-Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Dec,  1882.  J 
Examination  of  Balsam  of  Peru. 
615 
solved  35  per  cent,  (cinnamein),  which,  according  to  the  proportion 
41:100=35:0.',  indicated  85  per  cent,  of  Peru  balsam. 
(2)  .  Estimation  of  Admixture  of  Purified  Storax. — As  purified  sto- 
rax  consists,  like  Peru  balsam,  mainly  of  styracin,  cinnamein  and  cin- 
namic  acid,  though  with  a  greater  preponderance  of  styracin,  the  esti- 
mation of  added  storax  is  difficult,  and  can  only  be  eifeted  by  prepa- 
ration of  the  crystalline  styrogenin  as  before  described.  The  quan- 
tity of  styrogenin  left  after  evaporation  of  the  chloroform  amounts  to 
about  7  per  cent,  of  the  storax  present  in  the  balsam. 
Example. — 1  gram  of  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  Peru  balsam  and 
purified  storax  yielded  0*03  gram  of  styrogenin. 
(3)  .  Estimation  of  admixture  of  Colophony. — a.  The  direct  estima- 
tion of  colophony  is  effi^cted  by  shaking  the  ethereal  solution  of  bal- 
sam with  ammonia  solution,  sp.  gr.  '960,  as  before  described,  and  sepa- 
rating the  resin  taken  up  by  supersaturating  with  an  acid.  The  solid 
resin  dried  at  100°C.  amounts  to  seven -eights  of  the  colophony 
present. 
Example. — 1  gram  of  balsam  mixed  with  23  per  cent,  of  a  60  per 
cent,  solution  of  colophony  yielded  0*115  gram  of  solid  resin  from  the 
ammoniacal  layer  of  liquid. 
b.  The  direct  estimation  of  the  Peru  balsam  present  may  be  made 
by  macerating  the  sample  with  caustic  lime  and  exhausting  with 
petroleum,  as  in  the  estimation  of  benzoin. 
Example. — 1  gram  of  balsam  containing  23  per  cent,  of  solution  of 
colophony,  macerated  with  caustic  lime,  gave  up  to  petroleum  spirit 
0*32  gram  (cinnamein),  corresponding,  according  to  the  proportion, 
41 : 100,  to  0*78  gram  of  Peru  balsam. 
(4)  .  Estimatiofi  of  Admixture  of  Castor  Oil. — The  author  was 
unal)le  to  accomplish  the  direct  estimation  of  the  castor  oil,  being  un- 
able to  separate  it  from  the  balsam  by  any  suitable  solvent ;  nor  was  he 
more  successful  in  saponifying  it  with  an  alcoholic  solution  of  an  alkai. 
An  attempt  was  also  made  to  remove  the  oil  from  the  resinous  mass 
resulting  from  treatment  with  sulphuric  acid,  but  it  was  found  that 
the  castor  oil  was  so  much  decomposed  by  the  strong  acid  as  to  be  no 
longer  soluble  in  petroleum  spirit. 
a.  The  amount  of  admixture  may,  however,  be  estimated  by  first 
ascertaining  the  amount  of  cinnamein  and  castor  oil  dissolved  out  by 
petroleum  spirit,  and  then  the  amount  of  cinnameiu  aloue.  1  gram  of 
ijhe  mixture  of  balsam  and  castor  oil  is  first  macerated  for  an  hour 
