Officinal in both Indian and British Pharmacopœias.
"Bitter almonds produce analogous effects to those of hydrocyanic acid, and may therefore be medicinally used in similar cases; but their administration is not desirable, as the amount of hydrocyanic acid generated is liable to great variation, and their effects, therefore, cannot be relied on with the same degree of certainty as those of hydrocyanic acid. In large quantities bitter almonds have caused serious and even fatal consequences, their poisonous effects being similar to those of hydrocyanic acid." (Bentley and Trimen).
"Sweet almonds may be used for the extraction of almond oil, yet they are but rarely so employed (at least in England), on account of the inferior value of the residual cake. The only other use of the sweet almond in medicine, is for making the emulsion called Mistura Amygdalœ." (Pharmacographia).
Sweet almonds yield from 44 to 55 per cent, of oil, whereas bitter almonds, on an average, give from 38 to 45 per cent. Bitter almonds are more frequently used for expressing the oil, though the oil from both varieties is practically identical. Almond oil does not easily turn rancid, and is largely used for pharmaceutical purposes. The constants of this oil are : Specific gravity at 15°, 0.914—.920; saponification value, 189.5— 195.4 : iodine value, 94— 101 ; Maumene test, 51.5—54 ; oleo-refructometer reading at 22°,+8 to+10.5 ; fatty acids, melting point 13°— 14° ; iodine value, 93.5 to 96.5.
The German Pharmacopœia test for pure almond oil is that the mixed fatty acids should remain liquid at 15° for an indefinite length of time.
460. P. persica, Bentl and Hook ; h.f.b.i., ii. 313.
Syn.: — Amygdalus Persica, Linn. Roxb. 403.
ern.: — Arū (H.) Tapks (Lepcha) ; Arū sunnū, fsūnu, arūi, chamnânu, aor, bem beimi, bemhi, katharti, mundla, aru Pb.)
Habitat : — Cultivated in the cooler parts of India.
A middle-sized tree. Bark grey, shining, smooth, with numerous horizontal corky lenticels divided in the middle. Wood red, scented, hard, close-grained ; structure the same as in P. amygdalus (Baillon). Foliage dark-green. Leaves lanceolate, sharply serate ; petiole shorter than the greatest width of leaf; stipules subulate, fimbriate. Flowers sessile, pink, generally appearing before the leaves, mostly solitary, from
