ALTHEA  PAPER  A  TEST  FOR,  ACIDS,  ETC. 
367 
From  inosit — it  loses  16-7  per  ct.  water  of  crystallization  at 
212°  F,,  and  its  solution  with  tartrate  of  copper  and  caustic 
potassa,  changes  color  on  repeated  heating. — Bulletin  de  la  Soc. 
Imp.  des  Natur.  de  Moscou,  1857  Buchners  N.  Bepert.  vii., 
529-543.  J.  M.  M. 
THE  ALTHEA  PAPER  A  PROPOSED  NEW  TEST  FOR  ACIDS  AND 
ALKALIES. 
Br  William  E.  A.  Aiken,  Prof.  Chem.  and  Pharm.,  Univ.  of  Md. 
Among  the  various  medicinal  flowers  arriving  at  this  port 
from  Germany,  there  have  been  of  late  numerous  packages  of 
the  dark  purple  flowers  of  the  so-called  Malva  arborea.  Never 
having  met  with  any  notice  of  such  species  of  Malva,  I  was  in- 
duced on  the  arrival  of  the  first  invoice,  to  examine  the  genuine 
character  of  the  plant,  when  it  became  obvious  in  a  moment  that 
the  flowers  were  not  the  product  of  any  Malva,  but  of  an  Althea. 
In  short  they  proved  to  be  the  dark  colored  variety  of  our  very 
common  cultivated  exotic  the  Althea  rosea  or  Hollyhock.  I 
subsequently  found  the  name  Malva  arborea  occurring  as  offici- 
nal in  the  Prussian  Pharmacopoeia,  where  the  proper  name  Al- 
thea rosea  is  also  given  as  a  synonym.  Beyond  this  I  can  find 
no  authority  for  imposing  a  botanically  erroneous  name  on  this 
common  plant.  The  medicinal  value  of  the  flower,  so  far  as  I 
can  ascertain,  seems  to  be  nothing;  their  use  would  appear  to  be 
limited  to  manufacturers  and  dealers  in  liquors,  who  find  their 
abundant  coloring  principle  very  convenient,  enabling  them  to 
imitate  the  tint  of  a  rich  old  port  or  a  lighter  claret  effectually 
and  harmlessly.  Indeed  there  would  seem  to  be  no  tribe  of 
plants  from  whose  flowers  the  coloring  matter  could  be  more 
safely  obtained  for  internal  and  habitual  use,  than  from  the  Mal- 
vaceous  family. 
The  beauty  and  abundance  of  this  coloring  principle  tempted 
me  t3  experiment  with  it  as  a  test  color,  when  I  was  gratified  to 
find  that  it  formed  a  very  convenient  test  for  acids  and  alkalies 
both.  And  as  the  plant  is  in  such  common  cultivation,  and  so 
easily  obtained  independent  of  any  commercial  supply,  I  thought 
the  fact  of  its  availibility  for  such  purpose  might  possess  some 
interest.    The  flowers  as  imported,  appear  to  be  carefully  se- 
