April 13, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
821 
THE MICROSCOPE IN PHARMACY. 
BY HENRY POCIvLINGTON. 
(Continued from page 783.) 
Adulterations of, or with, products of Under¬ 
ground Stems. 
Tlie readiest thing of tlie sort for the beginner in 
microscopical analysis to try his ’prentice hand upon 
is chicory. He may, in the first instance, restrict 
himself to attempting to detect its presence in coffee. 
The difference between the tissues of the coffee berry 
and those of chicory are well marked. First, as to 
the salient features of the tissues of chicory. The 
cells of the parenchyma are somewhat varied; in : 
the looser portions of the root they are rounded, 
almost spherical; in the neighbourhood of the vas¬ 
cular system they are much elongated, but nowhere 
much modified by secondary deposits. Treated with 
iodine solution, these cells are rapidly stained yellow 
(I speak of the unroasted root), and their contents 
(protoplasmic) intensely brown, and the subsequent 
addition of sulphuric acid* produces the charac¬ 
teristic reaction of cellulose. 
Tlie “ porous ” or “ dotted ducts ” (Henfrey, I 
think justly, prefers the term “pitted”) are particu¬ 
larly abundant, and, being large, easily discernible 
by the unassisted eye. Their arrangement is emi¬ 
nently radial. The pits are boldly marked, and ob¬ 
lique with reference to the long axis of the cell. 
The size of the pits varies much with the age of the 
stem or portion thereof, but they are never absent. 
The laticiferous vessels are of the chief diagnostic 
value, and should be carefully examined. They 
are, of course, in appearance tubes, small in dia¬ 
meter and frequently anastomosed. Their contents 
are not met with in the roasted article, and have 
not been, so far as I know, satisfactorily deter¬ 
mined. Tlie points to be borne in mind are their 
size, distribution and number. Sections made in 
each of three directions from the fresh root should 
be mounted in glycerine, but powder from roasted 
specimens, prepared by the analyst himself, should 
be mounted in “ dammar ” and also in glycerine. 
The structure of the coffee berry should be noticed 
here, before we discuss further its adulterations and 
those of its chief adulterants. The structure of the 
coffee berry consists of somewhat angular cells, 
whose walls are much thickened by sclerous deposits, 
the primal wall having apparently been absorbed, 
so that it is difficult to isolate the several cells of 
which the berry is composed. In these cells there 
may be found, in its “raw” state, numerous glo¬ 
bules of essential oil. The quality of the coffee may 
be estimated from the quantity of these oil globules 
present. The testa of the berry is very different 
in structure from this, and can hardly be confounded 
with any other substance likely to be used as an 
adulterant; and is composed of somewhat irregularly 
shaped cells, in at most two layers, having indistinct 
traces of secondary deposits (in an interrupted spiral) 
upon their walls. Between the testa and the berry 
* The use of strong acids is attended with some risk of in¬ 
jury to the front lens of the objective, and also to the brass- 
work of the stand or stage. To obviate these risks, Mr. J. 
E. Winspear, of Derringham Street, Hull, has devised, at my 
suggestion, a “medical” microscope, in which the “ limb ” 
carrying the “body” is made to fall back, and the lenses thus 
removed from the fumes of the acids until they are actually 
required for observing the effect produced. The stage plate 
in this instrument is of glass. 
THIRD SERIES, NO. 94. 
is a very fine membrane, of somewhat undecided 
structure. A very slight familiarity with the struc¬ 
ture of the coffee berry is sufficient to enable one to 
detect the presence of all ordinary adulterants, and 
a more careful observation will enable the detection 
of any attempted substitution of an inferior berry for 
the high-class so-called “ Mocha ” or “ Plantation.” 
It is hardly necessary to say that specimens should 
be “put up” of various sections of the berry in 
its raw state, and also of different varieties in a 
roasted and powdered condition. Glycerine and 
dammar are the best media. 
The analyst must familiarize himself with the 
microscopic character of the most common adulte¬ 
rants of coffee and chicory. These are, in addition 
to chicory, roasted cereals (wheat, beans, etc.), 
roasted sawdust, acorns, caramel, mineral matter to 
give colour, roots, as mangold wurzel, etc. (Hassallj. 
As to the frequency of the adulteration of coffee, 
there can be little doubt. But that either coffee or 
chicory are largely adulterated with roasted cereals 
or the like at the present time, I am not able to say 
of my own personal knowledge. Of the great num¬ 
ber of specimens of coffee that I have examined 
during the past few years, but one has contained 
anything besides chicory. The one referred to con¬ 
tained nothing worse than roasted beans. Chicory 
is largely used, and often in such a way as hardly 
to constitute an adulteration ; but more often, in low- 
class shops, in so large a proportion as quite to jus¬ 
tify the appellation chicory and (a little) coffee. 
My friend Mr. C. P. Gibson has turned his attention 
to this subject somewhat closely of late, and informs 
me that his experience accords with mine, that whilst 
in “ cheap ” coffee a large quantity of cliicory is 
always present, there is seldom anything beyond. 
We will now attack the “ roots ” of the Phar¬ 
macopoeia. 
Glycyrrhiz/e Radix.— A microscopic examination 
of the root of the liquorice plant will follow the same 
general course as that of chicory. My description 
applies to a medium-sized stem of good quality. 
Medulla. —Present and occupies from 4th to £rd 
of the diameter. Cells of medulla moderately large, 
thickened by increments of cellulose, not lignine. 
Shape globose modified and irregularly compressed; 
outline in transverse section sinuous; inner cellular 
spaces small and irregular. Contents: starch, crys¬ 
tals, and a viscid fluid, probably uncrystallizable 
sugar; starch-granules oblate, nearly egg-shaped; 
hilum distinct, often seen as an elongated cavity, 
gives no cross with polarized light, and is but very 
doubtfully doubly refractive; crystals probably of 
oxalate of lime, and give very beautiful and charac¬ 
teristic rings with polarized light. 
Medullary sheath. —Absent. Vascular wedges 
of woody zone takes its place. 
Wood zone. —Extends -|rd of diameter of root, 
consists of nearly equal radial vascular wedges and 
interposed medullary rays. 
Vascular system. —Dotted vessels of very varying 
size, completely perforate in some of the older roots ; 
more or less perfectly septate (divided by complete 
or incomplete septa); larger vessels thickened by 
sclerogenous deposits, which are deeply stained by 
magenta, and are situate in elliptical bundles of 
woody fibre (which take the magenta stain less 
deeply); the dotted vessels and woody fibres appear 
to serve as the receptacula of the yellow colouring 
matter of the root; the woody fibres have relatively 
