174 
OBSERVATIONS ON MYRRH. 
30 grms. of pulverized myrrh were exhausted with alco- 
hol of 0.831 spec. grav. at a temperature of about 60° F. 
The dry residue formed a yellowish- white mass easily re- 
ducible to powder, of a faint odour and taste of myrrh; it 
amounted to 4S.330 per cent. Amylum could not be de- 
tected in it by iodine. It dissolved in cold, but more readily 
in boiling water, and when filtered left a residue, from 
which alcohol still removed some resin, the quantity of 
which after complete exhaustion amounted to 3.S62 per 
cent, of the myrrh. If we subtract the weight of these im- 
purities, as well as that of the ash from that of the entire 
residue, there remains 40.818 per cent, for the gum, which 
is very closely allied to Arabin. The aqueous filtered so- 
lution yielded no coagulum on boiling, and left a gummy 
brittle body of vitreous lustre. The somewhat concentrated 
solution gave, when mixed with twice its volume of alcohol, 
a white turbidness ; with protonitrate of mercury a white 
precipitate, soluble -in an excess of the reagent ; with per- 
nitrate of mercury a white precipitate, insoluble in an ex- 
cess of the precipitant : with neutral and basic acetate of 
lead a white precipitate; with perchloride of iron a trans- 
parent gelatine, and the same with borax. On boiling with 
nitric acid, the gum was converted into mucic and a little 
oxalic acid. The alcoholic extract was carefully distilled. 
When about half the alcohol had passed over, the contents 
of the retort became turbid, and deposited an oily body, 
which was separated and the distillation continued, when 
a further separation took place. To free this balsam-like 
body from water and alcohol, it was placed for several days 
over chloride of calcium under a bell-glass. There remained 
a clear brownish-red liquid, of the consistence of thin tur- 
pentine, and of a strong odour and taste of myrrh. Alcohol 
dissolved it again, and yielded on mixing with water an 
acid liquid. It was wholly dissolved by ether, was coloured 
chocolate-brown by cold nitric acid, and on the application 
of heat formed a porous yellowish -brown mass; the acid 
