ON THE CHEMISTRY OF ASSAFCETIDA. 131 
a higher and of a lower proportion of sulphur with one and the 
same radical, may be calculated according to the following for- 
mulae : — 
i. ii. hi. iv. 
C, 2 H„S 2 ' 3(Ci 9 HiiS a ) 5(CisHnS a ) CisHuSs 
C^H^S C 12 H U S 2 CisHnS 2(Ci 2 HnS) 
Dr. Hlasiwetz has examined the relations of this oil to various 
agents, e. g. } ammoniacal gas, liver of sulphur, muriatic acid, chlo- 
rine gas, nitric acid, chromic acid, sulphurous acid, potassium, 
lime, soda, oxide of silver, oxide of lead, and chloride of plati- 
num, and analyzed most carefully the numerous results he ob- 
tained. 
The resin of assafcetida is dirty white; in the air it soon be- 
comes pink-red ; in concentrated sulphuric acid it is dissolved with 
a green color ; water throws it down from this solution in the 
form of pink-red flocculi ; heated in a retort, it loses first the wa- 
ter adhering to it and a small quantity of volatile oil, which pos- 
sesses a smell of assafcetida. At the same time it froths much, 
and develops sulphuretted hydrogen. As soon as all the water is 
expelled the froth disappears, the resin becomes dark-brown and 
boils steadily. The oils which now distil over during the decom- 
position of the resin are partly green, blue, violet-red, and of a 
more or less aromatic smell ; diluted caustic potash lye is colored 
yellow by them and becomes turbid. The violet portion communi- 
cates to the potash lye an oil, which becomes intensely red in the 
air. The potash liquor with which the oils have been washed, 
contains, besides sulphuretted volatile oil, chiefly formic acid, and 
a trace of acetic acid. 
The gum of assafcetida is, when dry, grey and horny, and yields, 
by dry distillation, formic acid with a small quantity of acetic acid 
and a kind of tar, containing sulphur. 
Formic acid and acetic acid were also obtained by treating the 
red volatile oil of assafcetida with caustic soda. Valerianic acid 
and metacetonic acid could not be discovered in it. But upon heat- 
ing the soda-lime in the oil-bath to 200° C, and allowing the vo- 
latile oil to drop on it, a volatile oil of a smell similar to lavender 
was formed, and valerianic acid, together with metacetonic acid 
