GUM (Gummi), is a concrete vegetable juice, of no particular smell or taste, becoming viscous and tenacious
T
cious when moistened with water; totally dissolving in water into a liquid, more or less glutinous in proportion to the quantity of the gum; not dissolving in vinous spirits or in oils; burning in the fire to a black coal, without melting or catching flame; suffering no dissipation in the heat of boiling water.
The true gums are gum arabic, gum tragacanth, gum senegal, the gum of cherry and plum trees, and such like. All else have more or less of resin in them.
GUM ARABIC is the produce of a species of MIMOSA; which see in CHEMISTRY and MATERIA MEDICA Index.