328 
Dragon's  Blood. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1884. 
with  lead  acetate.  Analysis  (combustion  and  lead  estimation)  suggests 
the  formula  C18H1804.  This  variety  is  derived  from  Calamus  Draco. 
Resin  2,  C17H1905,  origin  uncertain,  is  carmine-red,  melting  at  about 
100°  ;  when  heated  it  gives  off  non-irritating  fumes.  It  dissolves  freely 
in  alcohol,  ether,  and  chloroform  with  a  pink  color,  and  in  cold  caustic 
soda,  ammonia,  sodium  carbonate,  and  lime-water  with  purple  color 
changing  to  orange-red  or  yellow  on  boiling,  whilst  it  is  insoluble  in 
carbon  bisulphide  and  benzene.  The  alcoholic  solution  gives  a  lilac- 
colored  precipitate  with  lead  acetate.  Resin  3,  C18H1804,  from  Dra- 
coena,  is  vermilion,  melting  at  about  80°  ;  when  heated  it  evolves 
aromatic  irritating  red  fumes.  It  dissolves  with  a  blood-red  color  in 
alcohol  and  ether,  and  in  cold  caustic  soda,  ammonia,  lime-water,  and 
sodium  carbonate,  but  is  insoluble  in  chloroform,  carbon  bisulphide, 
and  benzene.  Its  alcoholic  solution  gives  a  mauve-colored  precipitate 
with  lead  acetate.  Resin  .  4,  is  a  mixture  of  a  reddish-brown  resin y 
freely  soluble  in  carbon  bisulphide,  and  a  light  brick-red  resin,  nearly 
insoluble  in  that  menstruum.  The  two  portions  differ  considerably 
with  regard  to  their  solubility  in  ether,  benzene,  and  other  reagents, 
the  dark  portion  being  the  less  soluble  of  the  two.  Cinnamic  acid 
was  detected  in  the  first  and  third  varieties  but  not  in  the  others. 
Johnstone  found  two  resins  in  one  kind  of  dragon's  blood,  to  the 
one  he  gave  the  formula,  C20H24O4,  and  to  the  other,  C20H21O4. — Phar. 
Jour,  and  Trans.  [3],  14,361-364;  Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  April,  1884, 
p.  462. 
^OTE  ON  A  SAMPLE  OF  SOPHISTICATED  SAFFRON. 
By  J.  Hart,  Ph.C. 
A  few  days  ago  my  attention  was  drawn  to  a  yellow  powder  at  the 
bottom  of  a  shop  bottle  containing  saffron  (  Crocus  sativus).  The  abun- 
dance of  the  powder  (in  proportion  to  the  small  quantity  of  saffron), 
together  with  its  weight,  induced  me  to  make  a  thorough  examination 
of  it,  and  as  I  have  not  met  with  similar  results  (possibly  owing  to  the 
want  of  indices  and  of  more  time  to  search  the  literature),  the  follow- 
ing remarks  may  be  of  interest : 
For  the  purpose  of  comparison,  10  grains  of  a  very  fine  sample  of 
saffron,  recently  purchased,  were  incinerated  in  a  platinum  crucible; 
the  ash  obtained  weighed  *5  grain,  equaling  5  per  cent.  The  process 
was  repeated  with  an  exactly  similar  result.  This  corresponds  with 
"  Pharmacographia,"  which  gives  "  5  to  6  per  cent."  as  the  ash  of 
