Am .  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
January,  1898.  J 
Gum  from  the  Oil  Tree. 
At  the  request  of  Mr.  Fawcett,  who  supplied  the  material,  Prof. 
Henry  Trimble  made  a  preliminary  examination  of  it  in  regard  to 
its  solubilities  and  general  chemical  properties,  chiefly  with  a  view 
of  determining  whether  the  so-called  gum  resembled  balsam  of 
copaiba  sufficiently  to  permit  it  being  used  medicinally,  or,  if  of  no 
value  in  that  respect,  whether  it  could  be  used  by  unprincipled 
exporters  and  handlers  of  the  last-named  substance  as  an  adulterant 
thereof. 
The  result  of  this  investigation  showed  that  the  gum  is  entirely 
too  dissimilar  to  the  balsam  of  copaiba  to  be  used  for  adulterating 
it,  and  that  it  is  probably  inert  medicinally. 
The  results  of  Professor  Trimble's  work  were  published  in  the 
body  of  Mr.  Fawcett's  article  in  the  place  cited;  but  as  that  publi- 
cation may  be  inaccessible  to  many  pharmacists  and  chemists,  it  is 
believed  that  the  report  could  be  advantageously  incorporated  with 
the  present  paper. 
The  sample,  as  received  from  Mr.  Fawcett,  was  a  thick  adhesive  liquid,  re- 
sembling copaiba  in  appearance.  Upon  standing,  it  separated  into  two  layers. 
When  thoroughly  mixed  it  became  turbid,  on  account  of  a  greenish  substance 
which  it  held  in  suspension.  On  the  subsidence  of  this  greenish  substance,  the 
upper  layer,  which  constituted  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  sample,  became 
clear  and  of  a  brownish-yellow  color.  The  material  had  no  pronounced  odor, 
but  it  imparted  a  fatty  taste  at  first,  which  gradually  became  acid.  It  did  not 
behave  like  a  gum  resin  when  masticated.  In  thin  layers  it  was  transparent, 
with  a  pale  straw-yellow  color.  On  exposure  to  air  it  dried  superficially,  with 
a  decrease  of  adhesiveness. 
On  carefully  igniting  a  portion  of  the  sample,  it  yielded  0*075  Per  cent,  of 
ash,  consisting  of  calcium  carbonate  and  sulphate,  with  traces  of  the  corre- 
sponding magnesium  and  potassium  salts.  The  combustion  was  attended  with 
the  production  of  a  very  sooty  flame. 
The  original  material  was  found  to  be  readily  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol, 
ether,  chloroform,  carbon  disulphide,  petroleum  ether,  amyl  acetate,  ethyl 
acetate,  methyl  acetate,  amyl  alcohol,  benzol,  toluol,  nitro-benzol,  aniline,  ace- 
tone, phenol,  oil  turpentine,  cottonseed  oil  (therefore,  probably,  fixed  oils  in 
general),  glacial  acetic  acid  and  oil  of  camphor. 
Alcohol  of  the  specific  gravity  o  820  did  not  completely  dissolve  it.  The 
portion  left  undissolved  appeared  to  be  the  substance  causing  the  turbidity  of 
the  sample.  Absolute  alcohol  and  chloroform  dissolved  this  residue.  The  solu- 
tion in  alcohol  of  the  specific  gravity  o-820  had  a  brownish-green  fluorescence. 
Water,  glycerin,  36  per  cent,  acetic  acid,  and  85  per  cent,  phosphoric  acid, 
failed  to  dissolve  the  original  material. 
Aqueous  solutions  of  sodium  and  potassium  hydrates  and  ammonia  water 
produced  white  insoluble  mixtures.  Potassium  hydrate  in  alcohol  dissolved  it 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  white  flakes.    Magnesium  oxide  and  water  formed 
