176 



FOODS AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 



Analyses of genuine mustard. 

 [Hassall, pp. 514-516.] 



Analyses of mixed and bulk mustard. 



" Of the first six analyses of genuine mustards " Hassall says that 

 they " prove two things ; first, that all the samples are genuine ; this is 

 shown by the quantities of fixed oil, nitrogen, and sulphur obtained; 

 and that they consist of mixtures of the two mustards in different pro- 

 portions, the higher qualities containing larger proportions of the 

 brown mustard ; that this is so is demonstrated by the different quan- 

 tities of volatile oil obtained." 



In the analyses of the adulterated mustards allowance in the calcu- 

 lation was made for the nitrogen of the wheat flour. 



Hassall says: 



From an examination of the foregoing analyses it is apparent that genuine brown 

 mustard should contain about 36 per cent, of fixed oil, at least 1 per cent, of volatile 

 oil of mustard, about 4 per cent, of acrid principle, and that it should furnish about 

 1.5 per cent, of sulphur and 5 per cent, of nitrogen ; that genuine white mustard should 

 yield about the same amount of fixed oil, over 10 per cent, of acrid principle, and 

 nearly the same amount of nitrogen and sulphur as the black ; that the composition 

 of genuine mustards, which are made up in various proportions of brown and white 

 mustard seed, differs according to the quantities of each kind present, the relative 

 proportions being determinate by analysis with considerable precision ; that in the 

 mixed or adulterated mustards the proportions of fixed and vol atile oil, of nitrogen, 

 and sulphur are all much reduced, according to the extent of the admixtures, these 

 consisting in the mustards now reported upon in all cases of wheat flour and tur- 

 meric. 



