion  is  evidently 
less  abundant  than  in  tragacanth.  The  mucilage  is  precipitated 
by  subacetate  of  lead,  but  less  decidedly  than  is  arabin  ;  oxalate 
of  ammonia  causes  a  white  precipitate,  not  very  abundant ;  alco- 
hol does  not  instantaneously  precipitate  it  in  flakes  like  arabin, 
apparently  because  of  a  greater  resistance  of  the  mucilage  to  be 
penetrated  by  that  liquid.  It  is  not  coagulated  by  borax,  or 
sesqui-chloride  of  iron.  The  gelatinous  insoluble  part  has  but  little 
cohesive  power  at  first,  but  by  standing,  it  softens  and  becomes 
more  paste-like.  When  boiled  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  it  loses 
its  jelly  form  and  assumes  a  syrupy  condition,  being  converted 
partially  into  soluble  gum  and  partially  into  glucose,  as  indicated 
by  Trommer's  test.  A  solution  of  oxide  of  copper  in  potassa 
instantly  precipitates  both  this  and  the  soluble  gum  as  a  bulky 
bluish  hydrate.  Dr.  Wood  considers  Caramania  gum  to  have 
the  same  origin  as  the  gum  of  Bassora,  and  that  probably  both 
are  produced  in  the  Province  of  Caramania,  in  Asia  Minor — the 
