Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
September.  1908.  J 
Extracts  of  Vanilla  and  Lemon, 
439 
1.  Vanillin  . 
2.  Coumarin 
i 
i  gramme. 
3.  Alcohol 
4.  Glycerin 
5.  Water  . 
1000 
125  c.c. 
65  " 
6.  Caramel  q.s.  to  cover. 
It  will  be  seen  that  in  this  preparation  there  is  01 7,  each  of  cou- 
marin and  vanillin.  By  quantitative  tests,  made  personally,  upon 
various  brands  of  extracts  there  was  found  as  high  as  012  per  cent, 
of  coumarin  with  almost  a  like  amount  of  vanillin,  which  corresponds, 
very  nearly,  to  the  above  formula,  yet  sold  under  the  name  of  a  true 
vanilla  extract.  A  common  method  of  adulteration  is  by  the  use  of 
a  very  dilute  alcohol,  increasing  the  solvent  powers  by  using  an 
alkali.  For  the  best  grades  of  extract  a  50  per  cent,  alcohol  should 
be  used,  but  there  are  cases  where  as  low  as  10  per  cent,  has  been 
used,  the  solubility  of  the  vanilla  constituents  being  increased  by  the 
use  of  an  alkali,  usually  potassium  bicarbonate. 
Out  of  six  specimens  tested,  four  were  found  to  have  contained 
this  alkali  to  increase  the  solvent  powers  of  the  menstruum,  indi- 
cating that  a  dilute  alcohol  had  been  used  in  their  preparation. 
At  this  point  a  discussion  of  the  growing,  collecting,  and  curing 
of  the  vanilla  bean,  so-called,  might  be  opportune,  but  it  will  suffice 
here  to  state  only  a  few  of  the  important  points  bearing  on  the 
subject. 
In  the  first  place  it  may  be  said  that  there  are  four  chief  varieties 
of  vanilla,  viz.  :  Mexican,  Bourbon,  Venezuelan  and  Brazilian,  the 
two  former  being  considered  the  better  grades,  and  of  these  the 
Mexican  being  by  far  the  superior.  The  beans,  or  fruits,  which  grow 
on  a  vine-like  plant  clinging  to  the  trees  of  hot  damp  woods  are  col- 
lected while  green  and  put  through  a  process  of  curing  or  sweating. 
It  is  upon  the  care  with  which  this  process  is  conducted  that  depends 
largely  the  quality  of  the  marketed  article.  This  process  is  carried 
on  by  placing  the  fruit  in  flannel  cloths  during  the  nights  and  cloudy 
weather,  and  curing  in  the  sun  on  bright  days  for  a  period  of  several 
weeks,  thus  giving  alternate  sweating  and  drying.  In^this  operation 
the  beans  lose,  on  an  average,  35  per  cent,  in  weight  and  it  is  during 
this  time  that  vanillin,  one  of  the  chief  constituents  of  the  bean,  is 
developed,  though  it  has  been  stated  by  some  good  authorities  that 
the  value  of  the  article  cannot  be  estimated  by  this  alone.  Further- 
more, during  this  process  of  curing  there-  is  a  certain  greyish-white 
