23 



due to chlorophyll added for this purpose in the form of juice from 

 spinach, parsley, etc. The following colors may be looked for: 



Cochineal, saffran, safflor, curcuma, indigo (soluble), litmus, sap-blue, caramel, 

 licorice root, and coal-tar colors (alizarines, Magdala red, primrose, etc.). 



Doctor Mansfield a proposes to treat spirits and similar liquid in the 

 following way when they contain red coloring matter insoluble in water: 



Treat with water and a drop of 5 per cent sodium hydroxid. 

 Solution contains the alizarine colors. 

 Residue: Heat with 70 per cent alcohol. 

 If soluble and fluorescent add 33 per cent sodium hydroxid 



solution. 



If fluorescence disappears Magdala red. 

 If fluorescence remains Primrose. 



Hubert 6 states that the color of genuine absinthe 

 (chlorophyll) is usually derived from Artemesia pontica, 

 with the addition in some cases of hyssop. Inferior 

 absinthes contain more or less color derived from arte- 

 mesia but in addition other coloring principles, such as 

 that of veronica. For the detection of foreign coloring 

 matters he recommends the following procedure: 



Shake 20 cc of absinthe with several successive portions (5 cc) of 

 chloroform until no more color is extracted. The extract is evap- 

 orated and the residue taken up with water. If the solution is color- 

 less, or has only a faint yellow tint, the absinthe is free from artificial 

 colors. 



TEST FOR CARAMEL (CRAMPTON AND SIMONS). c 



Fifty cc are measured out at a standard (room) temperature, and 

 evaporated on a water bath nearly to dryness; the residue is washed 

 into a 50 cc glass-stoppered flask, 25 cc absolute alcohol added, and 

 the solution, after cooling to the standard temperature, is made up 

 to the mark with water. After mixing, 25 cc of the solution are 

 transferred to the separatory apparatus shown in fig. 1 and treated 

 with 50 cc of ether for half an hour, being shaken at intervals; at the 

 end of this period, the layers having separated well, the lower layer 

 is made up with water to the original volume, 25 cc. This is con- 

 veniently accomplished by connecting the lower end of the apparatus 

 with a rubber siphoning tube which carries water from an elevated 

 flask, the inflow of water being regulated by the stopcock of the 

 apparatus. 



The contents of the flask are again shaken, and again allowed to separate (whereby 

 the volume of the lower layer is slightly increased), and the watery layer is drawn off 

 through the stopcock for a reading of its color in the tintometer. At the same time 

 a reading is taken of the 25 cc of the solution which was not subjected to the treat- 

 ment with ether; from these two readings the amount of color extracted by ether is 



Zte. Nahr. Genussm., 1897, p. 56. 



&Ann. chim. anal., 1901, 409; Analyst, 1902, 55. 



cj. Amer. Chem. Soc., 21, 355; 22, 810. 



\ 



FIG. 1. Separa- 

 tory apparatus 

 used in test for 

 caramel. 



