20 ADULTERATED DRUGS AND CHEMICALS. 



inferior or partially exhausted goods; spurious sandal wood oil con- 

 taining chloroform added to raise the specific gravity and to increase 

 the apparent content of santalol; powdered drugs in the preparation 

 of which inert and deteriorated products have been used; beeswax 

 with its numerous adulterations; turpentine diluted with kerosene, etc. 



A sample of beeswax recently examined was found to contain 33 

 per cent of cassava starch. This variety of starch indicated that the 

 adulteration was of southern origin. On inquiry it was found that 

 about $800 worth of this fraudulent material had passed through the 

 New York custom-house, having been imported from Mexico. 



Another sample of beeswax on examination gave the following 

 results: Melting point, 61.5 C.; specific gravity at 15 C., 0.959; 

 acid number, 14.2; ether number, 73.6. These numbers do not mate- 

 rially differ from those usually recognized as normal for pure beeswax, 

 except the acid number, which is a little low. A qualitative exami- 

 nation showed that this article consisted, for the greater part, of a 

 high melting point ceresin and Japan wax, the mixture being probably 

 flavored artificially to resemble the genuine product. New York is 

 the home of the apiary which produced this remarkable beeswax. 



The adulteration of beeswax with starch is discouraging, because it 

 shows that the days of gross sophistication are not past; but to find 

 a scientifically prepared mixture closely resembling beeswax is most 

 deplorable, because it indicates that men of education are using their 

 talents to serve a dishonest purpose. 



The drug laboratory has in its possession a small amount of a 

 flavoring agent, which has been exploited as of much service in beeswax 

 adulteration, but the nature of its composition has not as yet been 

 determined. 



Twent3^-five per cent of all turpentine, as usually purchased in small 

 packages, is liberally adulterated with kerosene. The present analyti- 

 cal methods do not appear to be sufficiently refined to detect this adul- 

 terant with certainty when present in small quantities. Investigations 

 are under way at present which it is hoped will remedy this defect. 



8IFTING8 AND SWEEPINGS. 



In the handling of drugs more or less of the finer particles escape 

 from the bales, and in the larger warehouses the practice has been 

 established of collecting this material from the floors, as occasion 

 requires, and offering it to the trade at a low figure. The conditions 

 under which these sweepings and >i ft ings are accumulated and col- 

 lected naturally lead to the belief that they are likely to be contami- 

 nated to a considerable degree. Products of the above character 

 commonty met with are the cinchona barks, cochineal dust, pepper, 

 tea, and senna leaves. 



