258 
ON  SCAMMONY. 
The  sulphuric  acid  fluid  which  this  acid  separates,  contains 
sugar  in  abundance.  According  to  a  quantitative  determina- 
tion, the  resin  contains  46«2  per  cent,  of  sugar. 
The  volatile  body  which  distils  over  when  scammonic  acid  is 
boiled  with  sulphuric  acid,  is  butyric  acid. 
From  these  results  the  author  concludes,that  the  so-called  scam- 
mony  resin  contains  a  hydrate  of  carbon,  C12H10O10  (dextrine  ?), 
conjugated  with  several  acids.    It  is  a  glucoside  of  the  formula 
C^H67O35  =  C76H64  032+  3HQ. 
When  boiled  with  caustic  alkalies,  there  is  produced  from 
the  glucoside  an  acid,  scammonic  acid,  which,  with  an  equal 
number  of  equivalents  of  carbon,  is  distinguished  from  the  anhy- 
drous resin  by  an  addition  of  4  equivs.  of  hydrogen  and  11  of 
oxygen,  and  consequently  by  4  of  water  and  7  of  oxygen.  Four 
of  these  equivs.  of  water  are  replaceable  by  metallic  oxides.  By 
the  action  of  dilute  mineral  acids  upon  the  glucoside  acid,  or  the 
alkaline  solution  of  the  resin,  the  acid  splits  up  into  a  new  acid, 
scammonolic  acid, 
C36  H36  Q7? 
and  sugar.  A  volatile  acid  is  also  formed,  which  was  recognized 
as  butyric  acid. 
The  products  of  decomposition  obtained,  when  put  together, 
give— 
C36  H36  O7  1  equiv.  scammonolic  acid, 
C2i  H24  024  %  equivs.sugar. 
an  atomic  complex  of  .  .  C60  H60  O31 
If  this  be  deducted  from  hydrated  scammonic  acid 
C76  H68  O47 
C60  H60  O31 
there  remains  .  .  C16  H8  O16,  of  which 
C8  H8  O4  1  equiv.  butyric  acid, 
C8"        0^=  4(C2  O3)  oxalic  acid. 
The  splitting  process  is  therefore  as  follows  :■ — 
C76  H64  032_|_4HO+110=:  2(C12  H12  012)-fC8  H8  04+4(C2  O3) 
+  C36H36  07# 
The  presence  of  the  oxalic  acid  which  occurs  in  these  equa- 
tions was  not  ascertained  by  the  author. — Liebig's  Annalen, 
from  Chem.  Cf-az.,  March,  1858. 
