The article prepared by the Greeks is much superior to that of Turkish manufacture. The former does not exceed 7 cwt. yearly, and is sold at a high figure to a few who know its value. It is placed In a room with open windows, but excluding the sun ; it is spread on sheep-skins, and turned at intervals ; when nearly dry, it is broken up, left for a few days longer, and packed in oases of about 30 lb. each for export. The best samples of the dry drug occur in flat pieces, !-1 in. or more in thickness, and 3-6 in. in diameter, the surface covered with a greyish powder, produced by attrition ; the fractured surface is shining, with numerous small air cavities, the splinters looking white at the edges, but reddish by transmitted light. This is known in English commerce as " virgin " scammony. It contains 80-90 per cent, of resin, but no starch, and should become milky when wetted by the tongue. Even virgin scammony is sometimes mixed with inferior specimens, and is therefore carefully picked over after purchase by wholesale druggists in this country, the purest pieces being sold in the entire state, and the inferior apparently used for producing the powdered acammony, since powdered acammony generally contains starch. Aleppo scammony is inferior to that of Smyrna.
The second in quality is that collected by Turkish peasants. After cutting the roots, they frequently pull them up, and subject them (sometimes with stalks and leaves) to a pounding and boiling, and this decoction, freed only from the coarsest impurities, is added to the natural exudation. The instruments used are hollowed pumpkins, skins, and earthen pots. The product is black, heavy, and impure ; beyond this, it is commonly adulterated, by the addition of 10-150 per cent. of very finely powdered and sifted chalky earth, while the scammony is liquefied by water. This form of the drug is bought up by Jews and Greeks, and thrown promiscuously, in its fresh state, into cotton bags, which are then placed in drums, and sent to Smyrna. Here it often lies until it is mouldy, porous, and dull ; it is turned out, and broken up to dry. Thia mixed article is sold in London as " akilip," or inferior acammony. It contains usually 40 per cent. of resin. This kind is chiefly exported.
Several other qualities are prepared by the dealers in Smyrna and Angora, and in the interior. One of the latter kind consists in the addition of wheat starch, wood ashes, earths, gums (arabic or tragacanth), wax, flour, rosin, roots, and leaves of acammony, &c. The adulterated compound is dried in lumps, put into drums, and covered with a layer of the nearly pure drug; it is largely exported. A kind prepared at Angora with 60-70 per cent. of starch, is sent to Constantinople, and finds a ready sale in Austria. Two kinds are prepared by Smyrna Jews for the British market
in particular :—(1) "First quality prepared" is made by mixing a quantity of the country adulterated drug with about 40 per cent of the inferior Angora ; the whole is pounded, and placed in warm water in a shallow iron dish, which rests iu a larger dish half-filled with water and set over a charcoal fire. Amalgamation ensues in about hour, when the mass is turned out on a sheep-skin, and rolled by hand till cold. It is then made into cakes, washed over with a solution of pure searnmony to create a gloss, and dried in an airy room. (2) " Second quality prepared" is composed of about 60 per cent. inferior Angora, 30 per cent, fair Smyrna, and 10 per cent. gum arabic and graphite. The persistent adulteration of the drug necessitates its being sold only by analysis, which fortunately is a very simple matter. Of late years, considerable*quantities of the dried root have been imported, and the resin extracted by alcohol in this country. The resin so prepared does not become milky when wetted. Since 1870, resin extracted from the root by alcohol has been exported from Bruasa. The root is in large pieces, 1 ft. and more long, and 3 in. in diameter, twisted, pale-brown externally, and white and starchy internally, with resinous streaks. Probably the whole yearly production of the pure drug does not exceed 30 cwt.; it is increased by adulteration to about 75 cwt.
In 1872, Smyrna exported 185 cases, value 61001. In 1873, Aleppo despatched via, Alexandretta to England 46,500 kilo. of the root, and 900 kilo. of the resin. " Virgin " scammony is quoted at 23-25s. a lb.; " second and ordinary," at 8-20s.
Senega, or Seneka (Fe., Polygala de Virginia ; GER., Senega).—The root of Polygala Senega is used as a stimulating expectorant and diuretic, in bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, and rheumatism. The plant is a native of the New World, from the River Saskatchewan to Virginia, N. Carolina, Georgia, and Texas, but not in the Rocky Mountains, frequenting rocky, open woods, and plains. It has become rare in the E. States, and the drug is now gathered chiefly in Minnesota and Iowa. It lies a abort, brittle fracture, peculiar rancid odour, and very acrid sourish flavour; when disturbed, it emits an irritating dust, whieh excites violent sneezing. The rootlets are richest in active principle. It is highly valued in America. Its price in London varies from ls. 9d. to 3 . a lb. The roots of Asclepias V incetoxicum have been found mixed with it in large quantity of late years. It has an evident pith, and more rootlets, and has not the acrid taste of omega.