ATanuaryfi898.m'}    Liquid  Benzoin  for  Benzoinating  Lard.  9 
to-day  by  asserting,  in  an  extended  argument,  that  the  "  plague, 
yellow  fever  and  other  bilious  and  contagious  complaints "  were 
caused  by  "invisible  insects;"  and  in  accordance  with  his  methods 
the  Doctor  takes  pains  to  credit  another  for  the  suggestion. 
But  enough  has  been  said  concerning  this  upright,  picturesque 
character — too  much  some  persons  may  say.  Still,  the  writer  feels 
that  his  pen  has  not  taken  too  much  space  in  placing  in  print  these 
notes  concerning  the  history  of  this  man  whose  name  has  been 
nearly  lost,  whose  face  has  left  no  print,  but  who  wrote  the  first 
Materia  Medica  "  Dispensatory  "  published  in  the  West. 
"liquid  benzoin  for  benzoinating  lard. 
By  Richard  M.  Shoemaker. 
It  is  an  open  secret  that  the  gum  benzoin  of  commerce  is  largely 
adulterated,  the  percentage  of  impurities  ranging,  in  my  experience, 
in  what  is  called  very  good  commercial  gum,  from  5  to  20  per  cent. 
Apart,  then,  from  the  practicability  of  the  present  official  method  of 
benzoinating  lard,  which  is  open  to  question,  it  is  plain  that  benzoin- 
ating lard  with  the  benzoin  of  commerce  must  give  rise  to  variable 
products. 
To  overcome  this  variability,  I  have  been  using,  for  some  time,  a 
prepared  liquid  for  the  purpose  of  benzoinating  lard.  The  formula 
for  its  preparation  is  as  follows : 
Benzoin   20  grammes. 
Ether    40  cubic  centimetres. 
Castor  oil,  a  sufficient  quantity  to  make    .....  15  grammes. 
Macerate  the  benzoin  in  the  ether  for  twelve  hours;  filter  with 
proper  precautions  to  avoid  loss  of  solvent ;  dissolve  the  castor  oil 
in  the  filtrate,  and  distil  off  the  ether  carefully. 
The  oleaginous  product  is  of  deep  amber  color,  and  contains  the 
benzoic  acid  and  volatile  principles  of  the  gum.  The  residue  left 
after  the  ether  treatment  is  destitute  of  odor  or  taste.  The  ben- 
zoinated  liquid  can  be  made  and  sold  commercially  for  75  cents  a 
pound.  In  case  of  special  demand  for  the  liquid,  and  the  making  of 
large  quantities,  its  cost  would  doubtless  be  reduced. 
I  send  for  examination  a  sample  of  the  liquid  made  from 
Sumatra  benzoin  imported  from  Ascheen,  which  latter  left,  after 
the  ether  treatment,  a  residue  of  13  per  cent.,  mainly  bark.  The 
bark,  I  presume,  is  that  of  Styrax  benzoin,  Dryander. 
