May 25, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
951 
adulterated with sulphuric acid. Six samples tested with 
chloride of barium gave a precipitate of sulphate of 
barium in varying proportions. 
p Muriatic Acid and Sulphuric Acid , sold as chemically 
pure, have both been found contaminated; the former 
with arsenious and sulphurous acids, the latter with a 
large proportion of sulphate of lead. 
Tartaric Acid has been met with containing 50 per 
cent, of sulphate of magnesia. Alum is also said to be 
used as an adulterant, but the reporter had not seen a 
.specimen. 
Alum frequently contains iron, probably arising from 
carelessness in the manufacture. The presence of free 
acid has also been noticed, especially in the English 
•article. 
Carbonate of Ammonia is sometimes substituted by a 
compound made from solution of ammonia, glue and 
bicarbonate of soda, which forms when dry a hard 
translucent mass, resembling genuine carbonate. 
Muriate of Ammonia is sometimes met with of very 
poor quality; iron is often visible on the surface and 
becomes still more so when dissolved. The report recom¬ 
mends that the purified granular salt should be the only 
•one sold at the dispensing counter. 
Black Sulphuret of Antimony has been met with con¬ 
taining sulphide of lead (galena), quartz (30 to 40 per 
cent.), clay, etc. A good article, however, is pro¬ 
curable. 
Powdered Arsenic is sometimes adulterated with sul¬ 
phate of lime or sulphate of baryta ; the pharmacist is, 
therefore, recommended to purchase the lump arsenious 
-acid. 
Bismuth (metal) generally contains arsenic. An 
instance is mentioned in the report where 400 lb. of 
antimony was sold by a broker to a manufacturer for 
bismuth. Fortunately for the latter, he detected the 
error before the transaction was completed. 
Subnitrate of Bismuth has been reported as adulterated 
with 28 per cent, of phosphate of lime; but it is 
■believed that the salt made in the United States by the 
principal manufacturers is free from adulteration. 
Citrate of Iron and Quinine is seldom found made 
strictly according to the U.S. formula, which does not 
produce a sufficiently soluble salt. Some manufacturers, 
therefore, add citrate of ammonia to make it soluble, 
•and others leave out a considerable portion of the 
quinine to accomplish the same end. There is also a 
probability that in some cases cinchonine is substituted 
Tor the quinine. 
Chloral Hydrate has been met with containing the 
-alcoholate. The tests pointed out are the difference 
in boiling-point;* sulphuric acid, which leaves pure 
hydrate colourless, but turns alcoholate brown ; and 
nitric acid, which gives little or no reaction with hy¬ 
drate, but reacts violently with alcoholate, giving off 
nitrous oxide gas. 
Chloride of Calcium has been noticed at Chicago with 
a large excess of caustic lime, and it is known to have 
.been sold in crystals without any allowance made. 
Chloroform is sometimes met with diluted with alcohol, 
and sometimes not sufficiently purified, and therefore 
unfit for inhalation. There is also reason to believe that 
partially decomposed chloroform has been sold through 
ignorance on the part of the dispenser. Nitrate of silver 
is useful in detecting this decomposition, by giving a 
precipitate of chloride of silver with the liberated chlo¬ 
rine. 
Cream of Tartar is grossly adulterated, and the dis¬ 
tinctive terms are said to be well known to mean varying 
proportions of terra alba and cream of tartar. 
Epsom Salt has been substituted in the Western market 
by finely crystallized Glauber’s salt. As the prices, how- 
'ever, are now about the same, this is not likely to recur. 
Ether is sometimes sold containing a large proportion 
* Pharm. Jourk. 3rd Ser., Vol. I. p. 87. 
of alcohol. This may possibly arise from the druggist 
dispensing photographic concentrated ether, made to con¬ 
tain alcohol in order to dissolve the gun cotton. 
Iodoform has been noticed of a light canary colour, a 
considerable portion being insoluble in ether; probably 
iodate of lime. 
Acetate of Lead has been in the market containing a 
large percentage of crystallized nitrate of lead; one lot 
was offered to a maker of preparations for the hair* as 
“ damaged,” which proved to be damaged sulphate of 
zinc, in lumps. 
Precipitated Carbonate of Lime has been offered contain¬ 
ing sufficient iron to give it a light fawn colour: supposed 
to be ordinary chalk, dressed. 
Sulphate of Morphia is frequently open to suspicion. 
In one case the sample did not contain any morphia: 
placed on a red-hot plate it did not seem to lose any 
weight, and it was insoluble in water. A fraud in which 
sulphate of quinine was put into sulphate of morphia 
bottles has been lately detected in New York. 
Phosphorus , according to Dr. Rademaker, sometimes 
contains arsenic. 
Bromide of Potassium has been observed to contain a 
considerable quantity of water of hydration. 
Iodide of Potassium is often adulterated with the bro¬ 
mide ; some made in New York was found to contain 
carbonates in considerable quantity. 
Sulphate of Quinine has many adulterants, among them, 
sulphate of lime ; cinchonine, sold as “ sweet quinine” 
or as “ cincho-quinine ” ; muriate of cinchonine, sold as 
“light sulphate of quinine” and as “ French quinine,” 
salicine, etc. 
Rochelle Salt has been offered for sale containing at 
least 25 per cent, of sulphate of soda. 
Santonine was seen last year, in the New York market, 
contaminated with small particles of mica. This fraud 
may easily be detected by placing the suspected sample 
on a hot plate, the santonine will disappear and leave 
the mica. 
Nitrate of Silver , made for the Government, was sold 
in Chicago, which contained five per cent, of copper. 
Pieces could be picked out emerald green in colour; it 
appeared to have been made by simply dissolving coin 
or other alloy of silver in nitric acid, and crystallizing 
without any attempt at purification. 
Precipitated Sulphur is reported as usually free from 
sulphate of lime, and the United States pharmacist is 
congratulated on this superiority to the English article, 
but a proportion of 50 per cent, of gypsum in flowers of 
sulphur is reported as having been noticed, and some¬ 
times ground sulphur is sold for the sublimed. 
Tartar Emetic has been met with containing 11 per 
cent, of cream of tartar.— Proceedinys of the American 
Pharmaceutical Association. 
PRELIMINARY NOTICE OF SOME PRODUCTS 
FROM NATAL ALOES. 
by william a. tildex, d.sc. loxd. 
Natalo'in. 
The aloin of Socotrine aloes appears to be identical 
with that obtained from Barbadoe3 aloes, as they crys¬ 
tallize in the same manner, give the same colour reac¬ 
tions with oxidizing agents, and both furnish chrysam- 
mic acid by treatment with nitric acid. Natal aloes is a 
variety which contains a crystalline body of entirely 
different properties. This was examined for the first 
time by Fliickiger,* and called by him nataloin. It is 
readily distinguished from barbaloin by its compara¬ 
tively slight solubility either in water or in alcohol, by 
its crystalline form, and by furnishing, when acted upon 
by nitric acid, no chrysammic acid, but, as I have found,f 
* Proc. Brit. Pharm. Conf., 1871. 
f Pharm. Joubx., New Series, Vol. II. 411. 
