912 FOODS AND FOOD ADULTERANTS. 
According to Hassall,! the large size of the cells and *he absence of 
milk vessels distinguish this root from chicory. 
Cereals, leguminous seeds, and acorns.—Judging from these investiga- 
tions the adulteration of coffees in this country with chicory is not as 
common as with cereals, pease, beans, ete. These latter substances, in 
general, are detected by the presence of starch and are finally identi- 
fied by their structures as shown by the microscope. 
The following method of A. H. Allen is probably the best for the 
detection of starches, chemically, in adulterated coffees: 
Boil a portion of the powdered sample with water and filter; cool the filtrate, 
acidulate with sulphuric acid; add a strong solution of permanganate of potassium, 
small quantities at a time, until the coloring matter of the original extract is dis- 
charged; test for starch as usual with iodine. 
Starch may be easily detected in the finely powdered sample, mounted 
in Canada balsam, on examination by the microscope, with polarized 
light. Starch, when examined as above, shows a dark cross on a white 
field. 
In Part II of this bulletin (Plates xtm to xxvii), a number of 
starches are illustrated as shown by the microscope with polarized 
light and plain illumination. In the identification of starches it is well 
to have a series of freshly-prepared slides of the materials from known 
sources for purposes of comparison. 
Sufficient of the original structures of the cereals or leguminous 
seeds will usually remain for their identification with the microscope. 
In this work it is well to have a series of slides prepared from the raw 
and roasted materials for comparison. 
The following statement of the percentage of ash in cereals is given 
for comparison with that of coffees. The mean ash of the cereals given 
is considerably lower than that of coffee. 
Ash? of cereals—( American ). 
Cereals. | Mean. | Highest.| Lowest. 
Per cent.| Per cent.| Per cent. 
Wiheats. ses oa8 eae Sie 58s Se ee 1.9 3.6 0.8 
Connie 22 ares see ee os es ae ee ED Sault 1.0 
Barley. 2.:ke te ogee 2 sae tees ees 2.9 4.4 Nes 
Oatsise sos etet eee Haas Sacer es 3.2 2.9 9 
IRVie Sno ae Aes See eer eer ee #, I Soul) 1.3 
Canna seed, ete.—M. Mansfeld? reported the presence of canna seed in 
a coffee, and in an examination made in Austria, sawdust, oak-bark, 
baked liver, etc. Hassall‘ mentions the use of sawdust, ete., in the adul- 
' Food, Arthur H. Hassall, Longmans, Green & Co., London, p. 167. 
2 Dictionary of Applied Chemistry, Thorpe, 1, 490. Analyses by Clifford Rich- 
ardson, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
3 Rev. Int. Scien. et Pop. des Falsification, 4, 40. 
4 Hassall, Food, p. 159. 
