Dec. 1,1924 
Total Ash Determination in Spices 
571 
it had been averaged. A list was first 
made of every available average ob¬ 
tained with goods known to be pure, 
for each kind of spice. Such figures 
were obtained from most of the articles 
listed in the bibliography. A few re¬ 
sults which were clearly unreliable 
were then eliminated, and weighted 
averages prepared from those remain¬ 
ing. The determinations upon which 
they are based were made by many 
different analysts over a period of 
forty years. Many of them have 
not previously been published. The 
unpublished determinations, number¬ 
ing several thousand, were made 
chiefly by James Blaine Martin, for the 
use of whose results grateful ac¬ 
knowledgment is hereby made, and by 
the author, in the Meat Inspection 
Laboratory of the United States De¬ 
partment of Agriculture. All the 
samples were examined physically and 
microscopically, and no determination 
on questionable material was used in 
the preparation of this table. 
Variations from these figures should 
not exceed one-third of their value. 
.For comparison there is included in 
this list the maximum total ash per¬ 
missible by the Bureau of Chemistry in 
the enforcement of the pure food laws. 
The approximate ash content of 
other spices used to some extent in 
the powdered form is given in Table 
IV. It is not claimed that these 
figures are representative, for they are 
averages of only a few determinations 
in each case. However, inasmuch as 
there are no others available, they are 
given for whatever value they may 
h$,ve. 
The approximate composition of the 
ash derived from several spices is 
shown by the composite analyses tabu¬ 
lated below. 
T able IV.— A pproximate ash content of 
spices named 
Per cent 
Basil....;_ 15.12 
Calamus_ 4.64 
Capers_ 2.11 
Cassia buds_ 4.71 
Charlock_ 6.15 
Dill____ 9.88 
Fenugreek_ 3.01 
Garlic_ 6.43 
Juniper berries___ 2. 71 
Parsley___ 11.70 
Tarrican_ 10.43 
Vanilla beans___ 4. 78 
Table V .—Approximate composition of ash fro?n spices named 
Black 
pepper 
White 
pepper 
Mus¬ 
tard 
Pa¬ 
prika 
Cinna¬ 
mon 
Cassia 
Carda¬ 
mon 
Mar¬ 
joram 
Fen¬ 
ugreek 
k 2 o___ 
27. 56 
6.13 
18.90 
54.37 
14. 23 
5. 55 
10. 32 
19. 22 
33.20 
Na 2 0__ 
3.89 
.79 
.37 
3.98 
4. 02 
.91 
20.01 
.67 
5. 51 
CaO.___ 
13. 73 
32. 07 
15. 57 
5.15 
39. 02 
51.30 
13.20 
20. 05 
a 57 
MgO_ 
7.55 
10.58 
10. 51 
6.02 
3. 35 
1.19 
4. 56 
5. 67 
7.10 
Fe 2 0 3 ___ 
.58 
2.04 
1.09 
1.97 
.48 
6.11 
.32 
6.68 
2.33 
A1 2 0 3 _ 
.09 
1.57 
Mn 3 04_ 
.20 
.55 
. 75 
1.18 
5. 05 
. 65 
. 10 
CuO .... 
. 10 
P 2 0 5 ..... 
9.42 
29.54 
38. 22 
16. 43 
2. 97 
1.15 
6.00 
8.98 
15.01 
S0 3 _____ 
8.48 
3.14 
5. 76 
5. 70 
2. 68 
.64 
11.74 
4.86 
7.89 
Cl... 
9.13 
. 17 
3. 51 
. 56 
. 11 
2.35 
1. 76 
4.97 
co 2 ... 
12.90 
14.81 
2. 62 
31. 55 
31. 02 
4. 51 
7. 26 
10. 66 
Si0 2 .... 
6. 56 
.35 
6. 79 
2. 68 
.39 
.84 
20. 37 
24.20 
4. 66 
7581—25t-4 
