Styrax Preparatus. Prepared Storax. Liquid balsam from Liquidambar orientale; obtained from the bark in Asia Minor; purified by means of rectified spirit and straining.

Description,. Storax occurs in two forms: the liquid balsam (officinal), of the consistence of bird-lime, almost opaque, with an aromatic odour, and a brownish yellow colour; and the solid storax, styrax calamita, in the form of masses which are friable, of a brownish-red colour, covered on the surface with a white efflorescence of benzoic or cinnamic acid, and becoming soft and clammy with the heat of the hand. The last variety is often mixed with saw-dust, turpentine and other impurities.

Prop. & Comp. Storax consists of a principle named Styracin, Cinnamic acid, a peculiar resin, and Styrol.

Styracin. (C36 H16 O4) is a crystalline solid, resolved by the action of alkalies into cinnamic acid and Slyrone, which last is a cinnamic alcohol (HO, Ci8 H9 O). Styracin appears to be a cin-namate of cinnamic alcohol.

Cinnamic acid. (HO, C18 H O3) occurs in crystalline plates, and has powerful acid properties.

Styrol. (C16 H8), a colourless oil, of an aromatic odour, converted into benzoic acid by the oxidizing action of chromic acid.

Storax, when pure, is soluble in alcohol and ether. Heated in a test tube on the vapour bath, it becomes more liquid but should give off no moisture. Boiled with solution of bichromate of potash and sulphuric acid it evolves the odour of hydride of benzule, from the Styrol contained in it.

Off. Prep. Storax is contained in Tinct. Benzoini Comp.

Therapeutics. The same as the balsams of Peru and Tolu.

Dose. Of the prepared resin, 5 gr. to 20 gr.

Benzoinum. Benzoin. A balsam (indurated in the air) flowing from the incised bark of Styrax Benzoin or Benjamin tree; Lin. Syst., Decandria monogynia; growing in Sumatra, Siam, Borneo, and other islands of the Eastern Archipelago.