ESSAY ON SCAMMONY. 
11 
blue by iodine. The inference is therefore that the earthy 
matter is chalk, and the vegetable matter starch. Of this kind 
I have found two small lots in the market, the remnants of 
those imported several years since. It corresponds to the 
" third quality " scammony of Pereira, but yet is as good 
as the preceding. 
The Mz>fi?specimen I have is in masses,six inches long, four 
wide, and one and a half thick, rounded at the extremities; 
plano-convex, and divided into two parts on the convex 
surface by a deep fissure, running the length of the cake. 
Externally it is rough looking, of an ash white and slate 
appearance ; internally it presents a speckled, deep ash hue ; 
no resinous aspect on fracture. It is porous, friable, and 
readily reduced to powder ; powder light ash. It has a 
slight cheesy odour and a chalky taste. 
It is too dry to produce an emulsion by rubbing with the 
moistened finger. It contains 
Resin, .... 27.00 
Aqueous ext., . . . 5.00 
Earthy matter, . . . 6.25 
Veg. mat., destructible, . , 58.75 
Loss, .... 3.00 
100.00 
It effervesces briskly with muriatic acid, and is turned 
blue with tinct. iodine. This article came from New York.* 
Amylaceous Scammony. 
This scammony is in eliptiform masses, five or six inches 
in length, and four inches wide, and an inch thick 5 like the 
preceding, it is flat on one side, convex on the other, and 
divided on the convex surface by a deep depression running 
the length of the mass, and extending half through its 
thickness. The edges are uniformly rounded. It is of a 
* Since this paper was written I have seen a specimen of the same 
variety in small round plano-convex cakes. 
