The  Gums  of  Senegal. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1       Dec,  1876. 
gums  from  the  desert  of  Bounoun  and  the  country  of  the  Braknas) ; 
and  (2)  Galam  gums,  or  Gommes  haut-du  fieuve  (Galam,  Podor,  Bakel 
and  Medina).  These  gums,  when  carefully  sorted,  yield  very  different 
.products,  which  the  author  classifies  as  follows  : 
A  first  group  includes  the  gums  in  round  pieces  (en  boules,  so-called 
because  of  their  form).  The  subdivisions  of  this  group  are  regulated 
by  the  degree  of  consistence  and  resistance,  size  and  color  of  the  balls. 
A.  Hard  gums  (Gommes  dures),  of  firm  consistence,  with  large,  clear, 
shining  fracture: — (1)  grosse  blanch  e  :  pieces  large  or  medium  sized, 
entire,  white  or  yellowish  white  ;  (2)  petite  blanche  :  pieces  small,  entire 
or  in  fragments,  generally  whiter  than  the  preceding  ;  (3)  grosse  blonde : 
pieces  large  or  medium  sized,  entire,  yellowish  or  reddish  yellow  ;  (4) 
petite  blonde  :  pieces  small,  entire  or  in  fragments,  yellowish  or  reddish- 
yellow  ;  (5)  deuxieme  blonde:  pieces  more  or  less  large,  entire,  or  in 
fragments,  reddish;  (6)  fabrique :  pieces  more  or  less  large,  entire  or 
in  fragments,  reddish  or  brownish,  moderately  limpid,  grumous  or  tear- 
like on  the  surface,  with  a  fracture  often  resinoid,  uneven  and  dull. 
B.  Soft  or  friable  gums  (Gommes  molles  ou  friables):  (7)  blanche^  (8) 
blonde,  (9)  fabrique. 
In  a  second  group  the  author  places  the  gums  occurring  in  elongated 
masses,  a  form  which  results  doubtless  through  delay  in  the  solidifica- 
tion of  the  gum  upon  the  tree,  caused  by  rains  or  humidity  of  the 
atmosphere  :  (10)  larmeuse  :  in  mammillated  or  undulated  masses,  clear 
light  yellow  color,  shining  at  the  surface,  fracture  clean,  hard  ;  (11) 
-vermicelle  :  rather  dull  white,  surface  corrugated,  fracture  pretty  clean 
and  shining,  friable;  this  gum  is  remarkable  for  its  convolute  form, 
which  resembles  that  of  vermicelli. 
To  a  third  group  belong  the  gums  in  fragments  and  powder,  the 
debris  and  residue  of  the  preceding  :  ( 1 2)  gros  grabeaux ;  ( 1 3)  moyens 
grabeaux ;  (14)  menus  grabeaux;  (15)  grabeaux  tries;  (16)  grabeaux 
fabrique ;  (17)  poussilre. 
To  a  fourth  group  is  allotted  (18)  marrons  or  bois,  a  largish  gum,  fre- 
quently of  resinoid  aspect,  yellowish  or  brownish,  mixed  with,  or 
adherent  to,  fragments  of  bark. 
The  Senegal  gums  are  collected  from  a  great  variety  of  plants.  The 
acacias  (Acccia  nilotica,  Verek,  Adansonii,  albida,  dealbata,  Sing,  Seyal, 
etc.)  yield  the  greater  part  and  the  finest  qualities.  They  are  also 
obtained  from  the  Khaya  senegalensis,  certain  Spondias,  some  Sterculiacece, 
and  perhaps  Bassia,  etc. 
