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ON  AMERICAN  POT  AND  PEARL  ASHES. 
Pharmacopoeia,"  lest  our  lingual  organs  should  suffer.  I  am 
sure  the  "formulas"  furnished  by  your  journal,  will  have  a 
good  chance  for  adoption.  Respectfully, 
Medictjs. 
ON  AMERICAN  POT  AND  PEARL  ASHES. 
By  Ferdinand  F.  Mater,  of  New  York. 
The  last  number  of  Wittstein's  Vierteljahresschrift  (Band  ix.  1) 
contains  a  paper  on  adulterated  ashes,  from  D.  A.  Van  Baste- 
laer,  (taken  from  the  Journal  de  Pharmacie  d'Anvers,  1859, 
xv.  172,)  which  deserves  at  least  a  passing  notice,  as  it  throws 
out  some  serious  doubts  as  to  the  quality  and  undisputed  supe- 
riority of  American  ashes. 
Mr.  Van  Bastelaer  gives  the  results  of  an  analysis  of  five 
different  pot  and  pearl  ashes,  three  of  which  are  of  reputed 
American  origin,  one  Russian,  and  another  of  Continental  make. 
They  are  principally  remarkable  for  the  large  proportion  of 
carbonate  of  soda,  which  in  the  three  American  specimens  stands 
respectively  as  21-14  to  18-76—21.97  to  29-73—15-69  to  28-11 
of  carbonate  and  hydrate  of  potassa,  while  in  the  Russian  as 
H-16  to  36-04. 
That  this  large  amount  of  soda  is  owing  to  adulteration  when 
it  amounts  to  one-half  of  the  active  ingredients,  is  not  to  be 
doubted.  But  where  the  falsification  takes  place,  is  another 
question;  and  I  think  that  the  subjoined  analysis  of  ashes, 
taken  indiscriminately  out  of  two  leading  yards  at  this  port, 
will  prove  to  some  extent  that  the  adulteration  was  not  prac- 
tised here. 
I.  First  sort  Potash — the  inside  of  a  cask,  nearly  white  and 
of  crystalline  texture. 
II.  First  sort  Potash — the  outside  of  another  cask,  dark,  and 
contains  some  sulphuret. 
III.  Second  sort  Potash — dark  grey,  with  a  considerable 
portion  of  insoluble  matter  (carbonate  and  sulphate  of  lime.) 
IV.  First  sort  Pearlash. 
V.  Second  sort  Pearlash, 
VI.  Third  sort  Pearlash. 
