lily gum was used to prepare 50y0 oil in water emulsions of liquid petrolatum and cod liver oil to examine its emulsifying ability. In this study rain lily gum (2.50/0), tragacanth (2.5%), and acacia (25%) liqaid emulsions were investigated over a two-month period by mean globule diameter method of Smith and Grinling (11). As a primary emclsifier, rain lily gvm was comparable to tragacanth and inferior to acacia; thus it probably should be classified as an auxiliary emulsifier.
A number of suspension and semisolid cream formulas in which gums have been used were prepared with the rain lily gum. The preparations were generally satisfactory and further studies of the pharmaceutical applications of the gum are being made.
SUMMARY
A new gum from the bulbs of Cooperia pedund a t a has been isolated and partially purified. A preliminary chemical investigation revealed that the gum was a polysaccharide containing mannose as a component monosaccharide. An in-frared spectrum of the gum was similar to other gums and appeared to be characteristic enough for identification. The viscosity characteristics indicated that the gum was similar to tragacanth. A survey of possible pharmaceutical uses indicated that the gum could be classed as an auxiliary emulsifier and that further study of its pharmaceutical properties should be done. REFERENCES (1) Mason C. F. Chem. Ind. London 53 680{!943). ( 2 ) Mantei, C. L.', "The Water Solubie dums Reinhold Publishing Carp., New York, N. Y., 1947, pp. 16, 64.
(3) , S y t t . W. W.. "Standard Methods of Chemical Analysts. 5th Ed., D.