454 
Spurious  Gums. 
Vm.  Jour.  Pharm 
Sept.,  1880. 
chewed.  It  does  not  emulsify  when  triturated  with  water,  the  liquid 
becoming  quite  clear  after  deposition  of  much  sediment. 
Alcohol  dissolves  about  63  per  cent.  ;  the  residue  is  almost  entirely 
soluble  in  water. 
A  portion  lost  3  62  per  cent,  at  ioo°C.,  and  on  ignition  left  a  residue, 
mostly  calcic  carbonate,  equal  to  '48  per  cent. 
The  tincture  (i  in  6)  is  not  changed  by  either  lead  solution,  bromine 
solution,  or  by  ferric  chloride. 
The  mucilage  gives  a  slight  precipitate  with  subacetate,  but  none 
with  neutral  acetate  of  lead. 
Composition  of  yellow  tasteless  gum-resin  : 
Soluble  in  alcohol  (by  difference),  .  ,  .  SyiS 
Gum  soluble  in  water,  .  .  .        .  3i'76 
Gum  insoluble  in  water,  ....  \'^6 
Moisture,  .....  3*62 
lOO'OO 
Chemically  and  constitutionally  this  appears  almost  identical  with 
opaque  tasteless  gum-resin,  but  it  differs  physically  in  its  gritty 
character  when  chewed,  and  in  the  powdery  yellow  and  irregular 
surface  of  the  tears. 
5.  Bitter  Acrid  Gum. — This  appears  to  be  one  of  the  several  sub- 
stances that  have  received  the  native  designation  googul,"  and  seems 
identical  with  the  specimen  139/  in  the  Pharmaceutical  Society^s 
museum,  but  differs  from  the  "  googul"  1397.  It  occurs  in  very 
irregular  tears  of  a  yellowish-brown,  or  dark-brown  color,  sometimes 
very  nearly  colorless  and  transparent.  Its  taste  is  very  bitter  and  per- 
sistently acrid,  somewhat  resembling  ammoniacum.  It  is  soft,  receiv- 
ing the  impress  of  the  nail,  and  a  small  piece  can  be  kneaded  between 
the  fingers. 
It  readily  forms  when  triturated  with  a  small  quantity  of  water  a 
thick  opaque  mucilage,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  trifling  residue,  is 
entirely  soluble  in  about  25  parts  of  water.  This  residue  examined 
microscopically  was  seen  to  consist  entirely  of  vegetable  tissue,  chiefly 
long  fusiform  prosenchymatous  cells,  with  a  few  fragments  of  pitted 
vessels. 
A  portion  lost  at  ioo°C.  6*6  per  cent.,  and  left  on  ignition  an  ash 
of  calcic  carbonate  equal  to  I'li  per  cent. 
Cold  absolute  alcohol  dissolves  about  63  per  cent. 
The  tincture  (i  in  6)  contains  the  bitter  acrid  principle,  and  is  not 
