14 
Adulteration  of  Drugs. 
f  Am.  Jonr.  Pharm. 
\    January.  Ib02. 
sodium  acid  sulphate.  This  product  is  manufactured  by  mixing  the 
molecular  portions  of  sodium  bichromate,  dissolved  in  a  suitable 
quantity  of  water,  with  sulphuric  acid,  according  to  the  following 
equation : 
Na2Cr2072H20  +  2H2S04  =  2CrOs  +  2NaHS04  +  3H20 
The  mixture  is  then  simply  dried  and  the  product  resulting 
placed  on  the  market  as  chromic  acid.  There  is  considerable  varia- 
tion in  the  physical  appearance  in  the  best  grades  of  chromic  acid, 
and  it  is  easy  to  be  deceived.  The  only  safe  plan  is  to  estimate  the 
actual  content  of  chromic  acid.  A  short,  rapid  method  has  been 
worked  out  by  the  writer,  and  will  be  found  in  the  Am.  Jour.  Pharm., 
1 90 i,  page  395.  The  presence  of  sodium  is  readily  established  by 
the  sodium-flame  test,  and  the  sulphate  by  means  of  barium 
chloride. 
Soluble  Blue. — Ultramarine  blue  has  been  supplied  when  soluble 
blue  was  called  for,  and  a  great  contention  was  raised  when  an 
unfavorable  report  was  submitted.  This  product  is  insoluble  in 
water,  but  care  must  be  taken  not  to  be  deceived,  inasmuch  as  the 
ultramarine  blue  is  a  very  fine  powder  and  remains  suspended  in 
the  water  for  some  time.  It  is  best  to  make  up  the  solution  or  mix- 
ture and  let  it  stand  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  if  the  product  is 
ultramarine,  the  blue  will  subside  and  leave  the  upper  aqueous  layer 
perfectly  colorless,  while  a  soluble  blue  under  the  same  conditions 
will  leave  a  permanent  blue  solution. 
Podophyllin,  Powdered. — When  a  request  was  made  that  a  sample 
of  this  material  be  submitted,  it  was  found  upon  examination  to 
consist  of  powdered  mandrake  root.  This  fraud  is  easily  established 
by  its  insolubility  in  alcohol  and  microscopic  appearance. 
Tannic  Acid,  Commercial — For  this  article,  powdered  Chinese  nut- 
galls  have  been  supplied.  Any  one  familiar  with  the  odor  of  these 
galls  can  readily  detect  this  substitution.  Commercial  tannic  acid, 
furthermore,  is  nearly  soluble  in  water;  whereas,  powdered  Chinese 
nutgalls  leave  considerable  insoluble  matter.  The  microscope  can 
be  used  to  advantage  with  such  a  product. 
Coumarin. — A  sample  of  this  article  was  submitted  for  examina- 
tion and  proved  to  be  of  very  good  quality.  Accordingly,  a  good- 
sized  order  was  placed,  and  when  the  goods  arrived  another  exam- 
ination showed  the  material  to  possess  a  melting  point  from  S4}^° 
