ADULTERATION OR SOPHISTICATION OF VEGETABLE DRUGS 69 



Spigelia Ruellia ciliosa. 

 Valerian Dirt and clay. 



5. Pebbles, Lead, etc. Such substances are not commonly em- 

 ployed, and are nearly always added to crude drugs. Pebbles are 

 often added to coffee beans and to senna. Shot, pebbles, lead foil, 

 etc., have been found in the interior of lumps of gum opium. Stones 

 have been found in the interior of bundles of sarsaparilla and other 

 bundled crude drugs. 



6. Coloring Substances. The desire to place an attractive article 

 upon the market has led to the pernicious habit of coloring certain 

 drugs. We have already referred to the habit of liming, which does 

 serve some useful purpose besides giving a white color. In certain 

 parts of China tea is quite generally colored with indigo and Prussian 

 blue. Coffee beans are similarly colored. Adulterants are often 

 colored before adding them to the drug in order to simulate the normal 

 color. 



Bleaching, liming and otherwise changing the color of drugs, crude 

 or powdered, in order to hide inferiority, is contrary to the law and 

 cannot be too strongly condemned. 



IV. THE DETECTION OF ADULTERATIONS 



The practicing pharmacist should not take the purity of an article 

 for granted, but should satisfy himself to that effect personally. Every 

 drug as soon as received should be inspected carefully to determine 

 whether or not it is the drug intended, as some mistake may have been 

 made in the order, in the packing, labeling or shipping. The drug 

 should then be carefully examined to determine its purity and quality, 

 and in order to do this the pharmacist muet be thoroughly familiar 

 with the characters of the normal drug. If the drug is not of standard 

 quality it should i>e returned to the shipper. 



In the case of powdered drugs the matter becomes more difficult. 

 The intelligent use of a good compound microscope is absolutely neces- 

 sary. The student must have a thorough knowledge of vegetable 

 histology. He must know the normal tissue elements in order that 

 he may recognize the presence of foreign elements. The recognition 

 of the adulterant is of prime importance; its identity is of lesser im- 

 portance as a rule. In many cases it will be found very difficult, if 

 not impossible, to determine the identity of the sophisticant. The 

 quantitative determination of the sophisticant is also quite difficult. 



