SUGAR, MOLASSES, CONFECTIONS, AND HONEY. 813 



ready for use. Before trial part of starch sugar should be dissolved in four parts of 

 cold water, and starch sirup and honey in three. Place in a test tube 1 cm wide 

 4 cc. of the filtered solution and add 6 drops of the mercurous nitrate solution. 

 Shake, and add 4 cc of the alcohol. Cork the tube and set aside. Honey solution 

 gives a translucent, somewhat milky, solution, which remains in this condition for 

 two days. The second day an extremely slight deposit may form. Starch sirup treated 

 in the same way gives a cloudy solution, only slightly translucent. After the lapse 

 of six to twelve hours a white, or whitish precipitate of from 3 cm. to 6 cm. in height 

 forms. The supernatant fluid is usually clear. If a honey contain starch sugar the 

 reaction can take place in two different ways, according to the content. With a large 

 admixture (30 to 40 per cent) the precipitate forms within five to eight hours, and 

 the supernatant liquid begins to clear. With a smaller amount the precipitate fre- 

 quently refuses to form, but in the course of time it becomes opaque, being no longer 

 translucent after twelve hours. Pure honey remains translucent for at least two 

 days. 



Another and easier test is that with absolute alcohol. Place in a test tube 1 cm. 

 in diameter 1 or 2 cc. of filtered 25 per cent solution of the honey, and allow half a 

 cubic centimeter of alcohol to flow down the walls of the tube so as to form a clear 

 overlying layer. The alcohol then remains clear and the line of contact shows a 

 hardly noticeable opalescence, which soon disappears. When starch sugar is present 

 the dividing line assumes a milky look, which lasts many hours. If only small 

 amounts of the adulterant are present the turbidity is bluish white and shimmers. 



To test for cane sugar place 1.5 or 2 cc of pure concentrated sulphuric acid in a 

 test tube of 1 cm diameter, and add half a cubic centimeter of 25 per cent solution of 

 honey in such a manner to make it form a layer above the acid. Allow to stand for 

 an hour. Pure honey does not give a colored line of contact at first, and even after the 

 lapse of an hour the color is yellow or clear brown. In the presence of cane sugar 

 the line is successively brownish, brown, and, after half an hour, a nearly black layer 

 is formed. Starch sirup behaves to this test like honey. After standing one to one 

 and a half hours the pure honey may show a dark zone, but a gentle agitation which 

 does not disturb the acid is sufficient to diffuse the coloring matter through the 

 honey, which then appears brown yellow and transparent. With a honey containing 

 cane sugar and similarly treated the supernatant liquid appears black, brown, and 

 nontransparent. Blank experiments with known mixtures should be tried. 



Another test is the microscopical. Take up half a drop of the honey with point 

 of a needle, place it in a drop of glycerin on an object glass, and observe with a 

 power of 100 to 200 diameters. The field of vision should include from 5 to 10 pollen 

 grains. 



DETECTION OF ARTIFICIAL HONEY.* 



Dr. A von Planta originated a method depending upon the addition of alcohol to a 

 solution of the honey to be tested. Under these circumstances an artificial honey 

 gives a more or less deep cloudiness provided the adulteration has been made with 

 commercial starch sugar, which almost always contains more or less dextrin. Gen- 

 uine honeys also occasionally give this reaction. A better method is that depend- 

 ing upon the use of tincture of iodine, which gives a deep brown red coloration with 

 dextrin. Dissolve 10 grams of the honey in 50 cc. of distilled water, filter and add to 

 half a test tube full 10 or 12 drops of a 2 per cent solution of iodine. Glucose honey 

 gives a brownish red, but pure honey is colored only the wine yellow of the K I solu- 

 tion. 



* G. Ambuhl, Schw. Wochensch. f. Pharm., 47-85, thence in Bienen Zeitung ; Chem. 

 Zeit., 1886, 70. 



