AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 485 



the disgusting insects, acari, were present in thirty-five out of 

 the thirty-six, and in nineteen cases in very considerable num- 

 bers; that sporules and filaments of fungi were present in at least 

 ten cases; that grape sugar was detected in the whole thirty-six 

 sugars, often in a great quantity; that the whole of the sugars 

 contained a variable proportion of vegetable albumen, woody 

 fibre, stony particles, grit, flour in the form of free granules, &c. 

 Fifteen samples of lump sugar were then examined, and in none 

 of them were fragments of cane present, or acari, they having 

 been separated by filtration, and traces of grape sugar were only 

 detected in three samples. I believe this sugar insect, acarus, is 

 present in all brown sugars, and likewise the sporules of fungi. 



The next article examined was arrowroot, and the conclusions 

 were, that out of fifty samples submitted to analysis twenty-two 

 were adulterated; that in sixteen cases the adulteration consisted 

 in the addition of a single article, much cheaper in price and very 

 inferior in quality to genuine arrowroot; this in ten instances be- 

 ing potato flour, in five sago meal, and in one case tapioca starch; 

 in five instances potato flour and sago meal; in two instances 

 potato flour, sago meal and tapioca starch or fecula; that ten of 

 the arrowroots contained scarcely a particle of West India arrow- 

 root, for which they were sold. West India arrowroot is an 

 article which is commonly used by invalids, and therefore it is 

 very important that it should be pure. 



From the examination of forty-three samples of black and 

 white pepper, the conclusions were that they were adulterated 

 with wheat flour, pea flour, ground rice, powdered mustard seed, 

 linseed meal, pepper dust, &c. 



As to mustard, the conclusions resulting from the examination 

 of forty-two samples of this article were, that genuine mustard, 

 whatever be the price paid for it, is scarcely ever to be obtained; 

 the whole of the forty-two samples were adulterated with large 

 quantities of wheat flour, highly colored with turmeric. 



Mustard is not only used as a condiment, but very largely by 

 medical men in many extreme cases, sometimes in apoplexy. It 

 is used principally in medical practice as an outward application, 

 in the form of cataplasms, and these adulterations would mate- 

 rially affect the utility of mustard in its medical appliance. 



The conclusions in the case of chicory, deduced from the ex- 

 amination of thirty-four samples, were, that fourteen were adul- 

 terated; that in nine the adulteration consisted of roasted 

 corn; that scorched beans were present in four of the samples; 



