608 
DEADLY ADULTERATIONS. 
is carried on in a space completely isolated, and the egg suffers 
no change of property by the varied electric action that is pre- 
vailing in the free atmosphere around.” 
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 
Part IX , 1841, p. 69. 
DEADLY ADULTERATIONS. 
Such is the title of a little book that we picked up the other 
day. We will fill up our half page with a few of its exposures 
of medical adulterations. 
Vinegar is adulterated with sulphuric acid, a variety of acrid 
vegetable substances, and frequently contains metallic impreg- 
nations of tin, pewter, and copper, from the stills or vessels in 
which it is made. It is generally prepared from malt ; and, to be 
good, should be of a pale brown colour, perfectly transparent, of 
a pleasant and rather pungent acid taste, but without acrimony, 
and having a fragrant, grateful odour. A false strength is given 
to it by sulphuric acid, capsicum, and pellitory of Spain. The 
first, which is the most common, adulteration may be detected by 
putting a few drops of acetate of barytes into a glass of vinegar. 
Filtrate the precipitate thus produced, and heat the residuum in 
a tobacco-pipe until red hot; then put it into a little diluted sul- 
phuric or muriatic acid. If the precipitate does not dissolve, the 
vinegar is adulterated. 
Olive Oil should be of a bright pale amber colour, with a 
slight greenish shade, free from sediment, bland to the taste, 
and without smell. It is frequently adulterated by oil of poppy- 
seeds or a decoction of cucumbers. This may be detected by 
exposing the mixture to a freezing temperature. The olive oil 
will become frozen, and the ether will remain fluid. It is fre- 
quently impregnated with lead, from the fruit being compressed 
between lfeaden plates, or suffered to remain in pewter or leaden 
cisterns in order to become clear before it is offered for sale. 
Arrow Root is too often prepared from the fecula or starch of 
dry mealy potatoes, with a portion of the arrow root, variable ac- 
cording to the conscience of the dealer. 
Opium, in a concrete state, should be of a blackish brown 
colour, of a strong foetid smell, of a hard viscous texture, and, 
when rubbed between the finger and thumb, perfectly free from 
roughness or grittiness. It is liable to great adulteration, being 
mixed with cowdung, a powder composed of the dry leaves, 
stalks of the poppy, the gum of mimosa, and other substances. 
The flavour alone will indicate its goodness in a liquid state. 
