LIQUIDAMBAR  STYRACIFLUA  AND  ITS  BALSAMIC  RESIN.  37 
Journal  of  Pharmacy  by  Prof.  Mayer,  which  came  into  New 
York  commerce,  under  the  name  of  sacred  bark,  as  in  his  opinion 
probably  a  product  of  Liquidambar  Altingiana  of  Blume,  and  to 
which  one  of  the  varieties  of  storax  is  attributed  by  some  writers, 
contrary  to  Mr.  Hanbury,  who  inclines  to  refer  it  all  to  the  species 
orientale.  The  fact  that  Prof.  Mayer  detected  cinnamic  acid  in 
this  bark,  and  a  soft  resin  with  a  storax-like  odor,  renders  it  in- 
teresting to  know  whether  it  really  belongs  to  some  species  of 
Liquidambar  ;  for,  unless  it  can  be  shown  that  this  acid  may  be 
secreted  in  the  natural  tissues  of  one  species  and  not  in  others, 
it  is  an  argument  against  that  origin  of  the  bark  in  question. 
Having  in  my  possession  a  few  ounces  of  the  "  sweet  gum  " 
which  I  had  kept  in  my  cabinet  for  eight  years,  it  was  determined 
to  make  a  few  experiments  with  it  in  reference  to  the  volatile 
acid  present. 
Half  an  ounce  of  the  balsam  in  fragments,  was  put  into  a  small 
iron  capsule,  covered  with  filtering  paper  he\d  closely  by  paste, 
and  a  small  Mohr's  subliming  cap  of  pasteboard  applied  over 
it,  gas  heat  was  gradually  applied  as  long  as  crystals  collected  in 
the  cap.  The  quantity  was  much  smaller  than  an  equal  weight 
of  benzoin  would  have  yielded,  but  in  appearance  they  were  like 
benzoic  acid.  Examined  with  a  lens  they  presented  the  form  of  flat- 
tened needles,  some  of  which  have  oblique  terminations.  Placed 
on  mercury,  in  which  a  thermometer  dipped,  and  heat  applied,  they 
partially  fused  when  the  mercury  arose  to  260°  F.,  when  at  280° 
the  crystals  dropped  upon  the  mercury  instantly  melted.  They 
are  soluble  in  cold  strong  nitric  acid,  and  on  standing  a  short 
time  produced  an  abundant  crystallization  of  nitro-cinnamiG  acid. 
When  heat  is  applied  to  the  solution,  nitric  oxide  is  evolved  with 
ebullition,  a  few  crystals  mixed  with  a  little  permanganate  of 
potassa  instantly  developed  the  oil  of  bitter  almonds. 
Half  an  ounce  more  of  the  sweet  gum,  in  coarse  powder,  was 
boiled  with  milk  of  lime,  water  being  added  several  times,  until 
apparently  exhausted,  the  amber  colored  liquid  filtered  and 
allowed  to  stand  until  cool.  No  precipitation  occurred ;  on  again 
heating  and  adding  muriatic  acid  in  slight  excess  a  crystalline 
precipitate  fell,  which  when  collected  and  dried  weighed  about 
eight  grains.    These  crystals  afforded  oil  of  bitter  almonds  with 
