i6o 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



tractor, graduated to a mark, was made 

 out of a piece of glass tubing. This was 

 filled to the mark with cloves and ex- 

 hausted with ether, the whole operation 

 requiring about one minute. The ether 

 containing the oil was allowed to drop in 

 a watch crystal containing a few drops of 

 alcohol KOH solution, the potassium 

 eugenol forming at once and the ether 

 evaporating. To the residue was then 

 added a known quantity (2-3 C.c) of 

 water, the mixture thoroughly stirred, 

 and a drop of the liquid collected on the 

 finger and used on the slide. 25 (Mm.)^ 

 were examined and the number of 

 (Mm .)^ — approximately — filled with crys 

 tals were counted. 



XI. Pure sample of cloves : 



(1) 9.) 



(2) 6. \ Average = 8. 



(3) 9- ) 



XII. Sample containing 50 per cent, of cloves 



contained : 



(0 4-) 



(2) 3. \ Average = 11^45 per cent. oil. 



(3) 4.] 



Three commercial samples were ex- 

 amined, one that was said to contain 

 much allspice. An examination based on 

 the "port wine" cells of allspice yielded 

 the following results : 



XIII. Genuine allspice sample yielded ; 



(5+9+3+3) = 20 "port wine" cells. 



XIV. Commercial sample gave ; 



(3+3+4+3) = 13 "port wine" cells = 65 

 per cent, allspice. 



A sample supposed to contain a large 

 amount of wheat starch yielded a sur- 

 prisingly amount comparatively, as was 

 shown conclusively on comparing with 

 pure mixtures of wheat starch and cloves : 



XV. Pure samples of wheat starch contained : 



{69+68+57+69) 273 grains. 



XVI. Sample of cloves containing 25 per cent, 

 of wheat starch : 



(16+19+16+18) 69 ==25.28 per cent. 



XVII. Sample of cloves containing 10 per cent, 

 of wheat starch : 



(13+9+7+ 10) 39 grains ==14.2 per cent. 

 (9+7+9+8) 33 grains= 12.0 per cent. 



XVIII. Commercial samples, adulterated with 

 wheat starch : 



(i) 100 (Mm.)2 = 18 



The sample contained therefore 8.93 

 per cent, of wheat starch, probably 10 



per cent. 



XIX. Commercial samples of a slight clove 

 odor. Under the microscope this revealed 

 the presence of clove stems and starchy 

 material. It yielded scarcely any potas- 

 sium eugenol, but a green-colored liquid 

 to ether. This sample showed adultera- 

 tion, and either an extraction of oil by 

 distillation or loss of oil. 

 Any one who has labored with micro- 

 scopical work for other than mere pleas- 

 ure can readily comprehend the difficul- 

 ties that must have been overcome by the 

 author in this investigation thus far. And 

 they who will attempt to corroborate 

 these results or do original work in this 

 direction, must not be disappoint.ed if re- 

 sults ai e not at once forthcoming. "Nature 

 is taciturn, and one must wrench her 

 secrets from her." But after these secrets 

 are well obtained and the way discovered, 

 the work is not so difficult. 



The author hopes to elaborate upon the 

 principles contained in this article, and 

 that by similar methods, especially ex- 

 traction and microchemical tests, the 

 more important plant constituents even 

 may be determined in a quantitative man- 

 ner. Smaller squares than Mm. may be 

 employed. Instead of tests being made 

 upon a few milligrams of material, several 

 grams should be used to obtain more uni- 

 form results. It is believed that by pre- 

 paring carefully a series of powders with 

 the adulterants, fairly accurate results 

 may be obtained — certainly sufficient to 

 determine approximate!}^ the extent of 

 adulteration without recourse to elaborate 

 and prolonged chemical analyses. B}^ 

 employing the most accurate methods of 



