lo6  Scammony  Resin.  {^fch'S™' 
William  Duncan  has  published  (Pharm.  Jour.  (4)  26,  378)  some 
tests  made  on  Mexican  scammony  showing  the  yield  to  be  from 
16.5  per  cent,  to  20.  per  cent,  and  paying  special  attention  to  the 
melting  point.  More  recently  Cowie  and  .Brander  (Pharm.  Jour. 
(4),  27,  366)  have  given  results  obtained  in  the  examination  of 
several  samples  of  Mexican  scammony. 
In  view  of  the  above  statements  it  'was  thought  that  a  more 
comprehensive  examination  of  a  number  of  specimens  of  scammony 
resin  would  afford  data  of  interest  and  value.  For  this  purpose  nine 
samples  of  resin  were  taken  which  had  been  carefully  made  from 
the  crude  drug.  Number  9  was  known  to  be  a  sample  of  the 
Mexican  scammony ;  numbers  2  and  3  were  expected  to  contain 
greater  or  less  amounts  of  Mexican  scammony  intermingled  with 
the  true  drug,  while  1  and  8  were  of  uncertain  origin  though  pre- 
sumably from  true  scammony.  The  remaining  samples  were  from 
genuine  specimens  of  Convolvulus  Scammonia.  These  were  ex- 
amined for  moisture,  ash,  ether-soluble  resin,  acid  value,  saponifica- 
tion value,  ester  value  and  iodine  value.  Such  data  were  available 
that  it  was  also  possible  to  determine  the  yield  of  resin  from  the 
drug  used.  The  results  obtained  follow  in  tabular  arrangement 
with  such  comments  appended  regarding  the  methods  used  and  the 
conclusions  to  be  formed  as  seem  necessary. 
No. 
Yield 
Per  cent, 
moisture 
Per  cent, 
ash 
Per  cent, 
ether  sol. 
Acid 
value 
Sapon- 
ification 
value 
Ester 
value 
Iodine 
value 
I 
8.1 
2.18 
0. 12 
99.O 
21 .  I 
232.4 
211. 3 
13-3 
2 
12.2 
I.94 
0.08 
99-5 
I4.6 
198.4 
183.8 
8.7 
3 
i6.75 
1.77 
0.09 
99.6 
15-5 
186.6 
171 .1 
8-7 
4 
7-93 
1. 71 
O.05 
99-7 
15-6 
238.I 
222.5 
IO.S 
5 
8.06 
1.74 
O.09 
99-3 
18.2 
238.0 
219.8 
13.O 
6 
7.7i 
1.86 
O.09 
99-3 
18.8 
240.5 
221.7 
14-3 
7 
8.52 
1.65 
0.20 
99.0 
21.3 
239-4 
218. I 
14.6 
8 
2.09 
O.I5 
98.8 
14-5 
232.8 
218.3 
10.5 
9 
16.83 
2.03 
0.22 
96-5 
21.5 
187. 1 
165.6 
II-5 
Yield. — It  will  be  seen  that  the  Mexican  scammony  gives  practi- 
cally double  the  yield  of  the  true  drug.  Deane  obtained  a  yield  of 
18^  per  cent,  and  thinks  that  17  or  18  per  cent,  is  higher  than  the 
usual  yield,  while  the  quantity  obtained  by  Duncan  has  been  referred 
to  above.  From  samples  3  and  9  it  would  appear  that  17  per  cent, 
would  scarcely  be  too  high.  Sample  2  cannot  be  considered  as 
representing  a  lot  which  is  entirely  a  Mexican  scammony.  Fliickiger 
and  Hanbury  (Pharmacographia,  447)  do  not  find  so  large  an 
