^"Apr'SiSf1111'}      Adulteration  of  Ground  Flaxseed.  167 
sample  No.  11  being  16'50  per  cent.  The  superiority  of  this  speci- 
men over  the  average  commercial  catechu  was  shown  also  by  its  dis- 
solving in  hot  water  almost  without  insoluble  residue  and  giving  a 
very  light  colored  solution.  No.  7,  although  giving  a  small  propor- 
tion of  catechin,  yielded  it  in  a  most  attractive  crystalline  form. 
To  sum  up  these  results,  we  find  that  the  catechu  generally  present 
in  the  drug  market  contains  small  proportions  of  catechin  and  cor- 
respondingly large  amounts  of  impurities ;  almost  invariably  contains 
iron,  and,  as  far  as  these  results  indicate,  none  has  been  found  to 
contain  potassium  bichromate. 
Following  is  a  general  synopsis  of  the  results  obtained : 
Sample.  Moisture. 
Ash. 
Catechin. 
Remarks. 
1 
10  16  per  cent. 
3.77  per  cent. 
3-73  per  cent. 
Iron,  trace:  aluminium,  trace. 
2 
1030  " 
13.35  " 
460  " 
Iron,  considerable;  aluminium,  trace. 
3 
14-18 
3-10  " 
7-20 
Iron,  trace. 
4 
9-57 
2-99 
2-60 
Iron,  trace. 
5 
13-14  " 
6-83 
1-53 
Iron,  trace. 
6 
1244 
4-31  " 
420  " 
Iron,  trace. 
7 
14-47  " 
1-67 
2-40 
Iron,  trace. 
8 
9-12 
2-39  " 
5.40 
Iron,  trace. 
9 
15-13  " 
4-88  " 
1-20 
Iron,  considerable. 
10 
1414  " 
218 
520 
Iron,  slight  trace. 
11 
12.15 
6-82  " 
1650  " 
Iron,  trace. 
12 
947  " 
2-40 
300 
Iron,  slight  trace. 
13 
1313  " 
4-62 
4-80  " 
Iron,  slight  trace. 
14 
7-99 
1961 
2-20 
Iron,  considerable. 
15 
857  " 
3-88 
3  00  .«' 
Iron,  trace. 
16 
12-00 
5-88  " 
3-80  " 
Iron,  considerable. 
17 
10-82  " 
5.04 
1-00  " 
Iron,  trace. 
18 
13-57 
3-08  "v 
2-80 
Iron,  very  slight  trace. 
AN  ADULTERATION  OF  GROUND  FLAXSEED. 
By  George  M.  Beringer,  Ph.  G. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  March  21st. 
A  sample  of  ground  flaxseed  recently  offered  showed  upon  exami- 
nation the  following  peculiarities  :  With  iodine,  the  decoction  gave  a 
copious  reaction  for  starch  ;  it  yielded  to  petroleum  ether  20*92  per 
cent,  of  oil ;  ash,  3  per  cent.  On  examining  the  sample  microscopi- 
cally the  starch  was  identified  as  that  of  corn. 
A  sample  of  pure  ground  flaxseed  gave  no  reaction  for  starch, 
and  yielded  to  petroleum  ether  32.97  per  cent,  of  oil ;  ash,  4*5  per  cent. 
The  sample  offered  was  evidently  adulterated  with  corn  meal  to  the 
extent  of  about  forty  per  cent.,  judging  from  the  small  yield  of  oil 
and  ash. 
