206 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
When lemon-juice is carefully evaporated it yields a rich brown extract, 
which is very peculiar both in smell, taste, and appearance, so much so that 
any one accustomed to make these experiments can in one moment tell 
whether or not it is a genuine juice. 
An ounce of lemon-juice will average 27 grains of dry extract per ounce. 
After a certain point the extract becomes carbonized, having a rich brown 
colour and pleasant smell. This is owing to its partial decomposition into 
acetone, carbon, carbonic acid, carbonic oxide, and aconitic or pyrocitric acid. 
2(C 6 H s 0 7 ) = C 3 H 6 0 + 2C0 2 + CO + C 6 H 6 0 6 + 2H 2 0. 
Citric Acid. Acetone. Aconitic Acid. 
It seems quite impossible to evaporate the juice to dryness without decom¬ 
position. 
During the first six months of the present year a great number of samples 
of commercial juice were examined; the following are a few of them pro¬ 
cured from London, Bristol, Liverpool, Leith, Birmingham, Newport, Cardiff, 
Southampton, etc., besides samples obtained from wholesale and retail drug¬ 
gists and importers of foreign produce. Some were plainly artificial, a few 
contained sulphuric acid, but most of them were merely diluted with water. 
The greater number of those obtained from the retail shops were artificial, 
and in no single instance stronger than twenty-four grains per ounce. 
The following table is the result of twenty of these analyses made of 
samples from the places before mentioned. They are calculated as grains per 
fluid ounce :— 
No. 
Citric 
Acid. 
Gium and 
Sugar. 
Sp. g. 
1 
25 
3-10 
1-026 
2 
30 
3-90 
1-032 
3 
20 
2-00 
1-021 
4 
28 
200 
1-028 
5 
35 
5-80 
1-037 
6 
14 
2-00 
1-023 
7 
15 
199 
1-016 
8 
18 
300 
1-019 
9 
19 
9-00 
1-027 
10 
42 
3-45 
1-043 
11 
28 
2-85 
1-029 
12 
19 
13-52 
1-022 
13 
42-22 
6-50 
1-044 
14 
32'22 
3-90 
1-033 
15 
43-90 
10-50 
1-048 
16 
29-5 
2-90 
1-030 
17 
5-3 
1-028 
18 
40 
3-60 
1-042 
19 
32 
3-44 
1-033 
20 
30 
1-59 
1 030 
Adulterant, and Remarks. 
Watered. 
Artificial. 
Watered. 
Watered. 
Artificial and Cane Sugar. 
Artificial and Tartaric Acid. 
Watered. 
Artificial. 
Artificial. 
Genuine. 
Watered. 
Artificial. 
Genuine. 
Genuine. 
Genuine, but coloured with some extract. 
Genuine, but reduced. 
With Sulphuric Acid and Sugar. 
Genuine. 
Genuine. 
Artificial. 
Thus, it will be seen, that in no article was adulteration carried on to a 
greater extent than lemon-juice, and prior to the present Act a genuine 
sample was hardly ever obtainable. 
The juice keeps its strength better separated from the fruit than in it. A 
good sample may be kept for years without sensible diminution of its acid, 
especially if fortified with spirit. 
The cell-structure of the fruit seems to be the chief source of the fermen- 
