22 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I916. 



EXTRACTS AND SPIRITS 



This number of the Official Inspections contains the results 

 of the examinations of both extracts and spirits. An extract is 

 a food preparation and in the standards adopted for the State 

 of Maine is defined as follows : "A flavoring extract is a solu- 

 tion in ethyl alcohol of proper strength, of the sapid and odor- 

 ous principles derived from an aromatic plant, or parts of the 

 plant, with or without its coloring matter, and conforms in 

 name to the plant used in its preparation." A spirit is a medici- 

 nal preparation and is an alcoholic solution of volatile prepara- 

 tions formerly procured by distillation but now frequently made 

 hy simply dissolving the volatile principle in alcohol. The tabu- 

 lated results of the analyses are given on pages 24 to 39 inclu- 

 sive. A statement by the executive of the law is given on page 

 40. 



PEPPERMINT. 



Spirit of peppermint (tabulated results of analyses on pages 

 24 and 25) is frequently called "essence of peppermint" by 

 Maine druggists. When prepared in accordance with the United 

 States Pharmacopoeia it carries 10 per cent of peppermint oil, 

 85.5 per cent of alcohol, and has a slightly greenish color from 

 bruised peppermint leaves used in its preparation. 



Extract of peppermint (tabulated results of analyses on 

 pages 25 and 26) is prepared from oil of peppermint or from 

 peppermint, or both, and contains not less than 3 per cent of oil 

 of peppermint. There is no standard for the alcoholic content 

 of the extract. Food extracts may be lawfully sold below 

 standard strength if they are plainly labeled so as to show 

 their quality. Below standard extracts of peppermint (tabu- 

 lated results of analyses on page 27) are quite common and are 

 probably used as a beverage by persons addicted to the use of 

 alcoholic liquors. 



WiNTERGREEN, ChECKERB-ERRY. 



Spirit of gaultheria (wintergreen, checkerberry) (tabulated 

 results of analyses on page 28) carries 5 per cent oil of gaul- 

 theria and 90 per cent of alcohol. Extract of wintergreen 

 (tabulated results of analyses on pages 29 and 30) carries 3 

 per cent of oil of wintergreen, oil of birch or methyl salicylate. 

 There is very little oil of wintergreen or oil of birch used. 



