228 
OBSERVATIONS OF MYRRH, ETC. 
chloride of iron. The essential oil of myrrh gradually acquires 
an acid reaction by exposure to the air, becoming at the same 
time thickened to a turpentine-like mass. The residuary 
balsam-resin dissolves readily in ether, alcohol and oil of 
turpentine, has at first a slight, subsequently a strong bitter 
taste, and melts readily on the application of heat. The oil 
of myrrh is probably acarburetted hydrogen of similar con- 
stitution to the oil of turpentine. Benzoic acid is said by 
Brandes to occur in myrrh ; the free acid, however, which 
he considered to be benzoic acid, appears to be nothing more 
than formic acid. 
Pseudo-myrrh, which has been frequently found mixed 
with the genuine myrrh, consists of large pieces of different 
forms, the majority of them seemingto be fragments of a cylin- 
drical body; they are coated externally with dust, and have a 
dirty reddish-brown colour; the surface of fracture is toler- 
ably even, of vitreous lustre, brownish-yellow colour, and 
nearly as transparentas Senegal gum. Ithasafaintmyrrh-like 
odour, and a disagreeable bitter, somewhat balsamic taste. 
Nitric acid dissolves it to a bright yellowish liquid, from 
which water separates small yellowish particles. Genuine 
myrrh yields with nitric acid a transparent dirty yellow 
liquid. Bdellium indicum is not dissolved by nitric acid : 
it softens, becomes whitish and opake. Bibulous paper, 
moistened with the alcoholic extract of myrrh and then with 
nitric acid, acquires the blood- red colour first observed by 
Bonastre ; bdellium and pseudo-myrrh exhibit only a yel- 
low or brownish colouring. Bdellium indicum is moreover 
distinguished by its greenish-brown colour, its more terebin- 
thinate odour, and bitter and somewhat acrid taste. It be- 
comes viscous when held for some time between the fingers. 
Myrrh yields a bright golden yellow tincture and an opake 
whitish residue ; pseudo myrrh a lightvyellow tincture and a 
semi-transparent residue; Myrrha i?idica, a dark yellow tinc- 
ture and an opake residue. An addition of water produces in 
the first and last a milky turbidness, and in the second no 
change. Nitric acid (6 drops to 20 of the tincture) yields with 
