302 
Adulterated  Ipecacuanha. 
f  Am.  Joiir.  Pharm. 
(      June,  1881. 
would  be,  therefore,  of  interest  to  learn  whether  indeed  the  different 
sorts  of  pure  and  adulterated  balsam  which  are  furnished  by  trade 
correspond  to  the  observations  of  the  author.  The  testing  of  Peru 
balsam  would  then  be  confined  to  the  following  points: 
1.  The  specific  gravity  at  15°C.  must  be  between  1-140  and  1*145. 
More  extended  experience  will  be  required  in  order  to  decide  whether 
it  is  more  correct  to  accept  the  boundary  figures  at  1'138  and  1*147. 
The  older  statements  of  the  specific  gravity  as  1*15  and  1*16  are  too 
high;  it  is  a  question  whether  the  balsam  which  in  former  times  was 
met  with  in  commerce  was  perhaps  heavier. 
2.  Ten  drops  of  balsam  produce  with  *4  gram  of  slaked  lime  a  mix- 
ture which  remains  soft,  and  does  not  harden. 
3.  When  shaken  with  three  times  its  weight  of  carbon  bisulphide 
the  balsam  is  separated  into  a  dark  brown  resin,  which  attaches  itself 
firmly  to  the  glass,  and  cinnamein,  which  imparts  but  little  color  to 
the  carbon  bisulphide. 
The  lime  test,  mentioned  under  2,  is  not  effectual  when  castor  oil 
(or  other  fatty  oil)  is  present.  On  warming  such  a  mixture  of  lime, 
however,  the  fatty  odor  is  plainly  perceptible,  if  not  a  very  small 
amount  of  fat  is  added,  and  upon  ignition  decomposition  products  of 
the  castor  oil  are  formed,  Avhich  possess  a  very  peculiar  odor. 
ADULTERATED  IPECACUANHA. 
By  Louisa  Reed  Stowell 
The  following  substances  aee  reported  as  having  been  found  in 
powdered  ipecacuanha:  Almond  meal,  licorice,  corn  meal  and  potato 
starch. 
The  presence  of  almond  meal  can  be  detected  by  the  development 
of  hydrocyanic  acid  upon  infusion  in  water.  The  presence  ol  the 
seed  coats  as  well  as  the  central  part  of  the  almond  may  be  detected 
by  the  microscope.  The  central  part  or  the  cotyledons  are  composed 
of  thin-walled  hexagonal  cells,  smaller  than  the  cells  of  the  bark  of 
the  ipecac,  and  loaded  with  oil  drops.  They  are  entirely  free  from 
starch  grains.  Minute  spiral  vessels  are  frequently  scattered  through 
these  cells.  The  outer  seed  coat  or  the  dark  brown  scurfy  part  of  the 
almond  is  made  up  of  large  oblong  cells,  with  peculiar  pits  or  dots 
covering  the  cell-wall.  They  are  about  ^-J-^  of  an  inch  broad  and 
nearly  twice  as  long.    By  the  way,  if  some  of  these  cells  are  scraped 
