AMURATH: see MURAD.
A M Y G D A L I N (Gr. a,uvy36Xrj, almond) , a glucoside C20H27N011, was isolated from bitter almonds by H. E. Robi quet and A. F. Boutron-Charlard in 1830, and subsequently investigated by Liebig and Wohler, and others. It is extracted from almond cake by boiling alcohol; on evaporation of the solution and the addition of ether, amygdalin is precipitated as white minute crystals. It has been found to be a glucoside (q.v.) of formula C20H27N011, being a compound of d-glucose, benzalde hyde and hydrocyanic (prussic acid), into which it is decomposed by sulphuric acid. Hydrochloric acid gives mandelic acid, d-glucose and ammonia. The enzyme maltase partially decom poses it, giving d-glucose and mandelic nitrile glucoside, Emulsin, on the other hand, decom poses it into benzaldehyde, prussic acid and two molecules of glucose; this enzyme occurs in the bitter almond, and conse quently the seeds invariably contain free prussic acid and ben zaldehyde. (See GLUCOSIDES, NATURAL.)